Take the initiative (3)

Fifth, change your mindset. Does risk scare you? Are you discouraged by past failures? Do you not see the potential that opportunity offers? You won’t be able to move forward until you discover what is holding you back. “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” A snare is a trap. And when you begin to see your fears as a trap, you will want to be free from them. Sixth, don’t wait for opportunity to knock. Opportunity seldom comes knocking; you have to go look for it. Assess your assets, talents, and resources. Doing so will give you a picture of your potential. “But I don’t have any special talents,” you say. Yes, you do. “God has…given each of us different gifts to use” (Romans 12:6 CEV). Seventh, take the next step. It’s one thing to notice an opportunity; it’s another to act on it. Somebody once quipped, “Everyone has a great idea in the shower. But only a few people step out, dry off, and do something about it.” Choose the best opportunity you see, pray about it, do the best with it that you can, and keep going until you have done everything possible to make it happen. And when you have done your best—trust God to do the rest. Winston Churchill said, “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities…because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” And where does courage come from? God! The psalmist said, “Trust in the Lord forever…for in…the Lord, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4 NKJV).