The board meeting began at 7:30am, in the church conference room, on a Friday morning. I started the meeting with a short statement that I read and included, “I resign.”
That was it. Eighteen years at one ministry, and it was time to move on. I needed to. I needed to take a risk; I had been playing it safe for too long.
I stopped growing.
I became stagnant in ministry and life.
It was past time for a change, for a new challenge, but I was afraid. Fear had kept me in a ministry for too long, and I lost sight of what it meant to live by faith.
Question, think of a time when fear kept you from moving forward in life, from acting on a dream or a compelling vision; why did you allow fear to hold you captive?
Six Beliefs to Help You Live with Change
You can live with change and take risks in your personal and professional life. You will grow because of your experience in the “stretch” zone. What’s more, life is better during periods of risk.
This month, October 2021, marks the beginning of my fourth year as a life coach. Pulling the trigger and deciding to resign was scary for me. For the first time in my professional life, I was responsible for generating an income and providing for my family. But I was not alone. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that God rewards us for living by faith and seeking Him.
When I launched the coaching practice, I felt intense pressure.
Pressure to pay bills.
Pressure to find clients.
Pressure to generate income to provide for my family.
The pressure moved me from living in the safe zone of life to being reliant on God, and I started to take calculated risks. What’s more, I had to learn new skills, solve complex problems, and LIVE BY FAITH in what God said He would do.
If you made it this far in the blog, you might need to take a risk and take a step of faith in your life. Here are six beliefs you will need to accept to push through the risks of life and embrace change.
Belief 1: Change Will Be Part of My Life
Start looking for new ways of doing things, ordinary things, everyday things. Don’t allow yourself to get into a rut. Just start doing different things. Try new restaurants, menu items, drinks, or coffees. Make change a regular part of your life. One change I like to do (not often) is sitting in the passenger seat on drivers around town. I see life from a different perspective.
There is a scientific term for this, neuroplasticity, the act of doing the same thing repeatedly (the same way) produces a life (brain functioning) of being stuck.
Belief 2: I Will Resist My Own Inertia
Inertia, according to the oxford dictionary, is the tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged. Inertia keeps us in a “passive” stance in life that will keep us stuck in old patterns. I believe it was John Maxwell who said, “If we always do what we’ve always done, we will always get what we’ve always gotten.”
Living in inertia is where we wait for others to act around us to solve our problems. Guess what; NO ONE IS SOLVING YOUR PROBLEMS. You must own YOUR problems. So, make a move and take the initiative.
This year I started investing in stocks. I’ve lost some money. I have also made some money. Every dollar I lost was a good lesson that I needed to take me to a new place or level of investing.
Belief 3: I Will Enjoy Change!
When we play it safe, it doesn’t move us forward in life or relationships. When we play it safe, we have a greater chance of losing everything. Think of a hoarder, they play it safe, and all their stuff ends up being destroyed in the end. So, let’s start to realize we are on a ride with God. He is with us!
I love the prayer of Daniel in the Old Testament (Daniel 2:20-24).
Daniel says that:
- God is the God of Wisdom and Power.
- God is the God who gives Wisdom and Power.
- Thank you, God, for giving ME Wisdom and Power.
Daniel then walked into the throne room of the king and told the king his dream. That is a faith move!
Belief 4: Fear Can Motivate Me
Fear kept me in a ministry for six years too long. I got comfortable, and I stopped growing exponentially. I finally got to a point where I couldn’t wait to resign. How did I do it? I had to face my fears. I told my close friends what I was feeling and why I was feeling it. I learned to confess (James 5). I didn’t just confess sin; I confessed my fears. My friends then gave me the comfort I needed to internalize my fears (accept them) and then moved past them. Fear was not going to keep me stuck. Instead, it was going to move (motivate) me forward.
Belief 5: My Friends Will Help Me Take A Risk
I have two groups of friends or advisors in my life. One is called my life team, and the other is called my tech team. They both are there to help me normalize risk and change. They push me, sometimes in relationships, sometimes in trying new skills, and sometimes in setting new goals. My teams help me to be the best and help me to see the path forward.
Belief 6: Think the Risk and Then Follow Through
In December of 2017, I took out my journal and started documenting my dreams of launching a coaching practice. Some of the stuff I wrote down was comical and unrealistic. Other goals, I am humbled, that I have accomplished ahead of schedule. In Nehemiah 5, Nehemiah became very angry, he processed his emotions, and then he confronted the nobles of Jerusalem. Tap into your emotions (fear, anger, and/or sadness), journal about those emotions and why you feel that way. Then, write down what you want (dream).
What do you want your life to be like? Dream about it and write it down. Use your emotions to take a step of faith. You might fail. But you might change your life for the better.
Questions To Ask Yourself
- What risk have you been putting off that you KNOW you need to make?
- What principle do you need to act on this week/month?
- Why have you been hesitant to take a risk? What is inside of you that is keeping you from taking a risk?
- What skills do you need to gain to take your next BIG risk?
