Nick Meeder | Way Finders

Don’t ever believe the lie that you are a victim of your circumstance or someone else’s decision. Yes, you might reap a consequence from one of those aforementioned things, but do not assume that it defines who you are. It cannot limit you, unless you choose to let it. I’ll share a personal story. Recently at work, on a Friday, after returning from lunch, I did not want to go back and continue inspecting and checking the functionality of some air conditioning equipment for a customer’s data center. I literally sat in my work van, just dreading the thought of going back up on the roof and continuing what I was doing. The truth was, I felt helpless. I felt unmotivated. I felt down and depressed about completing my tasks. Then, My thoughts started saying stuff like, “See, you’ll never be at a successful company. You will never be successful because of the leaders over you. If you could just get into the right company, things would change and you’d find the happiness and fulfillment you want.” What a load of manure! Somewhere, during the 10 minutes I spent contemplating that, I had a different thought. I thought, “Well, those who have been successful and found the happiness and fulfillment that they want in life, did so in spite of their circumstances or other people. As a matter of fact, they probably overcame just to prove to themselves that they could.” And with that, I decided that I needed to choose to go to work! I chose to engage and tackle the remaining things I needed to do for work. I also chose to run everywhere I went so that I’d burn some of the lunch off that was also effecting my mood. I am thrilled to tell you that I accomplished my remaining tasks for the day and went above and beyond by completing some other things that needed to get done. My point in sharing this personal story is to show you that you’re not a captive of circumstances or other people’s decisions. You have the ability to make better decisions. You don’t have to wait for someone to fix your life, or the right friends to come into your life, or find the right company, you can choose today. No one is going to change your life for you. The victim mentality does not empower you to move forward in life because it tells you that you’re worthless and not capable of greater things. It looks at your present circumstances and defines you by what you don’t have. It says things like, ‘If you were smart and capable, you would have what you want. Since you don’t have what you want, it’s because you’re not smart enough and other people or the “system” is keeping you from it.’ Get your value and worth from Jesus Christ, then it doesn’t matter about your circumstances because you can make new decisions to go from where you are to where you want to be. Once you’re headed on that path, embrace failure and the journey of life. You will not get what you want in one day or even one month. These things take time. Time is your friend, but few are diligent enough to make great decisions over an extended period of time. God has given you the ability to choose. You are responsible for your decisions. No one is responsible for where you are in life except yourself by the decisions you’ve made. If you want to make better decisions, make your decisions through surrender to God. He knows what is best for you. He formed you and made you in His likeness. He loves you like His own son or daughter and He’s waiting for you with open arms. His plan is the best. If you don’t believe that God’s plan is best or that He’s a good Father, then ask yourself, “Where did I get my understanding of what a True and Good Father is?” As children, we get our understanding of who God is based on our earthly influencers. If you don’t believe that God is good, then visit your past influencers and discover what bad belief systems you have based on how those relationships effected you. Question: Where do you want to be in life and what is keeping you from it? Please leave a comment. If you want more clarity in life, if you want to know your purpose and higher calling, or you just want some clarity in what you should do next, take LifePlan. You can do so by clicking on the menu link titled “Get a LifePlan,” then send me a message and way to contact you. I’d recommend going through the LifePlan event because there is no judgement, no condemnation, and it is a safe environment because it’s not my job to tell you what to do with your life. Sometimes, you need someone to guide you and help you. That is what LifePlan does. It guides you to discover the awesome LifePlan God has for you and then shows you how to live it!      

In the gospel of John, specifically in chapter 15, Christ gives a discourse on the importance of abiding in Him. He compares Himself to a vine and that His disciples are the branches. This is important because a branch cannot bear fruit if it is not attached to the vine. The implication being that Christ is the source of nourishment and enablement for the branches (His disciples) to bear fruit. This is also consistent with what you will find in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. No one can boast in himself, but in Christ, for it is He that has redeemed and given the ability to do good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Why is it important to abide in Christ? If you abide in Christ, you will bear much fruit, for apart from Christ, you can do nothing (John 15:1-6).

How do you abide in Christ? You obey Christ’s command. What was His command? “…that you love one another…” John 15:12.

Why is fruit so important? “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:8).

Fruit glorifies God and proves that you are His disciple. However, that is not the end. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11).

Do you have a full joy? Pause and ponder that question. Is your joy full? Here’s how you can tell whether or not you’re loving others. Do you have a full joy? If you’re loving one another, then you’re abiding in Christ’s love, fruit is produced, God is glorified, and you prove that you’re Christ’s disciple, all from one command – “love one another.”

If you do not love one another, you are not obeying Christ’s command. If you’re not obeying Christ’s command, then you are not abiding in Christ. If you are not abiding in Christ, then you are not producing any fruit. If you are not producing any fruit, then God is not glorified and there is no proof that you’re Christ’s disciple. If none of these are true, then you will not have a full joy in Christ. There is also a warning that if you do not produce fruit, God will remove the branch. However, those that do bear fruit get pruned so that they produce more fruit, glorifying God, proving to be Christ’s disciples, and a full joy is experienced.

Do you want to know what robs you of experiencing full joy? I believe it is spelled out well in James 4:1-12. There is no love for one another in the people of that passage. Their love is for the things of the world and it produces all types of harm, first on the inside and then carried out into actions.

If you love one another, you will experience Christ’s full joy. This is the command: “love one another.”

 

Today marks a mile stone for me.

