Learn to operate from a place or position of faith. If we operate from a place of faith we operate from a place of confidence in God, His Word, His character and His plans for our lives. Then we become a voice from God instead of just an echo of the world. It is okay to repeat what others are teaching, as long as what they are teaching is the Word of God. It is much better when that teaching becomes a reality in our lives. When this happens we are not just echoing someone else’s truth. Instead we become a voice from God to people.
THE IDENTITY CRISIS:
We are not called to lose our identity in someone else’s personality or someone else’s ministry. That's the Hollywood syndrome. We can and should love and respect our spiritual fathers and mothers, our instructors and mentors, and those who have gone on before us in the faith. But we need to come to the place of losing our identity in God Himself. I don’t what to compare who I am with who others are or what they are doing. I am looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith.
“Father, who have you called me to be?”
THE HERO SYNDROME:
Sometimes we can be so starry-eyed over people who are in positions of ministry that we create heroes. We begin to believe that they glow in the dark. In this we forget that God has called us, and ordained us, and empowered us. Prayer is one of the tools for us to finding out what God has called us to do and empowers us to do it.
BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND:
I see people coming up to the altar to pray and I go over and ask them, “What are you praying for?” They respond with "whatever God wants." People come up to me and ask “Pastor Charles, can you pray for me?” I ask them “What are we praying for?” Over and over again I get the answer, “Oh, nothing in particular.” Well, that is what we will get, nothing in particular. We need to ask God for wisdom so we can know what to pray for. Start everything, even prayer, with the end in mind.