I want to encourage you in your awareness of your ability. Scripture reveals that we are known and called from the foundations of time. We are not an accident and our uniqueness should always be considered a gift. Each of us has a special role that has nothing to do with the role of others. God alone gave us life and calling so He alone is equipping us.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” Ephesians 1:4

I want you to know that the Lord has always had His hand on you to help you in your calling. We live in a new era where each of us is a priest. The priesthood of believers. We who call on Jesus’ name are equally welcome into the throne room of our father.

 “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.”  Galatians 1:15

Our calling is to reveal the life giver. Jesus did for us what no man could do. He became the source of all things for this life and the next, and the world is waiting to hear it and see truth demonstrated.

When the ship was going down and all hope was lost, an angel appeared to Paul and said to be of good cheer, he must appear before Caesar. We all have a Caesar to appear before. We all stand in place of Jesus on this earth to speak of the unseen God to a searching world. You are called to your Caesars. Go to them!

People who encounter Jesus have not changed much in 2,000 years. Unless they are trained to understand the truth, they begin to just stand and wait for a gift from heaven instead of using the gift of righteousness that has already been given to them (see Rom. 5:17).

They stand in churches and wait for a sermon to inspire them. They stand in schools and wait for an education to anoint them. They stand in seminars and wait for the free gift of a prophetic word to call them out. But there is a real danger in waiting. It is the main cause for the failure of the Church structure today. Inactive people find themselves in a very destructive mode.

If you ask a beekeeper when the most dangerous time is to deal with a hive, he will say that it’s when the bees have stopped producing honey and the hive is full. Thousands and thousands of bees swirling around with no work to do causes great agitation. They begin to look at the beekeeper and each other as enemies.

That’s when they begin to sting.

Churches that have lost the larger purpose of outreach begin an inward-spiraling cycle of backbiting, scorn, and criticism. This is destructive to the church and the very people they are called to work with.

The angels are still crying out to people, “Why do you stand here waiting? There is no gifting better than the one you have: to be blessed with the indwelling presence of Jesus Himself. There is no training better than what you have: to be led by the Holy Spirit within. There is no prophecy better than what you have: to declare over your life what Jesus has already done for you, and who you are in Him!”

There is no need to wait for what God has already given. However, there is a need to believe in yourself, and that you are gifted by God Himself to carry out His purpose for your life.

“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose” (Romans 8:28 AMP.)

WOW! I get excited when I read this passage. God is a partner in our labor working things together for us! What a pleasure it is to trust in Him, knowing that He is working behind the scenes on our behalf.

Recently in prayer I heard myself saying, “God, YOU are my partner and I have total confidence that You are bringing in the resources, people and establishing the plans in Your time frame!”

There’s a lot of change surrounding each one of us due to difficulties in this natural world; however, in this time of transition we use our faith and our passion to latch on to God’s will, and to the wealth that is available for transfer into the hands of those in the kingdom of God!

We are not down and defeated without hope or alternatives, BUT WE ARE UP, EXPECTANT AND DREAMING OF NEW POSSIBILITES IN CHANGING TIMES!

The wonderful facts of Christianity raise us from nobody to somebody, from simple to wise, from weak to courageous. These unmatched facts become living realities in a person when that person hears and chooses to believe them. What makes us like God and not like robots, is our ability to choose!

We can choose to see wonderful days ahead. We can choose to expect good favor coming our way. We can choose to anticipate everything lining up in our lives as we rejoice in our Maker.

The alternative is to live in fear. We can choose to fear that the economy will go down and take us with it. We can choose to fear that the doctor’s reports of cancer, heart disease, or a thousand other diagnoses are the final word. We can choose to fear tomorrow and fold up.

Or, we can spread our wings of faith and exclaim that everything will work out! The facts of our faith put us in the realm of God. Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

There is no time like the present for worldwide reflection on what the future will hold for us as we peek over the edge into the New Year. Some are holding on in fear and trembling, many are afraid to predict anything good as the media pundits continue their barrage of bad news.

I can with confidence, however, predict that we are more than conquerors in every situation as the scripture declares. That is not written for fair weather economies, but for all time.

Why do people fear if they believe that the Creator of the universe lives inside of them?

Why do people expect the worst when all things are possible to those who believe, as Jesus has spoken?

Why do people think it will be a time of isolation, when Jesus said I will never leave you nor forsake you?

Our greatest days are right ahead of us as we navigate the waters in these rapids of the river of life. Every river has a little rough water but no concern. The boat was designed for the rapids. This is when it performs its best!

Relax in God’s boat. Jesus is in the boat with you, so enjoy the ride as it takes you through some twists and turns this coming year. You will be the better for it!

Discovery is a powerful word that opens up vast opportunity. Children have no limits on their curiosity or willingness to try out new things. In fact, their openness is so great that it could cause personal injury or peril. As we grow older, we seem to lose the ‘YES’ in life, and words like ‘routine,” institution,’ ‘insurance,’ ‘protection,’ and ‘safety’ become commonplace in our vocabulary.

I remember moving to Russia and finding a society that was based on the word “NO.” How could it be that this dynamic, creative society was cloaked in such negative expectation? Yet, for many of us today, regardless of our society, we allow the phrases “No! You can’t!” “No! You shouldn’t!” “No! That’s not right!” “No! It’s not possible!” to control our destinies!

