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purpose
Give yourself some time to…
Sometimes we are in so much of a hurry to reach the next goal that we fail to take time to enjoy what we’ve achieved so far.
Take time to enjoy your achievements. There may never be another time for that.
HOW I DISCOVERED MY CALLING AND PURPOSE (My Testimony)
This post is in response to a request from a fellow blogger and reader based on the last post I published titled “Why I got out of bed this morning”. In this post I said my life took a completely new turn (a positive turn) when God showed me my purpose.
My fellow blogger wanted me to share my experience; how I came to discover my purpose. I will just give a run down of how it all started up till this moment.
The early part of my life was littered with verbal, sexual and physical abuse. I’ve known rejection, disease and acute poverty. This to me was the normal since I didn’t have access to another kind of life.
Due to these conditions I became an adolescent and young woman who suffered immensely from low self-esteem, inferiority complex and insecurities. I hated myself, and the kind of choices I made later in life simply confirmed my state of mind. I became frustrated by my choices and the inability of others to understand what I was going through.
I gave my life to Christ while studying to become a professional teacher. I came to Christ with a heavy load of troubles. My life was meaningless and dirty in my own very eyes.
Although I was envied by many for my academic success, I hated myself so much.
Once in the church, things did not get right immediately. There was a battle for my soul. God had rescued me but the devil wanted me so badly. This opened up the avenue for constant spiritual warfare. Very early on in my Christian journey I learned how to fast, pray and rebuke evil spirits (They were all over me).
I had to seek solutions, and I sought them wherever I thought possible. I attended crusades, bought books and tapes, asked to be prayed for and then fasted and prayed on my own. But this didn’t prove to be the magic wand I expected.
Little did I know that God had destined me to be His servant and that all what I was going through was part of the training for ministry. Sometimes I thought God didn’t care about me. I then wanted to die. I really wanted to end the stress and trauma because that is all my life comprised of.
During the early stages of my conversion I began to have these “strange” dreams and visions wherein I found myself ministering prayer, healing and deliverance to people. I later understood through the teachings I was exposed to that God was showing me my calling. At that stage I didn’t understand much of it.
Also, I once heard a sermon that really shook the foundation of my Christianity and pushed me to seek God deeper. The preacher challenged Christians to stop being those who “sit and watch” while others serve in the church.
I must admit that I didn’t like the way he described those of us who were not in active service in God’s house. I felt a holy anger in me that sent me on my knees asking God what He wanted me to do in His house.
I attended foundation classes for new converts. There, I learned the difference between general service and specialized service. The former is for those who do not yet know their particular area of calling and the latter is for those who already know exactly what God has called them to do.
I was challenged and I began to serve in the church. I have served with the cleaners, the hospitality team; I’ve been a Sunday school teacher, an intercessor, the intercessors’ leader, a member of the women’s ministry among others. Then one day when Pastor was transferred I was asked to assume the interim until a new Pastor was sent to the church.
I learned a lot in these various capacities. This general service established my foundation as a Christian and gave me a base for ministry.
As I continued serving in the church and spending time in intimacy with God He began to show me my area of specialization. This was facilitated by the books I read, tapes I listened to, sermons I heard, other men and women of God I observed, prophecy, and then seminars and workshops I attended.
I never missed any opportunity to attend conferences and seminars even if I had to forgo other needs just to afford the transportation I needed. I was hungry for more of God and He honored my hunger with deeper knowledge about Himself and His call on my life. I always came back from the events enriched and refreshed.
But I still had issues. Only gradually did God take them away one at a time.
I’ll like to cite a few of the resources which among others really helped me during my search.
- Your season is getting ready to change by Pastor Paula White (tape).
- The Assignment, the Dream and the Destiny by Dr. Mike Murdock (book).
- Maximize Your Potential by Dr. Myles Monroe (book).
- Tough Times Never Last, but tough people do by Dr. Robert Schuller (book).
- The confident woman by Joyce Meyer (book).
I accessed other numerous resources by servants of God like Bishop T.D. Jakes, Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa, just to name these few. (I’ve read a mountain of books and I’ve bought a great number of tapes. I’ve been to so many conferences and I’ve sat down to talk to not a few servants of God).
In the end God made me to understand that He let me go through hell so that I would help others come out of hell. I’m a survivor called to reach out to others and help them survive.
But in all these, God’s grace has been superabundant in my life. I owe it all to His mercy and favor.
If not for His grace, there’s no other reason why I should be alive today.
What I can say is that it takes patience, intimacy with God, the willingness to learn, to sacrifice and endurance, when things seem to go directly opposite to what God had promised you through dreams, visions, prophecy and especially His own Word, the Bible.
I’m still searching and I’m still learning. I agree with the Apostle Paul:
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).
I hope and pray someone is inspired by this resume of my testimony to seek God more and to get to know Him in a deeper dimension.
You are blessed in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
When people leave
Every leader will experience this at least once in a life time; people who choose to leave rather than stay. You’ve worked together, you’ve planned the future together; you’ve even invested a great deal into their lives, then one day they choose to leave the church, business, company, brand …
This can be a fairly bitter pill to swallow especially when they leave at a time you really need their services. It is therefore important to prepare oneself against such an eventuality by keeping it in mind that no matter how well you treat your team members some will always have a reason to leave.
- Search for greener pastures
- Discontent about some issue (for instance your leadership style).
- Call to other duties
- Incapacitation
The list continues.
As the leader, your reaction to this will reflect your level of maturity and the quality of your leadership. How will you react to such a situation?
