My Time Will Come
Abraham Lincoln is a shining example of persistence. Many know that he was President of the United States and shut down the practice of slavery, but few know his path to the Presidency was littered with failure:
1831 - Lincoln failed in business.
1832 - He was defeated for state legislator.
1833 - He tried a new business, and failed.
1835 - His fiancée died.
1836 - He had a nervous breakdown.
1843 - He ran for congress and was defeated.
1848 - He ran again, and was defeated. Again.
1855 - He ran for the Senate, and lost.
1856 - He ran for Vice President, and lost.
1859 - He ran again for the Senate, and lost again.
1860 - Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States.
In the midst of these failures, Lincoln was known to have stated, "I will get ready, my time will come."
Tim Elmore writes that "next to praying 'Thy will be done,' I can think of no greater prayer than 'I will get ready, my time will come.'"
My heart has been stirred by the statement that "Victory happens when ten thousand hours of training meet one moment of opportunity." I long to live my life in preparation for all God has in store, and I hope you do too.
Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he prepared for us long ago."
God has prepared good things for each of us to do. Like Lincoln, we need to be preparing for these things, and never lose faith that our time will come for bigger things God has for us to do.
We need to be always preparing for what God has prepared for us!
Here are ways we can all be preparing for what God has for us:
1. constantly be sharpening your craft
Many have written about the 10,000 hour rule, which states that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in any given subject.
My best friend shared this rule with me in Bible College, and it inspired me to start reading a book a week on spiritual growth and leadership. I have now been doing this for more than a decade.
After a year of this, I had only read 50 books, but after faithfully doing this for 14 years now, I have now read more than 800 books. Considering that it takes many hours to read a book, this has put me well on the way toward the 10,000 hours it takes to be an expert. This does not include the countless hours spent in ministry, preaching, conferences, and many others areas where I have grown.
The wisdom I have learned from these books is invaluable to me, and has enabled me to be a blessing to others who have come to me for wisdom. Most of all, I have learned a posture of always being a learner; I have gained a love for learning that I will carry with me the rest of my life.
2. Make your dreams bigger than your memories
"Dream no small dreams, for they have no power to stir the hearts of men."
As believers, we should be dreaming and working towards accomplishing things that are so big, they will only succeed if God helps us.
It honors God when we dream so big, we must have his help. It is also vitally important to make sure we are dreaming His dreams - the God-ideas He births in our hearts.
3. take small steps forward daily
Don't go into auto-pilot mode in your life where you are satisfied with what's before you.
Live from a place of holy contentment, but towards a place of holy ambition - always praying and listening for what God wants you to be doing next, and always moving towards those places in small ways - on a daily basis - throughout your whole life.
An incredible Netflix documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi shares about the most respected sushi restaurant in the world which is located in a subway station in Japan. People now spend hundreds of dollars a meal, and must book months in advance to get a seat at the table. The owner, Jiro, has spent his life - everyday - repeatedly getting better at his craft. This daily practice of repetition is vital, he says, to what it takes to become a true expert. If this is what he does with sushi, what should we be doing with what God has called us to?
4. make friendship a priority
Cherish and appreciate the great friendships you've had for years, but make a point to make new friends.
Connect regularly with new people who inspire you, and build new friendships. Don't do it so you can get something from them, but rather show respect and be a true friend.
5. attitude determines altitude
My buddy Todd Adkins says, "leaders don't possess a certain set of attributes, as much as a certain set of attitudes."
With God's help, look for examples of people with good and godly attitudes, and aspire to think like them.
Leaders are set apart from the crowd, because they possess an uncanny positivity and vision for the future. Learn to be like this in increasing measure throughout your life.
