by R. A. Weigel
It can tell you that it feels odd to be at an age where the history channel puts on a show, and you realize that you’ve lived through everything they’re talking about. Yet, there are some things that you begin to see more clearly as the years accumulate and one of those things is the need for Christians to stop being afraid and step up their game. What I’m talking about is that far too many Christians are being talked out of stepping up, stepping in, taking the reins, and doing the things that the history channel will want to demo in the future. If there was ever a time for Kingdom business owners, leaders, entrepreneurs, coaches, and even Christian who are interested in law and politics to step up their game, this is it.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NLT) – This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Every generation, (yes…every generation), needs God’s people to overcome the systems of the world in order to prevent disaster. There is a uniqueness to your life that is part of God’s bigger plan, so don’t limit HIS calling by thinking that you have to do everything the same way it’s always been done previously. God wants to work with you to do what has to be done but to do that, you’ve got to overcome the fears that the world consistently tries to instill into your operating system. As you progress in your life, you don’t want your personal history channel thoughts to be centered on the opportunities where you didn’t step up because you allowed the world’s dictates and fears to make your decisions.
“God’s dream for your life is so much bigger, so much better than breaking even. If you focus on not making mistakes, you won’t make a difference. You don’t overcome sin by focusing on not sinning. You need a dream that is bigger and better than the temptations you’re trying to overcome. You need a dream that doesn’t allow you to become spiritually sidetracked, a dream that demands your utmost for His highest.” ~ Mark Batterson
There are a vast number of areas, occupations, and opportunities in life where God needs His people to step up. Not everyone is called to be a minister or pastor, but that doesn’t mean that God isn’t calling His people to step up in areas of life where they can use their talents, skills, knowledge, and service. Your service, (your ministry), may be business, retail, education, banking, medicine, law, manufacturing, engineering, labor, transportation, commerce, logistics, or something entirely different. Whatever it is – it will be in an area where you’ve the passion to make a positive difference. Do NOT ignore your passion for making things happen when that passion aligns with God’s word and if you don’t know what God’s word says about your passion… then don’t you think it’s about time you did some research to find out?
Your call to a certain type of work, ministry, or service probably won’t happen when you feel you’re ready. It seldom happens when you feel qualified, have the right background, got the right certificate, or finished the right course. Your journey around your personal Christian service acumen will be as unique as how God made you. How, when, and where the Lord will call you to use your service will be unique to you and most likely, a journey of faith.
It’s unlikely you’ll have a burning bush, (Exodus 3), or Jesus telling you to cast your net to the other side of the boat, (Luke 5:1-11), as directions for your calling. It’s possible, but not likely. God’s call for you to serve, including the passion He created in you, will be unique. It might be an idea or issue that burns in your heart. It might be a cause that needs your support, a hurt that can’t be healed without your intervention, an injustice that requires your application, or a vision around something that builds up God’s people. Your service niche is generally something that keeps you up at night, pushes at you with new ideas, encourages you to keep researching, or becomes an inspired hope about something you’ve got to do because… well, because the whispers from the Holy Spirt keep telling you it’s what you’ve got to do.
How God will work with you to find and build your unique service niche is unknown, but you’ll know it when it happens and when it happens it’s vitally important that you start moving in the direction where God has given you that new insight. It’s your believing actions that create the conditions for the next action and the next and the next. The more you follow through on something that the Lord is encouraging you to do, the stronger will be your understanding of your unique talents for your service niche. As you take believing action, you’ll grow in your understanding of the reality of the power of the “Christ in you.” (Colossians 1:27) The more you follow through and do what the Lord is directing, the more your calling will be affirmed, your service niche gains impact, and your ability to step up your game accelerates.
God wants you to reach your potential more than you do! Do you believe that? If not… why not? (Ephesians 2:10) What’s the potential that God created in you? Fully recognizing that may take some time, prayer, fasting, reflection, coaching, and commitment to figure out, but one thing is certain, you’ll never reach your godly potential by spending the majority of your life focusing on what the world tells you. You won’t reach your godly potential by spending the majority of your time with unbelievers. And you won’t reach your godly potential without spending time with other believers who believe in YOU! So don’t entertain the distractions that the devil has designed to keep you from spending time with the people who will build you up. Step up your game and make the decision to spend time with the believers who believe what Jesus said; “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (John 14:12)
It’s time for you to step up your game and become more of what the Lord has called you to be. As you spend time with other believers who love and believe in you, you’re going to grow closer and closer to your godly potential. (Ephesians 4:12) You’ll grow in your service niche and as you help other believers to reach their potential, that’s when God will energize you even more to reach your own potential. The law of sowing and reaping cannot be broken. Think about that when you consider how you’re spending your time and who you spend it with.
Galatians 6:7 (ESV) – Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap
Jesus’ disciples had to step up their game after Jesus ascended into heaven. The early church leaders had to step up their game after those first apostles were martyred for their faith in Jesus. Down through the centuries believers have had to step up their game when the giants of the faith who had blazed the trail for them moved on to claim their trophy in heaven. And so it is today – you too must step it up. You must take the torch and run with endurance the race that’s been set before you, fixing your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, knowing that you, and all of us as believers in Christ, are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. If you’re willing to step up your game, someday that cloud of witnesses could include you!
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Don’t you think it’s time for you to step up your game and spend some quality time with the believers who see your potential. It may be someone from church or a friend. It may be your Christian coach or a believer who loves you for who you are. Whomever it is… ask them about their vision, niche, dreams, and how they want to serve the Lord. Then, share your vision, niche, dreams, and how you want to serve the Lord. And…whenever possible, pray together, encourage each other, provide some guidance, coach each other, and believe the truth of Jesus’ words when he said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)
God’s calling for your life is bigger than you may know at this time, but when you step up your game to help others in the body of Christ, that’s when you’re also going to find what you’ve always been looking for. Your destiny, your service niche, is more interwoven with other believers than you may realize at first. So…get off the couch, jump into the fray, and step up your game. It’s a game you’ve already won, but you won’t know that if you’re sitting on the sidelines.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Rich Weigel has an extensive background in leadership with over twenty years leading school districts. In addition to being a credentialed Leadership and Visioneering coach, he has been an adjunct professor five times in various universities teaching Strategic Leadership, Business Ethics, and Educational Leadership. He and his team provide support, coaching, and professional development for teams and leaders in schools and businesses around the country. Rich has served as CCNI’s President since January 2020. He can be reached at proedcoach@gmail.com.
