I believe it is our responsibility to do the work necessary to position ourselves to embrace opportunities. The word “opportunities” is used in the context of your calling, your gifts and abilities, your interests, your strengths and your passions. Growth is essential for successful living. The existence of sufficient flexibility is essential for change, another necessary ingredient for successful living. It is a bit disturbing to picture someone who has not changed or evolved through-out their life. The ability to constantly evolve is crucial to our success.
I chose to use the word “evolve” for a reason and took a little time to study the meaning. One of the meanings is “to develop gradually”. It also means to grow and change over a period of time. When we think of the word “evolve” we think of changes that are made in order for us to be better suited for our environment or the times in which we exist. You would find words like, advance, emerge, unfold, enlarge, work-out, disclose and many more, further explaining its meaning. I am not referring to evolving from Ape to Man, as others believe but from good to better, from weak to strong, from fearful to bold, from an amateur to an expert, from a selfish character to a kind hearted angel, from financially poor to a sound manager of your finances and comfortable living, from a poor self-image to understanding one’s true identity.
For successful living we must give ourselves permission to move from one stage of lesser to more, whether it is more knowledge, more experience, an improved character, better quality relationships or just the quality of our thoughts. We must be brave enough to allow our depth to emerge allowing us to face the limitations within us and strive for the prize. Evolving requires us to be honest with ourselves, it requires confession, revelation and disclosure, it requires working things out, as painful as they may be. It requires a process that is often uncomfortable but bears beautiful fruits.
COVID-19 offers an added motivation to every man, woman and child who is concerned about meaningful living. We are cornered and provoked to consider “what new thinking, attitude, knowledge or skill must I now acquire to continue to live a life full of purpose, until God returns?” “What is God prompting me to do, or reminding me to put in place, to start or to stop?” “What doors has he opened that I have not walked into because I failed to trust his leading?”
My prayer is that, no matter how hard we have been hit recently, how bleak the future may seem, or how old we may be, we would seek to be constantly evolving so that we can influence our world the way God would want us to and the time to begin is now.
