Having an intentional word to live by for the year truly has been inspiring. It’s my big picture goal, my compass, my anchor point when focus starts drifting away. I love that the Lord has made this a simple phrase for me to see, hear, and understand. It shows me the simplicity and the magnitude of just simply showing up and being present for what He has purposed for my life. But I have to be honest…as time passes by, my focus doesn’t last as long as it should and neither does my energy. There could be some contributing factors to why my focus and energy levels are off or inconsistent, but nonetheless, it’s a distraction. Distractions make showing up for impact hard, hence the title “The show up challenge” because indeed, it’s a real challenge to be consistently present. It’s a challenge to show up to the daily grind of activities of just simple daily living, like making sure there are clean dishes to eat off of, clean clothes to wear, food prepared to eat, drinking enough water, sleeping enough hours, dedicated physical activity, a clean environment to live in. And don’t forget that we don’t live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from God (Matthew 4:4), so yes, reading God’s word is a basic life function. All of these things are really just basic functions to live, and if we aren’t functioning well in these areas, then there’s a chance we might be dysfunctional.
That word is ugly to me.
It’s like a wall too big to climb or a shackle I don’t have a key to.
I could try to force myself into sticking to a routine and checking off a to-do list to get things accomplished, but how long will that last if I don’t have a stable foundation? I’ll get tired of treading the water of daily life if I don’t have a place I can stand or a place to rest. I’ve realized that the purpose God has given me...my assignment on the earth, can also be my resting place, and He is my foundation. In order to have access to the resting place, you have to make sure the path to get there is clear. Having healthy habits in your daily life can help keep a clear path to your calling, your purpose, the place that was made for you to occupy. Healthy habits don’t happen over night, it’s a transformation of your mind and your heart, which in turn dictate your actions. The bible gives us the instruction to renew our minds with the word of God, so we won’t conform to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2). A transformation is required in order to break the dysfunctional patterns. I know where I can go to be transformed, the word of God. Reading the word is the way we spend time with Him, reading about Him, getting to know Him…what He said, what He’s done, and what He’s doing. It literally forms a relationship, a bond between us and God. God’s spirit (the Holy Spirit) will speak to us, our heart and our mind and make them new again. Our relationship with the Lord is the true foundation and space for this required transformation.
Showing up for the impact that God wants to leave on us and the world around us will require a renewal. It will require more than a checklist and to-do list to accomplish. I’m not just showing up to the chores of the day and daily life requirements, I’m clearing the path and making a stable space for my purpose to reside. My assignment needs space to grow and expand. It needs space to be protected and uninterrupted. My calling shouldn’t have to compete with my distractions. I believe that healthy functional habits will help create that space. I get to practice building my heart to be present and consistent with the simple tasks of life, so my heart will be ready and willing to show up for the big ones. God is constantly moving and shifting things upon the earth and in our lives. I don’t want any area of my life to miss this move, and I don’t want yours to either. I want to encourage you to commit to being transformed one day at a time and I hope the vision God has given me will bless you also.
If dysfunction is present and dictates the activities of simple tasks, then imagine the impact it has on the bigger ones. I mean the real big tasks of life like: why we are here on earth, the meaning of life, living out our God given purpose of knowing Him and making him known. My concern is if I am operating at a dysfunctional level in certain areas of my life, then I will more than likely operate to some degree of dysfunction in the biggest areas of my life. I would say one of the biggest clues of dysfunction is stagnation…not moving forward. Denial of God’s promised future and rehearsals of things that have happened in the past. The things we hold on to like: comfort, fear, insecurities, anger, pain, resentment, and unforgiveness, can make a messy room seem a whole lot messier. It can make physically moving heavy and impossible. It can make preparing nutritious foods to eat like too much work. It can make a night of sleep, sleepless. It can make reading the Bible overwhelming and tedious. I believe distractions are the open doors to dysfunctional behaviors. The enemy loves to keep us in “dys-function”, out of order, or impaired. Which means we can’t extend the biggest threat over him, and that is being the people God originally made us to be. A people who spends their life walking with the Lord and occupies spaces according to God’s will. A people who turns their heart to Jesus and their back to the world. A people who knows Jesus is their Savior and King.
/Dys-function/: not performing normally, as an organ or structure to the body
“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” (Romans 12:4-5)
There’s a new hope to the challenge of showing up for impact, and the hope is this: to not rely on the motivation to get us to show up, but for the transformation too. It’s a challenge to feel motivated to be present and do the work, but I’ve seen how my feelings will never be enough to match the big things that are ahead of me. My feelings are short lived and inconsistent… but a transformation isn’t. Showing up is a movement. It requires us to move and do the necessary things, handle the responsibilities, and be ready for what’s in store. But sometimes, a lot of times, I don’t feel like moving. Sometimes the only move I can make and want to make is reading the Bible. I can’t underestimate what a good move that still is, despite nothing else getting done, because the Bible speaks to every item on my to-do list.
The word of God is like seed that is planted in soil (our hearts)
(Luke 8:11). When watered and exposed to the right amount of light, seeds grow and they transform. There’s grace in the transformation process because there is grace in God’s word. I took what the Lord had laid on my heart for the year and made a 30 day check off list of daily functional habits out of it. I shared it on social media for anyone to follow along with me as I followed it, and I know some people did :) Doing this challenge exposed the areas I’ve grown in and the areas that I still need more growth. It was a type of inventory that showed me what flows effortlessly from me and what seems to feel blocked. It wasn’t meant to be done only for 30 days, but to continue for all the days that follow after. I’m so grateful I can use this little old list as a guide, a reminder, and a mirror. It’s not a reminder of what I didn’t do for the day or the month, but a gentle reflection of what I have already and what I still need, all to keep me close to the Lord and reveal His glory.
Click on the links below for your own printable copy of the show up challenge 30 day check off and challenge descriptions, and I pray it will be your first 30 days of showing up for impact, with many more days to follow.
“I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best with as few distractions as possible.” (1 Corinthians 7:35)
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