Sunday, February 1, 2015

What do you have to do?

What do you have to do?

This question came up in the message this morning.  It's not a bad thing, like I have to do this or that and ugh...that sucks.  But more, I know deep down that there is something that I'm supposed to do.  There are things that drive me and things I deeply care about and when I'm not able to pursue these "have to" things, I get really depressed.

I know that most people wouldn't consider me "old" by any stretch of the imagination...except maybe for the kiddos I work with!  To them, I'm ancient!  But another birthday is coming up this month and I'm frustrated again.  What have I really accomplished in my time here on earth?  Or how about just in the last year?  Nothing really noteworthy or anything.  And perhaps, I will never be famous or widely remembered, but I want my life to matter!

So what do I have to do?  Sitting down and making a list, nothing was really earth-shattering, but they are still things that drive me.

This comes at a time where I was going back through my Leadership Advance stuff and going through my strengths from the Strength Finders assessment and my DISC assessment results.  I had forgotten several things I had learned from the weekend.

So here is my list:

  • music/worship
  • following Christ
  • learning
  • listening
  • speaking/writing
  • teaching
  • loving
  • overcoming
  • leading
How could I accomplish those things?

Music/worship:
  • Spending time practicing and song-writing daily
  • Spending time in worship, even if it's just alone in my room by myself
  • Taking time to receive feedback from talented individuals so I can grow in my skills
Following Christ:
  • It isn't easy, but spending time in His word...daily
  • Praying without ceasing 
  • Asking God for more of Him instead of asking for more of His stuff...
Learning:
  • Continuing to pursue topics that interest me and learning everything I can about them through reading, online tutorials, classes, and hands-on experience
Listening:
  • Being quiet and listening for God's voice.  We are surrounded by so much noise each day.  I like constant noise.  Silence is uncomfortable, but what have I missed by not actively listening for God's voice?
Speaking/writing:
  • Taking time to talk openly about my faith and what God is doing in my life
  • Writing and reflecting on what's going on in my life and what I see God doing
Teaching:
  • Teaching others and sharing my knowledge with those who desire to learn about topics that I know a lot about
Loving:
  • Actively checking in with those that I care about.  Seeing what I could be praying for and finding ways to show them love.
  • Praying for the ability to love those who hate me and go out of their way to bring me down.  Praying that they would know Christ's love.
Overcoming:
  • Running to God when I'm overwhelmed with all the thoughts that swirl around in my mind
  • Breaking through the barriers in front of me so that I can influence the world.  Trusting that God will open the right doors for me, even when everything seems impossible.
Leading:
  • Developing the talents I've been blessed with and using them to lead others
  • So much focus has gone into trying to strengthen my weaknesses so that I can be a "better" person.  But God has given me what I need.  Everyone has been blessed with different talents, gifts, and abilities...so why try to be something I'm not?

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