REFLECTIONS OF THE SOUL

NOT A WASTE I remember sitting in front of the television in deep anticipation. I knew if she didn’t win, there was no justice. She was definitely a better performer and a better singer. The lights dimmed on the stage. Ryan was preparing to announce the winner. A hush fell over the audience. He started, “And the winner of American Idol is.…” Then there is the pause. There is always the pause. “… Fantasia Barrino,” he finally revealed. We were all elated. My wife was yelling. What can one say, the girl can blow. After witnessing Fantasia Barrino’s election to American Idol and hearing her sing, “I Believe”, I must admit, I became motivated to follow my own dreams. In the song she says, “I’ve waited for this moment all my life.” How true. Oftentimes, we wait all our lives for moments like those, but they never arrive. Why? There are several reasons. For me, it is because I fail to work hard to get what I want or because I fail to visualize what I want so I don’t have a goal for which to strive. Fantasia knew she wanted to be a singer and an entertainer. It was manifested every time she performed. In an interview, she said she always had a dream, always wanted to sing, but she couldn’t get her foot in the door. Yes, she pursued that dream despite people telling her it couldn’t be done or she couldn’t succeed because she is a single parent and has a child. Yet, look at her now, an American Idol! That’s a slap to all those critics. She’ll be living proof that success is the best revenge. She inspires me even through her interviews. She said, “I been through some things but I worked hard to get to where I’m at.” Haven’t we all been through some things? Yet, she used them to inspire herself to better things, not as an excuse to do nothing or settle for less. She did it with hard work and determination. It doesn’t hurt to have an inspiration of your own. Fantasia is the mother of Zion, her two-year old daughter. In an interview with TV Guide Online, she told her story. She relates that her grandmother, who owns a daycare, would give her money purchase things for Zion. At other times, she would have to borrow money to get things. “I don’t have to do that anymore. Now, I’m able to take care of my own child.” That was her motivation and inspiration. She used the gifts and talents that God gave her to better her life. Are you? Am I? I supposed this all clicks for me because I just finished a study on the Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. In it, he tells us that 1) it is not about us; it is about God. 2) God created us for a purpose and a mission. 3) God gave us the gift of life; what we do with it is our gift to him. There are other nuggets in there, but those are the ones that spoke to me. God created us, gifted us, and enabled us to do His will. Yet, many people will waste their lives either searching and never finding or trying to accomplish their own goals and not God’s. So the question is: what do we need to do now? First, we must decide to pursue our purpose. Yes, I said our purpose, not our goals, nor our plans, nor our ambitions, but our purpose. Our purpose is God’s purpose for us. We must decide to pursue it. It will never come to you; you must work to achieve, to reach it. Paul says, “I do not consider myself as having apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and looking to those things which are ahead, I press on toward the mark of the high call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14).” This is true of all of us. We must press toward the goal. How can Jesus say to us, ‘Well done good and faithful Servant,’ but we haven’t done anything because the purpose is going to come to us? DECIDE TO SUCCEED Before we can strive to achieve God’s plan for us, first we have to decide to make the pursuit. Before anything can be done, a decision must be made. A decision is not a nonchalant ascent to do something, but it is a state of mind to achieve something. It is the same with those battling an addiction. They may mentally ascent to wanting to break a habit/addiction, but until they decide to do so, nothing will ever change. To decide is to fix your mind on a certain outcome and taking steps to achieve that outcome despite the costs and despite the obstacles that may present themselves. The dictionary defines to decide as “to make up one’s mind.” The root is from the Latin word which means to cut off. When you decide to do something, you cut off all other avenues of escape or retreat. When a person decided to follow Christ, they chose to do so in the face of alienation, persecution or death. When a person decides to do better in life, they choose to do whatever it takes—work another job, take night classes, work late, and forsake entertainment opportunities for study or some other thing that will further them on toward their goal. Likewise, when we decide we will succeed, we will have made the choice to do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal—overcome comfort zones, network, brainstorm, plan, evaluate, plan again, sleep less, search for opportunities, try, fail, and try again until we reach the expected end. They don’t settle for less than what they visualize. Jesus said, “If any man desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me (Matt. 16:24).” In this passage He was saying if you want to be my disciple, then you must make up your mind to forsake your ambitions and goals, risk humiliation and persecution, and come after Him (pattern your life on His life). SEEK GOD The first step in making a difference in this world and in your life is to make a decision to do so. Once you make the decision to do so, the next thing to do is to seek God. You cannot hope to fulfill your purpose, or even find your purpose, apart from God. It was He who created you. It was He who created your purpose. It is He to whom you must give an account. It is like employment. When you start a job, you ask the employer what he/she wants you to do because they are the one who created the position. They are the ones who know what needs to be done and they are the ones to whom you must report. Seeking God involves several things. First, it involves prayer. To many people, prayer is a scary word. To others, it is a “churchy” word. Simply put, prayer is nothing more than a conversation with God. It is a fancy word that means to talk to God. It does not have to be in any special language or dressed up in diplomatic terms. God already knows your heart. Your words to Him should reflect your heart. You cannot say or “reveal” anything to God that He does not already know. Prayer involves more than just you talking to God. It is also listening with your heart to what He has to say to you. Prayer is a conversation, not a monologue. Seeking God also involves studying His Word. God reveals a lot about Himself and what He expects from us in His Word. Some have described the Bible as God’s love letter to man because in it He reveals His love for man and man’s purpose in life. Through some of the testimonies and examples given in the Bible, perhaps you might find direction for your life. If not, then perhaps the wisdom of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes will provide guidance. There are not too many areas that the Bible does not address in either a specific sense or a broad one. Ask a trusted Christian friend or a minister what passages they recommend. You might also read Proverbs 3, Book of Ecclesiastes, and the Epistles (Letters) of Paul to the Romans, Colossians, and the Ephesians. There are 31 chapters in the Book of Proverbs. Try reading a chapter a day along with a chapter from the Old and New Testament each. Many Bible have reading plans that will carry you though the Bible in as little as three months or as long as a year. You can also find a daily reading plan at www.StudyLight.org.