Change Your Mind

Love you all, praying for you,
 
Have you ever dreaded something?  Have you ever just not wanted to do something that you know is coming soon, or that you should do, and you just don’t want to?  A job, or a project, starting that term paper, a tough conversation, or cleaning out the garage?  You just don’t feel like it, and you find yourself, dreading it?  Next to fear, dread just might be… the biggest waste of time ever.  It’s bad enough that you have to do it, but spending more time thinking about it?  Your enemy is laughing.  The devil wants to steal your mind, steal your time, the devil wants you dreading things because if you’re dreading something, you aren’t doing what God has for you right now, you’re thinking about something that hasn’t even happened yet.  Not to mention, what you dread, you don’t do well.  Your dread is likely directly proportional to poor performance.  Some things are not your favorite thing to do in life.  Even great jobs, or jobs you love, have things that you don’t love about them.  Some things are unavoidable.  Some things you have to do even if you don’t want to.  The only thing worse than having to do what you really don’t want to do.  Is to give it more time than is required.  To dread something you don’t want to do, just increases it’s negative effect on you.  If it’s something you are procrastinating.  Do it now!  Don’t wait.  Do the hardest thing first.  Get it done.  Get it over with, so you can get to something better.  If it’s scheduled at a later time, change your mind.  Think about it differently, the opposite of the way you have been…  Ask God to help you do it with excellence.  Better than you have ever done it before.  Even if there’s nothing good about it, you can get good from it.  God turns everything for good.  Your attitude about something is what makes it good or bad, far more than the thing itself.  So you don’t want to do it, but you have to.  Do you really?  Some things we think we have to do… we dread it because God never told us to do it.  If we are meeting other’s expectations rather than God’s expectations – that’s a fail-proof plan for a miserable life.  Be sure God wants you to do it.  But if He does, if it’s your responsibility.  Just ask God to help you do it with excellence.  Front load, prepare, do it better than you ever have before.  You may find that it is more enjoyable than you think.  Or it still sucks, but excellence always has a benefit.  It speaks to your character, it reflects your Father, and God says this.  Whatever you do, do it with all your heart. (Col 3:23) Whatever you put your hand to… do it with excellence.  Work at it with all your heart.  Do your very best, do it with excellence, for the LORD not for men.  Ask God to show you how to do it better.  The mindset and effort with which you prepare for this thing – carries over to the next thing.  Excellence always travels well.  If you’re excellent in this, you will be excellent in other things.  And if you learn to be excellent in what you do not like to do, you will become even more effective in the things you love to do.  Diligence is never wasted, faithfulness is never fruitless.  You honor God with your diligence, and if your outlook changes, your results will change.  Change your Mind!  Put some praise on it!  Be thankful for this thing, God said in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, concerning you.  (I Thes 5:18)  Everything.  Even this thing.  Have you thanked Him for this thing that you don’t really want to do?  What you dread, may be just what you need, to prepare you for what is ahead.  Successful people are successful in everything they touch, whether it’s their favorite thing to do or not.  God can multiply your effort, He sees your heart.  Your attitude starts with a decision, and is formed and shaped by your words.  When facing a battle – run to it.  Dreading something is running from it.  Welcoming something is running to it.  God may have a new level of excellence for you – that will not just change the result of this thing, but the result of every next thing.  You can trust Him, His grace is enough, and excellence is the spirit of Christ in you.  There is a joy in obedience, there is fruit in faithfulness, there’s joy in every trial, and success starts right now.  Praying that you will run to the battle.  That you will replace dread, with excellence.  Ask God, He will show you!  How you do something is as important as what you do.  It honors Him.   
 
Love you all,
dad