I refuse to do something just cause!!

Often, I find people who do things because "that's just the way we do things", but they can't really explain why they do them. I am from a generation who has been over marketed to by commercials and magazines. We are typically born between 1978-2000, which other generations have dubbed us as Millennials. We are typically skeptical of everything and resist status quo without some valuable reason for doing it. We are also less likely to take a job based on it's pay or availability. We would rather do nothing than do something less meaningful and purposeful. Our attitude can be viewed as stubborn or arrogant or even self-righteous, but what is hard to understand usually gets labeled.
In the last blog I took an excerpt from Andy Andrews book Traveler's Gift; and I decided to stop pointing fingers, making excuses, or making assumptions based on the past. "The Buck Stops Here!"
This statement made our former president Harry Truman famous during a tumultuous season of our country. In the book, the author uses the moment just before Truman gives the okay to launch the atomic bomb on Japan. Truman was determined to stop disqualifying his decisions based on his credentials. A decision had to be made. Wrong or right, he had to own it.
What do you do if the pressure of a decision or the mounting pressure of life is becoming too much to bear?
In the Traveler's Gift our character, David Ponder, travels to ancient Israel and meets King Solomon. Solomon is renown for his great wisdom. When faced with a decision, Solomon tells Ponder to "Seek Wisdom":

  Decision #2

The Guided Decision

I Will Seek Wisdom.

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be

changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today. I will change my actions

today! I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about

positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellow man. No

longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen

only to that which increases my belief in myself and my future.

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care. I am who my friends are. I speak their

language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment

forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate

with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with

eagles, I will learn to soar great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.

I will seek wisdom. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. The words of a wise man are like raindrops

on dry ground. They are precious and quickly used for immediate results. Only the blade

of grass that catches a raindrop will prosper and grow. The person who ignores wise counsel is

like the blade of grass untouched by the rain—soon to wither and die. When I counsel with

myself, I can only make decisions according to what I already know. By counseling with a wise

man, I add his knowledge and experience to my own and dramatically increase my success.

I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others. A wise man will cultivate a servant’s spirit, for

that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will

be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant’s spirit becomes wealthy

beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant becomes

king for he is the popular choice of the people. He who serves the most grows the fastest.

I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door—I will look to open

the door for someone. I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me—I will be

excited when I am available to help.

I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care.

I will seek wisdom.

It seems we are at an impasse....

When I started my journey, I was in search of an answer to my question. What I found were more questions than answers. As I began to sift through the lessons and reflections, I discovered I was shaped more by my past than my future. This led me to stumble, trip, and fall, through my life. I needed to, as Pumba from Disney's Lion King said, "Put my behind in the past!" It's been described by a friend that we all tend to walk forward while facing backwards. We disqualify ourselves to do anything bold because of our past. What I've learned is, God's not interested in yesterday, and He really isn't concerned with your plans for tomorrow. What He really wants to know is, what am I going to do with today?
Paul writes in Philippians 3:13-14

"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

I've read a book recently by a brilliant author. In this book he follows a man facing life's similar questions. As you travel with David Ponder, you begin to see that life WAS meant for more. David gets to travel through time and spend a moment with seven significant people as they were about to change history. Along the way, he learned certain decisions that shaped their thinking. Without giving away the story, I want to focus on one of those decisions:

Decision #1 

  The Responsible Decision

The Buck Stops Here.

From this moment forward, I will accept responsibility for my past. I understand that the beginning

of wisdom is to accept the responsibility for my own problems and that by accepting responsibility

for my past, I free myself to move into a bigger, brighter future of my own choosing.

Never again will I blame my parents, my spouse, my boss, or employees for my present situation.

Neither my education or lack of one, my genetics, or the circumstantial ebb and flow of everyday

life will affect my future in a negative way. If I allow myself to blame these uncontrollable forces

for my lack of success, I will be forever caught in a web of the past. I will look forward. I will not

let my history control my destiny.

The buck stops here. I accept responsibility for my past. I am responsible for my success. I am

where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of

decisions I have made. My decisions have always been governed by my thinking. Therefore, I am

where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of how

I think. Today I will begin the process of changing where I am—mentally, physically, spiritually,

emotionally, and financially—by changing the way I think.

My thoughts will be constructive, never destructive. My mind will live in the solutions of the

future. It will not dwell in the problems of the past. I will seek the association of those who are

working and striving to bring about positive changes in the world. I will never seek comfort by

associating with those who have decided to be comfortable.

When faced with the opportunity to make a decision, I will make one. I understand that God did not

put in me the ability to always make right decisions. He did, however, put in me the ability to make

a decision and then make it right. The rise and fall of my emotional tide will not deter me from my

course. When I make a decision, I will stand behind it. My energy will go into making the decision.

I will waste none on second thoughts. My life will not be an apology. It will be a statement.

The buck stops here. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions.

In the future, when I am tempted to ask the question “Why me?”, I will immediately counter with

the answer: “Why not me?” Challenges are a gift, an opportunity to learn. Problems are the common

thread running through the lives of great men and women. In times of adversity, I will not

have a problem to deal with, I will have a choice to make. My thoughts will be clear. I will make

the right choice. Adversity is preparation for greatness. I will accept the preparation. Why me?

Why not me? I will be prepared for something great!

I accept responsibility for my past. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions. I am responsible

for my success.

The buck stops here.*

 

*denotes Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews

A.W. Tozer writes it this way:

“The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us. ”