JOINING the community of faith
involves a plethora of opportunities to learn and grow. Growth is our engagement
in the good things of life by God’s grace. Here are ten easy-to-remember ideas
for growth, which breed hope, peace, and joy:
1. Try your
Best – one constant
thread that links the most successful athletes, artists, and business people is
they never give up. They simply refuse to believe anything that speaks against
their vision — that vision that God perhaps gave them. This is our opportunity;
to believe what we heard long ago… to chase that dream. But at the very least
we need to bounce back when we’re beset by setbacks.
2. Be a Good
Guest – many times in
life we’re in others’ territory and we must be respectful, sincere guests, full
of integrity. Being a good guest means we’re content allowing others to make a home
in us even as we’re away from home. It’s about being someone who’s safe to be
around even when we might feel vulnerable ourselves. It’s something worthy to
aspire to.
3. Make Room
for Appropriate Jest –
seriousness is a necessary element of success, but so is the appropriate use of
serendipity; humour is a relief valve. But our humour must be respectful, and
it needs to be appropriate for the situation. Humour helps us make light of the
darkness. It helps us not sweat the small stuff so much. But we must
counterbalance it with truth so we don’t use humour to deny the real issues in
our lives.
4. Don’t
Forget to Invest – we must
sow into life if we’re to reap significance so far as our legacy is concerned.
Investing is about actually stepping into the arena of life; actually taking
the risks we need to in making things happen. It’s about sowing into
relationships and giving more than what would be safe to give.
5. Build a
Good Nest – wisdom dictates
that we nurture ourselves, our families, and those ones God places in our
orbit. Building a good nest is about being a home to people, and making a home
where people can safely come. And be who they are. Be themselves. Home is as
much a place of heart as it’s anything. Building a good nest is nurture,
discernment, and wisdom. It’s believing in the value of place.
6. Don’t Be a
Pest – nobody likes
arrogance, petulant ignorance, nastiness, or wilful indifference. We serve life
well when we serve those in our midst well. There’s no need to be a pest.
7. Make Life
Your Quest – only you can
define what God gives you as the answer to the meaning of life. But making life
your quest will ensure you don’t settle for a lesser life than you deserve, and
that God deserves; that he can achieve through you.
8. Don’t Forget
to Rest – drive, passion,
and enthusiasm are crucial to success, but the bane of success is burnout. Rest
is whatever we find rejuvenating, revitalising, and recovering.
9. Stand the
Test – life is one
long series of tests, and mostly of our moral and physical integrity, our resilience,
and tenacity. Standing the test is not about not failing, for we’ll all
stumble. But the important thing is not to fall, which would be to leave
failures unreconciled. To leave things unreconciled that could be improved is
unforgivable because it means we don’t care. It bides in us well when we
reconcile everything that can be reconciled.
10. Explore the
West – be prepared to
travel. Make the most of opportunities. If we live in the west, yet we travel
further west, we’ll find ourselves ultimately in the east.
© 2015 Steve Wickham.
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