Recently I have
been reading a book by John C. Maxwell called, “No Limits.” Like most of Maxell’s
writings, the book is largely about perspective and attitude. One of the things
that has stood out to me in this writing is knowing the difference between what
I can and cannot control. There are many things in life that I cannot control.
There are also things that only I can control. Knowing the difference is
essential to reaching my full capacity, in my career, in ministry, and in my
personal goals.
I certainly
cannot control what other people think about me anymore than I can control the
weather. I cannot control the actions of others. I cannot control the state of
today’s politics or economics. I can’t even prevent myself from getting a flat
tire, catching a cold, etc. When we focus on what we cannot control, it can be
tempting to get frustrated, angry, bitter, or even depressed. Instead we should
be focusing our energy on what we can control. Controlling what we can, and not
wasting precious energy one what we can’t, is one of the most important lessons
we can learn in life. One might say that it makes the difference between a
person being perpetually frustrated or at peace.
There are many
things that only I can control. I am the only one who can control how I spend
my time. I can spend the same thirty minutes (or four hours) watching
television in the evening or reading something that will help me grow. I once
met a man who spoke French, German, and Italian fluently enough to have a nice
conversation with a native speaker of these languages. The man had never taken
a foreign language class and had never lived out of the country for more than a
couple of weeks at a time. He told me that he decided he would spend an hour a
night with a language instead of being in front of the television. It worked
and he was quite a linguist. Naturally, being linguistically inclined myself, I
was inspired. Perhaps you have no interest in learning a language but the point
is that all of us have the same amount of time in each day. It behooves us to
make the most of it.
Another thing I
can control is with whom I spend my time. I can choose to stop by the office of
a person who will share the office gossip everyday. While this might keep me “informed,”
it usually also keeps me focusing on the negative. I must admit that there are
certain people I do not want to talk on the phone. If a person calls me with a
definite need to talk, I am “all ears”. If the same person calls me
continually, only with a need to talk about how bad the world is, I may utilize
caller ID. Please don’t feel bad at me for saying so. There are some things
that only I can control. One of those is the people I allow to speak into my
life.
I am the only
one who can control my attitude about life. One day I will have to answer to
God for the talents and abilities he gave me. I want to be able to show him
that I used them for the good of his kingdom. I want to have reached my maximum
capacity. I will not answer for anyone else, only for myself. I need not feel
bad if I can’t sing, play, draw, or paint like someone else. I need only take
what I can do and use it for God’s glory.
My passion
should be my priority. Many people spend years of their lives berating
themselves because they can’t sing like sister so-and-so. This is such a waste
of energy. My energy is renewed when I take what I know I am good at (all of
have talents) and focus my time on doing it well. Mr. Maxwell uses the analogy
that he will never be a good ballet dancer. Sadly (or thankfully) neither will
I. Yet I will not worry about this. I will find something else I am good at
doing and develop it for God’s glory.
One day I want
to hear God say well done. Though my salvation is not dependent on my
abilities, scripture is clear that I will answer to God for the use of my time.
God help me to control the use of my time and my energy for his glory!
In Christ’s
Service,
Pastor Jones
Works
Cited
Maxwell,
John C. No Limits: Blow the Cap Off Your
Capacity. New York: Hatchett Book Group, 2017. Print.