Category Archives: Life Purpose

Your Message Is Not Your Mission

I had a dream last night that I was playing the piano out in my field. The song was “Be Still My Soul” and before long, I could hear people singing along from a distance up the hill. Then someone called out, “Play Amazing Grace.” The only sheet music I had for it was a piano solo that wasn’t optimal for singing along. So I started picking it out on the black notes like the old African spirituals. I pounded it out, missing some notes, but the people kept coming and singing along.

After I finished playing I walked up the hill and a group of people had gathered in my sister’s driveway. I counted about 30. Then I realized I should teach them something, so I went back for my scriptures which I assumed were in my backpack. When I returned there was a minister from another faith there. It seemed he knew some of the people.

I knew what I wanted to talk about … that verse that says that Christ will give us “abundantly above whatever we ask or seek.” I began thumbing through, trying to find the verse in a Bible I found lying on the table. But I couldn’t locate the verse. Then I decided to dig in my backpack for my more comprehensive set of scriptures with a topical guide. But my scripture cover was filled with a bunch of odds and ends.

I fumbled around, trying to find a Bible somewhere and knocked over a bottle of water. The more time it took, the more inept I felt. Did these people really want to hear anything I had to say? Why were they here?

By this time, the minister, independently was trying to look up the same verse in his Bible (I never said out loud what I was looking for). He was sort of scoffing at me for not being able to find a Bible verse. When I told him I was looking up the same verse, he didn’t believe me and insinuated I was copying him. I did feel rather foolish, but didn’t argue with him. When he tried to locate the verse, his Bible had a lock on that section of the Bible, and he couldn’t get to it either.

Something told me to just speak from the heart. So I stood before this little crowd of what had grown to about 40-50 people and paraphrased the scripture from memory:

Christ will give us “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” I then began to talk to them about how the Lord had exceeded anything I would ask or think in bringing them to me. If I had marketed and promoted, I wouldn’t have brought this many local people to come sing songs and listen to a verse or two. Yet here they were and I couldn’t recall even inviting them. Even they weren’t sure exactly why they came.

I woke from the dream and began pondering on it. I asked what the music represented.

Was it literal music? Should I play the piano and people will come?

No.

Was the music the music of my soul? Perhaps I should just be myself and people will come?

No.

Is the music my message?

Yes.

Is my message that you have a message?

Yes.

Is my message “Come unto Christ?”

No.

Really? No? That’s not my real message?

No. That is your mission!

My mission is to bring people to Christ. But my message is “you have a message.”  When I thought of my closest colleagues I realized that they each have a different message. They are all teaching or sharing a unique principle, concept or system. But every last one of them, when I get them alone, tell me that they feel their mission is to bring people to Christ.

Deliver your message and God will bring people to you to fulfill your mission.

I think, as Christians, we often get a little confused with this. We realize we want to show people the love of God. We want to bring people to Christ. We want to help people know God’s heart, and we think we should be able to generate a living from that. I had someone email me within the last few weeks asking this very question, “I want to help people know God’s love. How can I earn a living from that?”

Honestly, I don’t think you’re supposed to earn a living from that. I believe you have a talent, a gift, or a story God has given you to share with the world. You are welcome to take money in exchange for providing a product or service around it. But you don’t sell your mission.  God needs people to be reflections of His light and love in the world as they go about living their lives, pursuing careers and serving others.

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Peter and his friends fished with nets. Your message is your net. It is what draws people to you. They may purchase your product or service. And if they are really resonating with you, they will want to know more about you and what makes you tick — just like the people in my dream sat patiently waiting for me to speak to them.

They didn’t care that I couldn’t find the exact verse. They didn’t care that I knocked over a water bottle. They wanted to hear the message of my heart. They wanted to know what was important to me. It only took a minute or two and by the time I was done, they were already asking me when they could come back again. Could they come every first Sunday of the month?

What about that other minister who had the exact same verse to share? He had the same mission — to bring people to Christ. But they weren’t there to listen to him. They were there to listen to me. Why? Because they were the ones who resonated with my message.  Other people will resonate with his.  Each of us may have the very same mission, but the “net” we use as fishers of men will be unique to each of us.

This morning, when I looked up the verse I was trying to find, I realized just how profoundly the passage speaks of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ and what I want people to know about them —

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:14-21).

What about you? What’s your message?

Can God Help You With Your Business?

Would you like God’s help in your career or your business? If so, I’d like to share with you a rare look inside my story of faith and how God helped me build my business.

