When things get tough for me, I forget to ask God for help, and I typically stop going to church. I know, this seems counter-intuitive, but it’s a pattern that I have noticed in my life
I went through one of those tough times in February this year, and every Sunday I would wake up early and just lay in bed instead of going to church; telling myself that I was “worn out” and needed “rest”.
It took one of my party-animal friends, to bring me back into the fold. She is the last person that I ever thought would be the key to getting me encouraged in God.
As I sat at East Ninety-First Street Christian Church, God began to work with my heart, and shared three important thoughts with me.
The first is that we are all inter-connected. We need each other from a physical standpoint in order to survive. You wouldn’t have food, water, clothing, cars, streets, employees of your own, or ANYTHING if it weren’t for the people around you.
We are not only connected by our physical resources, we are also connected by our energy and souls. Do you think your skin is enough of a container to hold in your soul? It’s not. Your energy is reaching out to and affecting everyone and everything around you. Others have an impact on you as well. Remember, when you are in a bad mood, trying to influence someone, or sitting thinking that you are alone; your energy and soul has impact.
My life philosophy is to live in balance according to Dave Durand’s 4F’s and a C – Faith, Family, Friends, Finances, and Career. The premise of the philosophy is to constantly work on improving and living fully in all four areas of your life at the same time. Faith is one of those areas. I respect that there are a variety of faiths. You don’t have to believe in Jesus and attend a Christian church every Sunday, but I dogmatically believe that in order to be successful, you must believe in God, his influence on your life, and his ability to strengthen you. Find your center of faith.
Sometimes, I forget about the omnipotence of our Creator, and simply lean on my own weak flesh to accomplish my dreams. Remember that no matter what, God is still God, and we can turn to him for help in our businesses and lives.
Think about this; we are unconscious for 30% of our lives during sleep. While we are unconscious, our heart still beats, our food continues to digest, and we keep on breathing. That is amazing. The same God that created our bodies to work in such a miraculous way, and the same God that wakes us up every morning, is the same God that can assist you in achieving the vision that you have for your life. There is so much power at your fingertips.
You are not alone. Use the power of the people around you, and the God within you to achieve your greatest goals.
Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for Reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives. For more resources on business leadership, please visit http://blog.goreachmore.com.