Front Parking Spot - Thinking
Thinking, we all do it. We make decisions every minute of the day. The thought comes in, we make a decision, possibly follow through and move on. This process is repeated daily. Are we all the same in this regard, or is there some difference in how people think, especially those who are able to translate their thoughts into achievement? How do they take a great idea to the next level? Is it possible to challenge popular thinking with alternative ideas to the contrary? Here are a few suggestions. Take yourself out of the box you may be in and allow the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom, conviction and discernment to think the way God is directing you. Then confidently take the following steps to explore His direction.
Taking your Idea to the Next Level
When God gives you an idea, the temptation may be to think of all the obstacles and then quickly shut it down. Open your thinking to the possibility of the thought and really evaluate the positive and negatives options that align with it. If the idea gets squashed because of the effort involved, that may be simply a convenient excuse. Other times, fear of failure can take hold. If this happens, you must resist this fear and focus your emotion on faith. Ideas can start as simply as scribbles on a dinner napkin or a profound thought while showering. Write your ideas down when they come to you. Pray for the “God ones” to stick around and for Him to give you the tenacity to explore them further. Eric Yuan, the founder of Zoom got his idea while trying to connect with a long-distance girlfriend. He also wasn’t a fan of taking trips for meetings. So, he thought of a way, using the tools in his personal area of expertise, to make it possible for people to connect more effectively without traveling. He had challenges along the way but committed to the process. As a result of diligently pursuing his idea and not giving up, Zoom is now a word used in daily life. Prior to March of 2020, the word Zoom wasn’t in my vocabulary. That has forever changed.
Don’t Doubt Your Abilities
We all can be our own worst critics. When it comes down to it, people sometimes feel inadequate or not “smart enough” to pursue their idea. We place limitations on ourselves and fail to see the ingenuity that others see in us. Couple that with any negative words of doubt and a great idea can be quickly dismissed. Charlie Brower said, “A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man’s brow.” It’s astonishing how quickly the next best idea can be derailed. Let’s look at Moses. He was a man caught between two cultures, Hebrew by birth but raised by Egyptians. Moses himself says in Exodus 4:10, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” Moses was also very old when God used him. So, what is your excuse? Is it your ability, speech, age or any other limitation you have put on yourself? Trust that if God gives you an idea, you won’t let it slip away. Think it through, pursue it and pray for God to lead you forward or change it up according to His plan.
Think Before Following
Recently, I stumbled upon a must-read book by John Maxwell. It is titled How Successful People Think. This book couldn’t come along at a better time, especially in the middle of this pandemic and as the vaccine is becoming available. John Maxwell states, “Many individuals follow others almost automatically. Sometimes they do so because they desire to take the path of least resistance. Other times they fear rejection. Or they believe there’s wisdom in doing what everyone else does. But if you want to succeed, you need to think about what’s best, not what’s popular.” This statement pretty much sums up most of humanity and our response to popular trends. We need to train ourselves to not accept what’s popular without applying our own due diligence, complete with research, thought, and prayers on the topic. This is how successful people think and it is how we can achieve optimum peace in our decisions.
You can start doing this today. Commit to renewing the proper attention to your thought life. Don’t dismiss the ideas that God gives you without a good dose of prayer and honest reflection. Avoid being the negative voice to derail another’s idea. Finally, seek your own independent thoughts, supported by prayer, when making decisions and be comfortable with going against the mainstream if you are led differently. You have been given the ability to think for yourself for a reason, so embrace it.
Romans 12:2 (NIV) “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.”