Let’s realize today that Christ takes the parentheses off our lives. He puts a plus on our future because He says, All things are possible, only believe! Mark 9:23 paraphrased

I remember an experience with a new roommate in college. We went to the local shopping center for lunch, and as we were walking through the long corridors, my roommate suddenly began having a panic attack. She fearfully repeated, “Leslie, Leslie – why are all these people staring at me? What’s wrong with me??” At first I didn’t understand what she was saying, and frankly, I didn’t even notice! Then it dawned on me, they weren’t staring at her. I told her to walk several steps behind me and see what happened. She was so relieved to see nothing was wrong with her, and that they were actually staring at me!

I have spent my life being the tallest person in a classroom, on a basketball team, in a restaurant, at my office, or just about anywhere. Recently, I remember stopping for the day in Mumbai. As we enjoyed the sights, people began following me, wanting to take pictures with me. Small groups of young people, women with children and entire families kept gathering around me for pictures! I didn’t know what to think…I’m tall? I’m unique? Do they think they recognize me? I finally realized I wasn’t going to see any sights, so I just decided to enjoy the people!

Have you ever felt self-conscious? Have you ever wondered if the whole world is staring at you? I have. According to Psychology Today, self-consciousness keeps us fighting the battle to control our self-image. But obsessing over our shortcomings inevitably traps us in embarrassment and shame.

How do we rise above self-consciousness and triumph in life? First, contrast self-consciousness with self-worth. Self-consciousness is an awareness of differences and shortcomings compared to others. Self-worth is built upon an internal perspective of ourselves. It is discovery of our intrinsic value, lived out through our dreams of the future. The dictionary states self-worth is the sense of one’s own value as a person. It is self-esteem or self-respect.

Self-worth can find its basis in biblical truth by knowing that we are created in God’s image; by understanding that we are wonderfully made; by realizing that our lives were written in God’s book before we were born!  This Creator has chosen to live in the hearts of people! You can identify with Him today! How? By simply calling upon His name! God in heaven, Who revealed Himself to us through His Son Jesus is waiting right now for you to call upon Him! Why wait? Call on Him now!

Today we continue equipping our toolbox with tools that will help free you from mental clutter and keep you motivated toward achieving your aspirations!

Tool #2: Try a New Activity! 

I am constantly learning! Why? Despite all the information we have at our fingertips, one of life’s greatest obstacles is the fear of the unknown.

Information is power to change, and education is one of the greatest sources of personal growth! The electronic age allows access for skilled and unskilled, alike. I learn through internet articles, professional journals, on-line courses and personal coaches.

What have you wanted to do but were afraid to attempt? Overcome that fear by trying ONE new activity! Why not go back to school? Or take an on-line course? Having trouble getting started? Find a coach or trainer who can motivate you in your new activity. Many free on-line training and coaching tools are available!

Are you low on funds? Become a volunteer! You can often learn a new skill while volunteering at places needing help. Volunteering has been one of my greatest learning methods! It’s totally free, it only costs your time! Go ahead and get started—you CAN do something now!

My brother-in-law Pat is one of those amazing individuals who exemplifies the “courage to care.” Several years ago he was fighting a fire in downtown Detroit, a city that is infamous for the fires set in its scores of abandoned buildings.

What did Pat do? He jumped through a tiny basement window just in time to stop a man from setting a policewoman on fire! Somehow Pat wrestled her free of the assailant who had just doused her with gasoline and had a lighter in his hand!  His act of courage saved the woman, the house, and possibly his entire company.

I asked Pat, “How did you do this?” His response was simple: “You do the things you must to protect people. I am not sure I even thought about it…I just acted!”

I want to challenge you today to act on your instinct to help! Don’t be a bystander in life when you can be a participator! You can find the courage to care and you can change your nation, your family and your life!

Don’t ask what life can do for you, but ask, “What can I do to better the lives of others?” Remember Jesus said, Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends!

Scripture: John 15:13 (NIV)

On December 7, 1988, an earthquake devastated the northwestern section of Armenia, killing an estimated 25,000 – 50,000 people. After the earthquake, a father rushed to his son’s school only to discover that the school had been flattened. The father remembered dropping off his son earlier that day, and as he did every day he told his son, “No matter what, I’ll always be here for you!”

When the father saw the school he feverishly began removing rubble from where he believed his son’s classroom had been. The other parents were wailing, “My son!” “My daughter!” Some even told the father to go home, that there was no chance any of the students were alive. But the father replied, “I made my son a promise that I’d be there for him anytime he needed me. I must continue to dig.”

Courageously, he proceeded alone. He simply had to know—is my boy alive or is he dead? With seemingly supernatural strength, this father continued to dig…for 8 hours…12 hours…24 hours…36 hours.

Then, in the 38th hour, he heaved away a heavy piece of rubble and heard voices. “Armand!” he screamed. “Dad! It’s me—Armand! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you’d save us! Dad, take them out first, I know you’ll be here for me!”

Moments later the father was helping his son Armand and 13 other frightened, hungry, thirsty boys and girls climb out of the debris. How could this happen? When the building collapsed, these children had been spared in a tent-like pocket. When the townspeople praised Armand’s dad, his explanation was, “I promised my son, ‘No matter what, I’ll be there for you!'”

The ancient scriptures say, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)