Determination for Growth

That you are still alive is the sole condition qualifying you for growth. I am always saddened to see folks who have been so beaten up by life that they stop dreaming, they stop aspiring, they stop wishing, they stop making efforts, they stop moving.

I am reminded of the man by the pool of Bethesda who never had this idea that he could drag himself to the pool even if it was one inch a year.Maybe by the 17th year he would have probably been close to the pool enough to jump in there and be healed. But this man never got discouraged. He was determined to receive his healing regardless of how long it would take. He was probably ready to stay by the pool for a longer period of time.

Jesus told the man Rise, take up your bed and walk: Jesus told the man to do what he could not do. Being paralyzed, it was impossible for him to rise or to take up his bed-mat or to walk. At this moment, Jesus challenged the man to believe Him for the impossible.
Advancing in an unflinching determination does not mean you will face no obstacles. The presence of obstacles gives a sense to your determination. God will not say you are more than a conqueror if there was nothing to conquer. He would not say you have the victory if there was no war. He is the prince of peace because there is the possibility of turbulence. In the midst of turbulence, obstacles or whatsoever determination will help you thrive and breakthrough.
As you aim for growth, you will see challenges of all nature in your career, ministry and family. Some of these challenges come to paralyze you, others come to slow you down, others come to test you. Therefore in your growth mindset always do the following.

1- Identity the nature of the challenge

What is the problem? Can I fix it? What is the cause of this challenge? These questions will help you determine your attitude. An attitude of gratitude is always recommended it does good to your soul. The attitude of dependence on God is definitely a must for the Believer.

2- Trust God

The Bible says that the just shall live by faith. Trusting God will prevent you from overreacting. Overreacting to a problem will cause you to make decisions you will regret later. Therefore , stay in control of your emotions, become the watcher of your thoughts and stay calm because you have faith in God.

3- Ask for help

Sometimes we fail to remember that we are not alone. We retreat to our little corner and forget that, regardless of what we’re going through at the moment someone’s been there before us. The bible says there is nothing new under the sun; including the situation you are going through right now. Even that must not in anyways stop you!
If you feel like you’re stuck somewhere, it’s more than okay to turn to your community for support: your church, your friends, family, colleagues, spouse. After all, you’d give them support if they were in your position, right?

4- See the positive side of your challenge.

There was a time I was given a responsibility, I was so excited about it, bragging about it , just to be removed from the position after investing so much in it! I decided to see the positive side of the situation. I had more time to rest, I could focus on another project. Today I enjoy the fruit of the new project. Had I been discouraged completely and not seen the good side of the problem, I would have been stuck doing nothing.
Problems are just part of what you do, they are part of life. The bigger your dream, the bigger the obstacles will be. Don’t stop dreaming, don’t stop growing.
Martin Luther King once said : “ if you can’t fly run, if you can’t run walk, if you can’ walk crawl, by all means you have to keep moving”. And that is exactly what we are doing until we transition to heaven and can’t d