“People lose their way when they lose their why.” – Michael Hyatt
Whether it’s a new project, a new job, or a new semester, the first great challenge anyone faces is in just getting started. Once that first step is taken, it can be exhilarating and life-giving. Filled with conviction and a sense of calling, people are eager to begin in faith. It’s risky, but worth it. There’s a satisfaction that comes from just beginning a good work. Yet what I noticed is that while many of us can overcome that first challenge of simply beginning, we are often not ready to handle an even greater obstacle of sticking it through.
I remember when I first started Pursuit NYC. It was risky, it was scary, but I was excited to start and pioneer something new. The timing felt right and there was a strong sense of calling from God. During this season God spoke clearly about what I was supposed to do. After much prayer, I shared what was on my heart with many trusted friends and leaders, who all affirmed what I was sensing. It was time! I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but God was leading and I was so fired up! There’s nothing like seeing the dreaming stage of the process start to come to life before your eyes. I overcame the challenge of starting by taking the first step.
As anyone who has every started anything knows, it’s not all sunshines and flowers afterwards. I had a head on collision with a mix of unforeseen circumstances, challenges, and struggles that made me question why I even started to begin with. To be honest, there were numerous times when I wondered if I made a mistake in starting this ministry, and even more times when I wanted to throw in the towel and quit. I definitely wasn’t ready to handle that greater obstacle of sticking it through, especially when things got harder.
In those moments we tend to lose our why – the reason we decided to begin in the first place. Once we lose that why, we lose our way, and before we know it we find ourselves lost and wondering how we ended up where we did. We are unmotivated, lethargic, and filled with doubts. I’ve been there, and I know I am susceptible to be there again unless I am diligent and relentless in fueling my why. Here are three ways you can reconnect to your why.
FAN THE FLAME
In 2 Timothy 1:6, Apostle Paul tells his spiritual son to fan into flames the gifts that’s already within him. That responsibility doesn’t fall onto Paul or anyone else but Timothy. In the same way the only person who is responsible to keep the fires burning is you. Part of maturity is taking ownership of your own spirituality and learning how to keep it fresh. Of course there are ebbs and flows, but thankfully the grace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit is more than enough to keep us burning. In the past I’ve met several people who said they weren’t doing well spiritually because they weren’t being fed at church. I get the sentiment, but the truth is that a mature Christian is a self-feeder. Now there is room to be honest and real, and to struggle, but that is part of the process to burn again, not an excuse to extinguish the fire. For me personally I know if my fire is burning low, I need to be alone with God in solitude, or other times I might need to be even more plugged into community with people who are burning themselves. It’s just simply doing whatever it takes to fan the flame. You alone are the steward of your fire.
REMEMBER AND RECOUNT
If you look throughout the Psalms, one of the themes you see is how important it was for the people of God to remember what He has done. They weren’t just remembering what God has done for them personally, but what He has done throughout history. In today’s fast paced culture and ever evolving society that highlights fads and trends, intentionally remembering is no longer a priority. Yet if we are going to fuel our why and press through, remembering is a must. Ecclesiastes 12:1 says to remember our Creator. Not know or serve or obey, but remember. Because if you are able to remember just how faithful He’s been to you, wanting to know Him and serve Him and obey Him is natural. Recount the blessings. Recount how He’s come through in past challenges. Remember His faithfulness. Remember the original conviction you had when you started. Remember how He called you when you began. The enemy will do all that he can to make you doubt that He called you to begin with, but by remembering we are able to root ourselves in Him and the why He originally put in our hearts.
KEEP IT PERSONAL
Often times different responsibilities and expectations of others can keep us accountable and help us to move forward. Yet if we are going to overcome the challenge of sticking it through and fueling our why, we need to fight to keep it personal. We need to take ownership of our why. Extrinsic motivation (outside pressure, rewards, or punishment) work only to a certain degree, but never produces lasting change. What we need then is intrinsic motivation – a drive from within to keep us pressing on. Today we have access to so many teachings, books, and resources. I’ve heard it said that believers are now educated beyond their level of obedience. Ouch! We can know the truth and still not live it out, not because we don’t know it in our heads, but because we haven’t embraced it in our hearts. In Jeremiah 31:33 it says that God will put His laws not just on our minds, but our hearts. That’s what we need if we’re going to overcome challenges. Michael Hyatt says, “We can know the reason why a change is good, but we won’t change unless the motivation lives in both our heads and our hearts.” When that happens, we have internal motivation that is deeply personal to us. Keep fighting to personally connect to your why!
When we originally leave the shore of safety, we look forward to new lands of destiny and dreams. Yet the storms of life and the mundaneness of the middle of the ocean can make us want to go back. I want you to know that all that you dreamed of when you started is nothing compared to what’s actually on the other side. Don’t lose heart in the middle. One of my deeply beloved seminary professors, Dr. Paul Siu, once said, “Don’t quit; don’t ever quit; it’s always too soon to quit.” Fueling your why will help you reach where God has planned for you to go. Amen!