Get Your "But" Out Of The Way!
Almost everywhere you go you can find people who want a better life. They want to be thinner, bigger, stronger, smarter, faster, more relaxed, less stressed, more money, less debt, more time, time to go by faster...one thing for sure, they would like something different than what they currently have. People are willing to go to great lengths and spend big money in pursuit of these things, with that being said, why aren't more people getting these things?
I believe one of the main reasons that more people don't see these things come to pass is that they have their big ol "BUT" right in the middle of the way. In my years of teaching and coaching one thing has remained consistent, everytime you tell someone what they need to do next to get what they want, their first response is yeah "BUT". Following their big ol "BUT" is always an excuse of why they can't do the thing required to bring them closer to what they say they want. The thing that piques my curiosity is why do they spend so much time on their "BUTS"?
I love the quote "you can make excuses or make something happen, but you can't do both". We can all look at different times in our lives that doing this has kept us from what we are capable of. Fear is a powerful force, if it is left unchallenged and allowed to be the director of our thoughts. Most of us are given countless examples of friends and family allowing fear to control their actions and therfore we develop the same pattern of behavior in our own lives. Once a pattern of behavior has been established, the mind and body will resist any change the we give it, even if it is better for us.
I know what you're saying, yep that's me alright, but how do I fix it? I love the scripture 2 Cor.10:5 "casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;" This is the response Paul gives us to remove strongholds in our lives. I believe that excuses are the way we verbalize a stronghold in our life. Here a few steps to apply what Paul is teaching.
Recognize: Before we can conquer the mountain we must be able to see it. Imaginations are visual pictures that we choose to focus on. When the picture does not line up with what God says about you then be willing to admit and recognize it.
Respond: The word "casting" is a verb and shows voluntary action on our part. Since this is not fishing, there must be another way. In Matthew 6 it says to "take no thought, saying". We give life to our thoughts with our words, the next time a thought says you can't, you tell it I can.
Renew: Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by renewing our mind. We must make new thought patterns in our mind if we desire different results from our body. We are blessed to have the ability to choose not only what we think, but also what we believe and thus what we eventually see.
LIve on Purpose
Todd