Dr. Joseph Peck of “The Story Behind the Story” interviewed me the other day about my latest bestseller, “Trust Your Heart: Transform Your Ideas to Income.” This was no ordinary webinar. Dr. Peck is a generous, Christian man who probed into my faith and how it weaves into my business success.

You can find that webinar recording here.

I hope this will bless you — especially if you’re trying to build a business around your ideas and dreams and want God’s help along the way.

Distill Your Message Down to a Solution as Powerful as an Essential Oil

If you really want to impact lives, you need to distill your message down to it’s most succinct and powerful form. It’s sort of like distilling it down to an essential oil offering a strong solution to your market. Discover what you cal learn about your message and working synergistically with others by modeling essential oils.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wTLYVsTOLQ[/youtube]

Let Your Core Passion Drive Your Message to the Masses

It’s so important to understand and work from your core passion. If you don’t, you’ll procrastinate and feel overwhelmed. But if you work from your core passion you’ll have greater success and enjoy life more in a more effortless, meaningful way.

Discover more about uncovering your core passion in this video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5G3jjsTCcw[/youtube]

Be sure to take the Step Into Destiny test free.

Everyone Has a Message – What’s Yours?

I believe everyone has a message to share. No, you don’t have to write a book, build a web site, create a blog, or start a speaking career. Ordinary people share their messages every day in the way they live their lives. That’s what this follow up-video to yesterday’s is all about:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufqXPcPyUlk[/youtube]

What’s your message? Share it below!

How to Get Your Message Heard in the World

Never before has it been so easy to deliver a message using modern technology. In fact it’s so possible, that people are on information overload and getting  confused about who to listen to and what to do. My colleagues and I are noticing that people are getting more immobilized by the day. There are too many choices, too many gurus, too many options for where to go. Rather than choose, people do nothing; and they remain stuck where they are.

You may have a wonderful message to share that could truly help people, but if you can’t get your message heard and understood, what can you do? If people don’t act upon the solution you’re offering because they’re overwhelmed, what will make your message stand out and go straight to their hearts? Not until you hit the heart, will they act and receive your solution.

This has been a constant consideration for me. I’ve pondered, prayed and pleaded to know how to cut through the noise and get good messages heard. Today, I had an epiphany on the subject that I’m sharing in this brief video. If you have a message to share, this video is for you!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74TEwR2mr8c&[/youtube]

Are People Held Hostage By Your Fear?

Have you been through a challenge or life experience that has shaped who you are? Have you learned valuable lessons through the school of hard-knocks that could save other people countless hours and sleepless nights?

Then I have a question for you… how long will you allow those people to remain in bondage when you could be lighting their way to freedom?

In Exodus 3, God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and assigned him the task of delivering the children of Israel from bondage. The three “yeah but’s” Moses came back with are the same “yeah but’s” we use today when we avoid God’s call to deliver a group of his children.

1. Overwhelm and Lack of Knowledge – “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Moses asked God.  That was a daunting task, wasn’t it? How do you get a wicked Pharaoh to listen to you and set millions of slaves free — just because you ask him to?

Have you ever asked a similar question when you felt prompted to stand up and make a difference? “Who am I? I don’t know how to make a difference. Where would I even begin?”

2, Fear of Rejection – “But behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken to my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared to thee.”

Isn’t this a common rebuttal? “Nobody’s going to listen to me. No one wants to hear what I have to say. I’m no expert. Why would people listen to me?” How embarrassing to convey a message only to be laughed at or ignored!

3. Self-Doubt – “I am not eloquent … but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue,” Moses insisted.

For us, this might sound like, “I don’t have the skills for this. I’m too ugly. I’m too skinny. I’m too old. I’m too fat. I’m too young. I’m too poor. I’m too boring. I’m too….” fill in the blank.

One by one, God addressed Moses’ concerns. And I’m here to tell you that if you step up to the plate, God will address yours as well. Whom the Lord calls, He qualifies.

The fact is people are out there in bondage waiting for a deliverer. There’s a group of God’s children who won’t be set free until YOU step up to the call burning inside your heart. They’ll flounder until you say, “Here am I, send me.”

So here’s my challenge for you today. Ask yourself. if these three obstacles were moved out of your way and were no longer an issue, how would your life change? And how would other people’s lives change?

When the pain of bottling up your message becomes greater than these three obstacles, you and those you were born to deliver will be set free!

If you’d like to overcome these 3 common challenges, attend one of my live “You’re Here for a Reason: Impact the World with Your Message” Workshops.

Free to Be You

Twenty years ago I was a young mother with two small children and a new home business that we depended on to make ends meet. As a result, I was under a lot of stress. At times my two-year-old daughter could be quite the handful. Not only was she competing for my attention with a baby brother, but also my fledgling business that was taking 40-50 hours per week of my time.

