Many of you may not know that I started working as an elementary PE teacher this school year in Parachute. I teach 2nd through 5th grade and have some very interesting conversations with kids. Some of those conversations get me thinking, like this one…
One of the students who is in 5th grade has cerebral palsy and doesn’t have full functionality of his left arm and leg. He still can move pretty well though and is actually in the top half of his class in sprinting speed.
A couple weeks ago, he was struggling a bit during a team activity and started verbally beating himself up and saying that his classmates didn’t like him because he couldn’t perform very well. Interestingly, none of the students were coming down on him. They actually were quite encouraging.
It was at this moment I had a quick talk with him and basically said to never make excuses or feel sorry for yourself. Do your best and never worry about what anyone else thinks, says, or does. You can only control what you do and your effort.
As I pondered my own advice, I realized something.
As far as I can remember, every champion in sports, successful businessman or woman, minister, parent, spouse, and human being that I know or have known has never been one to whine, complain, make excuses, or feel sorry for themselves. And it’s not like they’ve not had reason to do so. I’ve seen people overcome financial loss, broken relationships, and death of loved ones by getting up, cleaning themselves off, and simply moving forward toward their goal/prize.
Often times I’ll ask people, “How are things?” And often times the response is, “I can’t complain.” Sometimes I respond with, “Well, you can, but it won’t help any.”
Which is exactly true.
Whining, complaining, making excuses, feeling sorry for ourselves all have the same outcome…the exact opposite of what we say we want.
So let’s get in the habit of being thankful, problem solving, positive minded, God focused, Jesus pleasing (without faith its impossible to please Him), “all things are possible” faith-filled women and men!
As top leadership guru Chris Brady says, “Leaders eat obstacles for breakfast.”
They don’t complain about them. They solve problems and overcome adversity and challenges.
So be that person; the one who eats obstacles for breakfast.
And if you are one who has been reconciled to God, then you and I are God’s sons and daughters. We are joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. We are more than conquerors, and the victory has been won in Christ Jesus. Everything we need in life to live like God has been granted to us through the knowledge of Him.
So truthfully, we have no excuse for whining, complaining, or feeling sorry for ourselves.
This world is starving for real, authentic, strong men and women who walk the talk. Be one of them, and watch what God does in our lives, our families, work situations, and beyond.
Have a blessed week!