We can’t help but overcomplicate things. We’re constantly making everything about us. Everything is merit-based. We wear t-shirts with quotes like, “nothing is given, everything is earned.”

This self-centered mentality permeates every aspect of our lives. We gradually minimize God’s part in the equation, foolishly thinking we can do this on our own. We find it impossible to comprehend that God needs us to do less. He needs us to stop trying to earn his blessings, stop striving to be the “best” Christian ever. He simply needs us to believe and demonstrate this through our faith each day.

In the performance spaces hope has taken on a negative connotation. Hope is viewed as passive, hope is viewed as weak, and hope doesn’t drive results. It is much more attractive to talk about mastering our fate, controlling our destiny, or manifesting our desires.

There are consequences to our actions. Real consequences! God wants nothing more than to walk alongside us in our transformational journey, but he won’t unless we are fully committed to him. We can’t be fore God only when we need him, and expect him to be with us always.

We are trying so hard to be special and unique in the eyes of someone else, that we forget that we are special and unique in the eyes of God. We have all been blessed uniquely. We’re not the only one capable of doing God’s work, but we are the only ones capable of doing our work for God.

At the peak of his ministry Jesus still prioritized communion with God. He “often” withdrew. The use of his time reflected his priorities. What about you? If we were to evaluate how you spent your time the past couple weeks what would we learn about you?

What is your endgame?

Leading, coaching, teaching, training, parenting. What is it all leading to?

As transformational leaders, we all recognize our desperate need to be filled and sustained in order to lead, coach, teach, train, and parent well. We know that it is nearly impossible to make good on our desire to lead if we are relying entirely on our own strength day after day, year after year.