This past week I was in Boulder, CO, going through a certification and training process to facilitate an event called LifePlan.

Those of you who know me, know that I went through this process and through it, God took me to a new level of living and relationship! LifePlan was developed by a man named Tom Paterson and it helps a person discover why he/she exists and an action plan to achieve, maintain and evaluate that purpose.

Well, I am presently looking to begin facilitating LifePlans and I need some people who are interested to go through the process. Just up front, there is a cost involved on my end to facilitate it, and so that is all I will charge for this service of life change.

For more info DM me through FaceBook or go here: https://nickmeeder.com/get-a-lifeplan

 

You have been created for great things. You have been made unique. You are one of a kind and there is no one else exactly like you. You have been placed here on earth for a specific plan and purpose.

The question is, do you feel that the above statements are true for you? Perhaps, rather, you feel that, though you know Jesus Christ, you seem to wonder through life going from crisis to stagnation until the next crisis comes. Zig Zigler said, “You’re either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis, or going into a crisis.” That is how many live their lives. This is no way to live! How can those who follow Christ not be living a free and victorious life? Yet, that seems much of the present state for many people.

There are two steps I’ve found effective for living, following, and choosing the purpose that I was created for, which, I believe, can also help you.

1. Gain perspective on your past, the events and relationships that have influenced your life and how you make decisions. This is where you find what holds you back – patterns of destructive behavior, limiting beliefs,  lies about yourself, those who negatively impacted you, and who you believe God really is. All of these influences impact who you are today, how you see yourself, others, and most importantly, how you view God. From all these influences is what impacts your decision making process. I suggest setting aside a period of quiet where you can be alone and undisturbed. Start by inviting the Holy Spirit to lead you into all the truth He wants to reveal to you about your past and your influencers. Ask Him to reveal the truth, how He wants you to change. Ask Him to use the truth to expose the lies you’ve believed about yourself, your life, your relationships, and most importantly, the lies you’ve believed about your Heavenly Father.
2. Surrender your life to your Father in heaven for His purpose. Once you’ve gained perspective on who you’ve become and how you’ve become who you are, then begin by surrendering your life to your Father in heaven for His purpose. You cannot live the free and victorious life if you live your own selfish design of what you think will bring you fulfillment and peace. There is only One who can bring you fulfillment and peace. You cannot have permanent happiness and joy by trying to find it in your circumstances, career, financial gain, spouse, or relationships. You will find destruction and despair if you seek fulfillment by your own hand and power. Surrender to His LifePlan for you. Once you surrender, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of how He has gifted you. Seek out your giftedness. When you discover your giftedness, then stay there and operate in your sweet spot. If you’re implementing your giftedness, you will find, as the great runner, Eric Liddell, did, “…God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.” When you’re operating in the giftedness that God has put in you, you will find the pleasure and delight in God that brings permanent happiness and joy.

Question: Are you living the plan God intended you to live? Do you feel free and victorious? What areas are you struggling in? If there was a process of discovering your potential, giftedness, and gaining perspective would you be interested? Please leave a comment.

Have you ever wanted to change, but every time you tried, it didn’t stick? Have you ever been frustrated because it seems that no matter how hard you’ve tried, you haven’t reached the goal you wanted to? Does it make you question if you have what it takes to change? Do you wonder if you’ve simply been born with less smarts or something?

Here is the truth: you begin to change by deciding to change. Few people know this, though, because few people know how to change or even what holds them back from changing.

I used to wait for change to happen to me. I used to wait for motivation to happen to me. I wondered why life didn’t change and I never did the things I wanted to do in life.

I changed when I decided to change and stopped trying to prove myself to the world or find validation in my relationships and career.

You can change by deciding to change. When you begin to change, you’ll hit resistance. Most likely your own internal voice will tell you that you can’t change, that you’re stupid, incompetent, or “average,” maybe even “below average.” It will say things like, “If you were changing, then this would be different.” “If you were changing, then this person wouldn’t have said that.” “If you were changing,…fill in the blank.” These voices are lies.

There are two ways of thinking. One says that if I have a bad day, or upset my boss, or have a fender-bender, then it only confirms my fear that I am not really smart or capable. The problem with this type of thinking is that this person needs their external world to define who they are internally because they don’t know who they are. Their identity and source of validation is in other people or their circumstances.

The other type of thinking says that whatever happens, I am God’s child, and I can learn and change (Romans 8). This person’s identity and worth are derived from being God’s child and so he doesn’t need to be someone for anything or anyone else. That person knows that he is worth far more than sparrows to God (Matt 10:31). He further understands that he was not worth dying for, since he deserved death for his sins (Romans 3:23). Yet, Jesus has given him new worth by imputing His righteousness to him, not because he was worth it, but because of the Father’s great love and his own name and glory. He cannot boast in himself or his works, but in Christ. He is a new creation through Christ (2 Cor 5:17). This type of person doesn’t need external forces to validate who he is because Jesus Christ has made him a new creation and continues to do so (Phil 1:6).

Where is your identity and worth? What do you look to to validate who you are?

When your source of validation and identity are found in Jesus Christ’s work of redemption in grace and your Heavenly Father, then you are free to make great decisions. You’re not a captive of other people’s opinions. You’re not a captive of your present career, family, or financial situation. You choose to do the things that bring you great joy because they are the things that God has gifted you to do. You choose to do the things that God delights in and reflect His glory.

Question: What do you believe holds you back? What do you want to achieve in life? Please leave a comment in the comments section below.