Every day, all around the world, people are wishing, “I want to do something great with my life.” Then they wait for that amazing “God idea.” God wants to give these to His people, but when He does, we let the first obstacle we encounter stop us dead in our tracks. And some of us never make it past that first obstacle. Mentors of mine have said that “90% of Christians leave 98% of their calling on the table because they’re not willing to do what it takes to bring these great things to life.”
Moses claimed to be unqualified to lead his people. David, a simple shepherd, was raised up to be king of a mighty people. Joseph, a humble carpenter, was entrusted with raising Jesus. And they all stepped out in faith and rose to the challenge.
God may use the weak and unqualified to do his work, but that doesn’t mean they can stay weak and unqualified. So what’s the first thing He does when he gives you an amazing God idea? He lets you run headlong into an obstacle, not to knock you off course but to show you how much you have to learn in order to execute on that idea.
When you hit that obstacle, it feels like rejection. It feels like God just slammed the door shut on you. But what He’s really done is reveal what’s in your heart. He’s presenting you with what looks like an insurmountable obstacle. But His purpose is to make sure you have the guts to take His amazing idea and make it a reality. That’s the only way to make sure you’ll be able to live up to the responsibility you’ll have when you finally reach that level.
Understand that when you make that God idea come to life, you’ll have a platform and a voice of influence for doing good in the world. But that platform comes with a lot of responsibility. And once you have that platform, any weaknesses you show will be shouted from the rooftops, undermining your influence.
So the first thing God does when He gives you that amazing idea is show you exactly how much you don’t know. That’s why things are so hard in the beginning—not because God closed a door or you fell off the path, but because you don’t know what you’re doing! And it will take earthly knowledge, along with heavenly wisdom, to get you moving at an accelerated pace.
If you want to live an extraordinary life, you’re going to need to make some changes. There are some weaknesses you’ll have to remedy and some habits you’ll have to give up because they will keep you from getting to the next level. Ask yourself, “What are the things I fall back on when I smack into an obstacle? What keeps me from succeeding?” Maybe it’s laziness or procrastination. Maybe it’s chain smoking when you’re anxious or eating your way through a pint of ice cream when you’re upset. Or maybe your weakness is simply not knowing what it means to walk in excellence … how to represent yourself in a way that makes others take you seriously. When you’re charged with a God idea, you’d better be ready to represent at that level.
I was 21 when I started my business, and no banker would take me seriously because of my youth and gender. I learned very quickly that I had to know ten times more than the next person, and that I couldn’t have the same amount of free time as others my age. But if it hadn’t been so difficult, I wouldn’t have overcome my own laziness. I now thank God for those bankers saying “no,” because even though it was difficult, I learned to walk in excellence.
So what are you willing to change to have an extraordinary life?