So many people are afraid of their own power.
It’s sad, but true.
They downplay their abilities and are afraid to let themselves shine, because of the hostility and envy they may encounter from insecure and disempowered people.
Once in a while, they permit themselves to fulfil their potential and to be truly outstanding, but they’re careful not to do it so many times that other people start to feel uncomfortable. They put a cap on their success and, in some cases, even believe that the outrageous success of one individual is immodest and unfair to other people.
Have you ever wondered how much better our country, or the world, would be if everyone allowed themselves to grow into their true power; if we all excelled, without apology and shared our gifts with the world?
I believe that’s precisely what we came to this earth to do. We came fully equipped to not only create amazing individual lives, but to contribute to the growth and improvement of the world in some way. Yet this can’t happen if we continue to temper our ambitions.
Lofty goals are not the purview of the chosen few ÔÇô they’re within everyone’s reach. Yet while a small number of people seek to rise to the occasion, a far greater number fears their own success.
Their fear may be due to a number of factors including, most commonly, the fear of being ‘cut down to size’ by people who feel threatened by them. Because society often equates success or confidence with immodesty and arrogance, we’re keen not to stand out lest we attract unwanted negative attention.
Some of us harbour the false belief that success is followed by inevitable failure; and we fear becoming the objects of scorn should we experience unforeseen setbacks. And yet others feel like it’s their destined role in life to be average; and that being exceptional is somebody else’s job – somebody who’s better educated; better connected; and just ‘better’ than them in every way.
Yet if there’s one thing that’s true, it’s this: each one of us is destined to excel because we were made in the likeness of God. We carry God inside us and viewed in this way, doing something extraordinary should be routine for us.
1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Surely you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit lives in you!’ Think about what that really means.
To my mind, it means that we’re not just meat suits running around on earth. Because our bodies house the spirit of God, we inevitably dream of doing great things and expressing our God-like nature, just as God did through Jesus Christ; and continues to do through some people.
Being created in the image of God means we have the same potential as God; and we must not fail to actualise that potential out of fear, or due to misplaced notions of modesty or humility.
We have the power to create miracles but due to our lack of belief, most of us end up living mediocre lives and believing we were destined for a life of struggle.
Frankly, when we struggle with mundane things like paying the bills, it becomes difficult to believe that we could achieve anything extraordinary, let alone perform miracles, but it’s true all the same.
God, the omnipotent force that created the world and everything in it – that’s who dwells in us; and we have the power to live out this truth and create awe-inspiring lives every day.
In fact, because the spirit of God dwells in us, unless we allow ourselves to experience extraordinary lives, we will never be content.
Our Godly spirit knows everything we were meant to achieve. It regularly reminds us of our ideals, including through inner promptings to pursue certain goals. Yet many of us fail to heed that call. We doubt that we’re worthy of accomplishing anything great, yet we were born worthy; and we can achieve anything that we set our minds to.
Moreover, our Godly spirit is not competitive or fearful – it realises that it has the capacity to fulfil everything that we desire, using the same power of creation God used to create the world.
Starting now, vow never to allow your physical nature to hold you back. Realise that every time you experience timidity, fear, jealousy, or other types of negative emotion, it’s because you’re allowing your physical self to dominate; and to hold you apart from your Godly nature. Your true spirit is secure in the knowledge of its greatness; and it only ever experiences unconditional love, about everyone and everything.
Do you love and have faith in yourself (and the God in you) as much as you profess to love and have faith in God?
Does your vision for your life reflect that you were made in His likeness? Is it awe-inspiring; and does it encompass accomplishing astonishing feats on a regular basis? If you were to continue along your current path for the next three to five years, would your life reflect your Godly nature? If you answered ‘yes’ to all these questions, then congratulations – you’re one of the few people who is living their life on purpose.
If you answered ‘no,’ or waivered on any of them, ask yourself why; and start thinking about how you could improve and fulfil your true potential.
God is proudest of us when we shine; and we should never be pleased to dwell on a level of existence lower than that on which God made it possible for us to dwell.
We should strive to be the best we can be and to reach the highest level we can reach. To do less is to be unfaithful stewards of the life entrusted to us.
*Many thanks to Mr. Elliot Majhova for his sterling contributions to this week’s article.
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Thank you!