This child, who had once received the undivided attention of her non-working mother, didn’t know what to do. So, she acted out to get my attention. Who could blame her? The flowing water faucet of attention she once received was now reduced to a trickle. This “bad behavior” was something new to me, so I turned to my own mother for advice.

My mother, a kind yet authoritative presence recommended stern punishment for this misbehavior. It wasn’t what I was used to doing, but I didn’t know what else to do. After all, my mother was the ultimate in motherhood. Shouldn’t I follow her advice? I began disciplining my daughter the way I thought my mother would have disciplined us if we’d acted that way.

Frankly, for me it didn’t work like it did for my mom. This only exacerbated my frustration. Yet, I kept on trying to be my mother — except my mother never resorted to yelling, screaming or losing control. She didn’t have to. She was the ultimate in self-control. She could give us a look and we’d behave. Why couldn’t I be like her? Why didn’t my children obey when I tried to be authoritative?

I look back on those years and sincerely regret my actions toward my eldest daughter. I was way too hard on her. All she really needed was some of my love and attention.

Back in those overwhelming days I often lamented, “I used to be a good person until I had children.” I realize now that trying to be someone I wasn’t only amplified an already stressful situation.

I have six children – girl, boy, boy, a 5-year break and another girl, boy, boy. I believe God gave me a do-over with these younger ones. He’s given me a second chance to learn to be me.

While my mother was very successful with her authoritative style, I’m not believable as an authoritative personality. It’s not me. I’m laid-back, inconsistent and affectionate by nature. For me to morph myself into an authoritative style added more stress and frustration to my already overloaded plate. The anger, yelling, and inevitable guilt that resulted in those early years all occurred because I wasn’t being true to myself. I was trying to be someone I’m not.

Somewhere along the way, I learned to be me. My younger children have quite the different mother than my older ones did. I’m not saying I’m perfect or that I don’t ever “lose it,” but the stress of trying to be someone I’m not isn’t there anymore. I’m free to be me and as a result, my children are much more well-behaved, adjusted and loved.

Most of us grow up trying to model someone else – a parent, a teacher, or a mentor. We think because the way they do things works for them, that they should work for us. What we don’t see is that at a core level we can be very different personalities. What works for me might not work for you. Not only that, but in trying to make ourselves fit someone else’s mold, we can become our worst selves.

I no longer look at myself and think having children made me my worst self. It may have for a time, but in the end, being a mom has made me my best self.

My friend Lisa Rae Preston has developed an enlightening system for living as your true self. It’s called STEP Into Destiny. The first step is to understand yourself – what your core passion is – what makes you the happiest by God’s design. The next step is to start operating more from your core. The result will be less stress, more joy, and more success in life.

Take the STEP into Destiny Passion Test today. You may find that some of the stress and challenges you face in life are because you’re trying to operate from someone else’s core and not your own. Don’t make my mistake and live with years of regret. Don’t let those around you suffer the ramifications of you trying to be someone you aren’t. You owe it to those you love to be the “you” God created you to be!

You Call Me Yours

I’ve spent the last couple weeks with my good friend Lisa Rae Preston, the creator of the STEP Into Destiny quiz and author of the soon-to-be-released book with the same name. I think of all the wonderful things I’ve learned from my friend over the years, but the one that stands out to me is that Lisa highlights the beauty of God’s heart. She helps me know and feel how much my Father not only loves, but also delights in me.

Today, she introduced me to a song that I instantly fell in love with and I had to share it here with you! It’s called “You Call Me Yours” performed by Prelude.

Songwriters: Reginald Timothy Stone and Christy Sutherland

I hear You calling out my name as only You can do
Your voice it covers all my shame, the old You turned to new
No matter how things look to me
You see a destiny, a perfect promise.

You call me beautiful. You call me righteous.
You call me worthy of Your Son’s own precious blood.
You call me holy. You call me strong at my weakest.
Forgiven and pure, You call me Yours.

It’s hard for me to understand exactly what You see.
I slip and stumble everyday but still You say believe.
You say you finish what you start.
You’ve seen me from my heart and not the bruises.

You call me beautiful. You call me righteous.
You call me worthy of Your Son’s own precious blood.
You call me holy. You call me strong at my weakest.
Forgiven and pure, You call me Yours.

You call me beautiful. You call me righteous.
You call me worthy of Your Son’s own precious blood.
You call me holy. You call me strong at my weakest.
Forgiven and pure. You call me Yours.