Stripped Down and Built Up

Tonight I got on my knees and confessed and repented of my sin. I asked God to fill me with His Holy Spirit. I asked that if He would speak to me, please do so.

I got the feeling that the ‘speaking’ was not as direct tonight. It probably has to do with the fact that I’ve been pushing Him away with my choices recently. But I did have a distinct sense that He was trying to tell me something.

As I was opening myself to receive His word, usually in the form of His speaking, I felt led to stand, then to face myself in the mirror.  While standing there, I basically got the impression that “I am nothing. Yet, I am everything.” It was like He was stripping me down of my false sense of self, and building up my true self.

I walked away feeling strong and sure. My shoulders were back and my neck was vertical (not slouched).

As I walked to my bedroom, I reinforced that while I may not be who I think I am in others eyes, I am exactly who my Father created me to be – and that’s all I need to be – nothing more and nothing less. The strength I find in that truth can become the basis for the confidence I can have in Him.

“Invisible scripts” holding me back

1 – “Some ideas are too small to try” – I think this script comes from a fear of failing at something small; if I can’t succeed with something small and actually sell a relatively simple product to a group of people, then I won’t be able to succeed with the big ideas I have that I think will really make a big difference in people’s lives. The thing is, I know that learning from failure breeds success, and as I learned in last night’s webinar, multiple revenue streams are actually preferred to a single source due to diversification. I can start with one small success, even if it takes 10 or 50 tries to get there, and leverage that into my next success, each time building upon the experience gained with prior experiments (successes & failures). Plus, the smaller failures will provide me with the experience needed to have greater odds that the big ideas will succeed.

2 – “No one will buy my product because I’m not an expert – I don’t have the background that people look for in a product like this.” This comes from a fear of rejection. However, just because I don’t have a credential does not mean that I don’t have something of tremendous value to offer. As Tim Ferriss attests in his new book, it’s because of his objective perspective (because he’s not confined by the politics and expectations inherent in being part of a specific group of “experts”) that he is able to write so freely and reveal truths and insights that otherwise are buried in the rest of the industry’s “common knowledge” and “acceptable deviations”.

3 – “Everything (the product, marketing strategy, etc) has to be perfect before I try to sell or people won’t buy.” This comes from a fear that people will not buy unless the product is perfect. However, I know that working for perfection will take longer than the time I have left on this earth. So, if I want to make an impact on people’s lives, and make a boatload of cash doing it, I need to start with *something*, test, let go or improve, test, let go or improve, rinse & repeat.

Finish the Task

Lord, Jesus. I know you want me to be prosperous. I know you want me to have great resources at my disposal to be used in your name. I want that too. I have prayed much in the past for financial freedom to create time and focus freedom so that I can focus more on you. I pray that my dedication serves as an indication that I am ready for the responsibility.

Lord Jesus. I ask that you bring great wealth into my life. I realize that this will carry trial and challenges with it to stay focused on you. I accept that. I thank you for your provision and the guidance I know you will provide both before and after this resource provision. I pray that you would reveal to me any heart condition that may get in the way of my receiving of your gift. I know you want to give and will give readily when my heart is right.

Michael, stop for a second. Do you really know what you are asking for?

Let me try… I am asking for my bank account to have more money in it so that I will have greater confidence in leaving my current position in order to focus on you, as well as plenty of money to devote to projects in your name.

At least you called it “money” finally. Your previous choice in words does not fool you or me (“resources”). However, you need to know that your expectations don’t provide me with much to act on. You ask for “more money” in your bank account. I give it, yet you still want “more money”. You want “greater confidence”, yet I’ve already told you that I will bless your obedience.

While it is true that money would provide you with greater confidence to quit your job while relying on the natural, that is severely limited thinking. When I tell you to do something, I want you to do it – you will be blessed through it. When you truly devote yourself to my plan, I will open the floodgates for the “resources” you need.

Ok, I understand what you’re saying. Is the commitment I’ve shown so far not enough?

Have you finished the task?

No.

That’s correct. I need assurance that my priorities are your top priorities. That you will finish what I want you to do. An incomplete product or project does nothing for anybody. Finish the task.

How will I know I am done?

When you can tell me you are done, in a way that does not indicate you are giving up.

Ok. Am I going down the right path?

Yes, Michael. You are speaking my truth – that is always the right path.

Ok, thank you Lord.