Hold On! You’re Soooooo Close, DON’T Give Up!

Are you tired of seeing people with less skill blow right past you and have the impact you know you should have? Would you like to stop wondering why you’re not getting the breakthrough you need in order to succeed?

Do you want to know exactly what to do to reach loads of people, have greater impact, and provide for your family? Today, I’m going to share things which happened to me over the last few days because it reveals exactly what to do. I’m going to tell you about a book I was reading, a barbeque I went to, and how Jesus tied this all together.

Buckle up, because this is going to totally blow your mind.

Recognizing the Problem

I’ve been there before. You know you’re good. God has shown you things, other people have told you things, but the results don’t seem to be flowing fast enough.

And there are times, many times, I’ve looked at others around me, and online, and thought, “I don’t get it. I’m better than these people, but why are they shining and I’m not?

Over time, I discovered this is not the right way to think if I want transformation.

Someone else’s success doesn’t take away from my success, unless I allow it to. And many times, they were doing the work to get transformation, while I was critiquing, instead of doing the work I was supposed to do, to get my own transformation.

But the biggest thing was when you’re doing the work, and transformation is not coming fast enough. This leads me to a note I made in my book last week that sets the stage to help you.

The Power of Patience

My book shows readers how to make the next year of your life the best year of your life and then repeat it. The book gives you a life-changing success secret to read for each week in the year.

You read the life-changing secret for the week, write a note, and then act on it. After a year of doing this, you would have experienced the best year of your life.

So last week, I was reading through the life-changing secret on page 94. The last note I wrote that week is so relevant to today’s post.

Because if you want the greatest transformation you can have, if you want the biggest impact you can have, if you want to reach the most people, for the longest amount of time, this is what you need to do.

The note I wrote says, Let God crown you. Don’t let men crown you too early. Click To Tweet

Let God Crown You

We all know the stories of people who had their one minute of fame, one-hit wonders. People who came fast and left even faster. I know you want to be where God has shown you, you will be.

But getting there when He wants will be the best decision you can ever make.

The next day I was at a barbeque. The sun was out, the meat was there in abundance, and friends and family were all enjoying themselves. I got speaking to a friend I hadn’t seen in a few months.

Since having our fifth child, we were not going out that much and in recent weeks, have only started going out again. He’s an older guy, and we have these deep conversations all the time.

We’ll talk about good books we’re reading, things God is showing us, and encourage each other.

I started telling him about reading about humility last week. I told him about one of the notes I wrote last week as an action step: “Let God crown you. Don’t let men crown you too early.”

I started talking about how the people wanted to crown Jesus and He kept saying no. He didn’t allow himself to be presented as the king until Palm Sunday.

This is when He rode in on a donkey as the King of the Jews. He did not let men crown Him too early, but let His Father crown Him at the right time, the best time.

Jesus as the Ultimate Example

As I said this, he started talking about Jesus. He started talking about how in the Gospel of Luke it tells us Jesus was about 33 when He started. He talked about how Jesus could have started sooner.

As he said this, I started thinking about what Luke tells us earlier in his Gospel (in chapter 2). I’m going to quoted some of it, but let me give you some of the context first.

Mary and Joseph were faithful to God. And because of this, they came to Jerusalem every year for Israelite feasts like Passover.

Passover was a feast, the memorial of God bringing the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt with a mighty hand. Mary and Joseph would take Jesus every year. When he was 12 years old, they took him up as was their custom.

Something different happened this time though.

The Story of Jesus at 12

Nazareth was around 100 miles up north. It took them about a week to get there. Even as I say that, we can drive 100 miles in just over an hour with air conditioning, music, and in much comfort. But they would need a week.

I’m going to stop there before I get side-tracked. That’s a topic for another day.

When it was time to leave for Nazareth, everyone left, but Jesus stayed behind. As they’re traveling back to Nazareth after a day’s journey, they realize Jesus is missing.

Talk about Home Alone. But anyway…

They look around the traveling company and don’t find Him, so they head back to Jerusalem. I’m going to start at verse 46 and move down, listen to what it says:

“And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.”

He’s 12 and they find Him days later, alive and fine in the temple. Not only is He alive and fine in the temple, He’s in the middle of the action. He’s sitting in the middle of the doctors, the scholars, the teachers.

He’s listening to them, and asking questions. At 12, he was comfortable to be alone surrounded by the smartest scholars in Israel of the day.

Astonishing Wisdom

I love the Bible because so often, when it’s so easy for us to miss something, it will raise our attention. The Bible is like,

PAY ATTENTION HERE, THIS IS NOT NORMAL!

Look at the next verse:

“And all”

How many? Say ALL…

“And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.”

Everyone that heard Jesus at 12 years old was blown away. How does this boy have this understanding and answers, he’s not even a man yet?

Jesus was a prodigy. He was so good, so young, they couldn’t understand it. He could captivate, inspire and impact people at 12 years old.

In verse 48 it says:

“And when they saw him, they were amazed:”

Jesus was amazing everyone it seems.

And his mother said unto him, “Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.”

I love Jesus’ reply:

“And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”

Why are you looking for me, don’t you know I must be about my father’s business? Why are you surprised I’m doing what I came here to do? They didn’t understand. But verse 51 is gold.

“And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.”

He was smarter than Mary and Joseph, and was wowing the crowds at 12 years old. But He subjected himself, He submitted to the authority and leadership of Joseph and Mary.

Waiting for the Right Time

It boggles my mind that at 12 years old He’s described as a prodigy. But the last verse in the chapter says He increased in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man.

Based on him saying Jesus was 33, I said,

“Jesus was great at 12, but waited till His thirties.”

There were 20 years that passed before Jesus’ greatness was unveiled. Even though He was great, He waited for the right time. For His Father’s time.

Stop looking at others’ success. Stop trying to create success. Stop trying to be “the man” and start being you. There’s nothing wrong with you.

Do the work, and wait for God’s time to have the best results possible. If I don’t write the note, I don’t share it in that convo, and if I don’t share it in that conversation, this article never happens.

Because after this part of the conversation I was screaming to my daughter Anna to bring my phone. I had left it next to my wife across the garden. And as I’m writing down this note on my phone, I’m telling my friend what He said was so good.

This post is something birthed out of that conversation for me. There are things that can be born out of that conversation for him too.

The Key to Lasting Impact

But in order to get the best results possible, copy Jesus. You might be great, you might know you’re great. The best way to get results from the Bible, is to read it every day, take notes, and take action.

It’s the same process I used in my book. Read the life-changing success secret for the week, take notes and take action.

When it comes to people seeing your greatness and having an impact, it’s the same thing. Copy Jesus.

Do the things you’re supposed to, but wait for God to crown you at the right time. Don’t let men crown you too early.

Not getting the results you want can be hard, but what I’ve shared with you will help. But if you want to speed this up, find out eight things keeping you from transformational results. That article will share all eight of them.

Go Win And God Bless Winners.

Watch The Video

Israel

He’s learning to serve the Christian community better and better each day through his teaching on the Bible (both theory and practical application for everyday life). Israel Ikhinmwin loves to share the truth of God’s Word and be an example for other Christians looking to develop your faith.

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