- Brand them as traitors and unfaithful collaborators?
- Accuse a competitor for taking away (stealing) your members/customers?
- Accuse the devil for coming after you?
- Just slump into your seat and hope it doesn’t happen another time?
Rather than look around for whom to blame why not do a thorough self-examination?
- Am I giving them what they need?
- Do I know what they need?
- Do they feel fulfilled working with me?
- Have I done something wrong?
- Have I been listening to their complaints?
- Have I departed from the original vision they submitted to?
- Am I a good leader? Will I like to submit under my own leadership?
A good leader takes the blame first before investigating the cause.
It’s not wise to quickly name and blame others while exempting yourself from the responsibility.
It could be an opportunity for you to go in for self-improvement.
Very few people will choose to leave a winning team and even fewer still, will quit a place where they get satisfaction.
And if you think you gave them the best, but they left anyway, you will have a cool head and a clean conscience.
Some people come into our lives for a reason, some for a season and some for life. Get to know who is in your life and for what purpose.
Emotion-driven and Purpose-driven leadership
EMOTION-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP
I’m not happy with you, you’re fired
I’m happy today, we’re having a party
I’m feeling depressed, let’s postpone the meeting
I’m discouraged, let’s give up on the project
I’m not interested in this, we won’t go in that direction
I like her very much, she can do as she pleases
I’m excited, lets start a new project
I don’t like the way he speaks, I won’t hire him
I’m feeling guilty, I won’t take another initiative
PURPOSE-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP
What are our priorities?
who can provide what we need?
How can we improve our production?
what resources do we need?
what extra effort is needed?
what is our target?
what amount of risk is acceptable?
what image do we want to portray?
who is being positively impacted by our services?
Time and Purpose
Every human being is entitled to 24 hours a day.
What you choose to do with your own 24
Will determine the quality of life you live now and in the future.
And don’t expect an “anti-clockwise miracle”
To bring back the wasted years.
DON’T SETTLE FOR A PALLIATIVE
Some time ago I met an individual I have been helping by providing them with some financial support. When I got a closer look at them I realized they were bigger than the help I was offering them. They deserved better, and I wasn’t the one to give them the greener pastures they deserved. They were supposed to go get it. As I was meditating on these things the following words came to my mind, “you are where you are because I have been giving you a palliative. Henceforth I will no longer give that to you and you will be able to go for the real thing.” This is how I got the inspiration for this post.
Some people are where they are today because they settled for a palliative and forgot the real thing. A palliative is anything that stops you from going for the original or permanent solution. Sometimes we quickly settle for things that make us feel good for a time or season only to realize later that we are missing out on a lot of things.
Why do people accept palliatives?
When we do not have the mind-set of an achiever or world-changer. When we easily get satisfied with mediocre results.
The price to pay for a permanent solution may seem too high and unreachable.
When we are in a hurry to satisfy our desires and are not ready to be patient and get the real deal.
Ignorance about what is ours and the right we have to take possession of it. Did God not say it is ignorance that makes us perish (Hosea 4:6)?
When the palliative offers temporary satisfaction that is very similar to what we originally dreamed of.
Don’t make of that place, situation, job or position your permanent habitation if God has promised you more. I refuse to go back to Egypt but I equally will not settle in the wilderness. I will enter Canaan no matter how many giants are there. I refuse to be satisfied with less than what God has promised.
YOU ARE HERE FOR A PURPOSE
There is no human being on the surface of the earth who came here by accident. Each and every one of us is a well-thought out and carefully planned piece of God’s creation. This may seem very untrue to an individual whose daily life is a struggle for survival. For those who have lost hope because of the circumstances of life and for those whose lives are full of pain, this is a very remote possibility.
However, divine truth has nothing to do with what we feel or what we choose to believe. God’s promises and true and what He says He can do, He does. The Bible reminds us that we are to live by faith and not by sight. This means that no matter what our senses are telling us, no matter what our present circumstances are forcing us to believe, we must willfully decide to stand by faith on what God is telling us.
Do you believe that although your life seems so useless and uneventful, God desires a glorious and victorious existence for you? Do you know that there is a divine assignment that you alone can fulfill? Do you know that many destinies depend on you fulfilling your God-given purpose? We are all born to influence and impact each others’ lives through the gifts and talents in us. There is a good reason why God has permitted you to continue living in spite of all you are going through. He has a plan for you and if you will just look up to Him, He will reveal to you the glorious life you are meant to live.
You may be depressed right now, discouraged and suicidal. You may be thinking of taking an overdose to end your life or even to jump into a lake to end it all. Remember, Your creator has not said the final word yet. You want to kill yourself because you are believing the devil’s lies. He told you you can never make it, that you are good for nothing and that no one loves you or cares about you. Lies, all lies. Remember the devil is the father of lies and all he knows is lies. He lied to Adam and Eve and got them into a mess. He wants to get you into a mess too. Refuse to let Him take the breath out of you.
Even if your life has been nothing but pain, hold on. Your very story and how you have survived till now can heal, deliver and rescue another hopeless case. You have a purpose, there is a reason for your existence on earth. You are not failure until you decide to quit and pull out a white flag. Give God a chance, call on Him and He will show you great and might things that you know not; marvelous things He has kept for those that look up to Him.
My friend, you are here for a purpose. Refuse to quit until that purpose is fulfilled. Only then will you have fulfillment and also help others to find joy because their joy depends on you discovering God and what He has in store for you.
Leadership and Purpose 