Have you ever asked, "Why did God do this to me?" In the first article below I give a very brief response to this common reader question. Did God cause you to lose your job, crash in your business or tank in your investments? Obviously entire books have been written on this subject. My goal is not to clarify every theological bias, but simply to get you to do your own thinking that then leads to positive action. And I do believe that God expects us to move forward confidently based on what He's already told us.
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Here's from the "for what's it worth category."
At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on Wednesday, the 8th of July this year, the time and date will be
04:05:06 07/08/09
It will be 1,000 years before this happens again. I challenge you to get up and do something memorable at that exact time. Enjoy this special day.
****************************** "A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting." Henry David Thoreau
Here's a question from a reader – an engineer. (We'll call him Bill)
I'm at a job that I hate mainly because I feel like every day I'm set up to fail. There's no job satisfaction. I go to work and try my best but the bosses and organization demand excellence in everything that we do. That is a good goal to have but there's no way to accomplish all that needs to be and do it perfectly. ………So why would God place me in a situation like that for 8yrs??
Bill, be very careful about asking "Why did God put me in this place?" I certainly believe God is omnipotent – but I don't think He micromanages the little details in our lives. I think our own decisions lead us to where we are. But that's hopeful, because you can make new decisions that put you in a different place. Don't wait for supernatural movement - just start by seeing what you can do to move yourself in a new direction in the next 30-60 days.
When I found myself at the negative end of a business deal a few years ago with $430,000 owed to creditors I'm sure I could have asked, Why did God do this to me? But instead I looked back at the series of decisions I had made that put me in that position. Yes, in reading Proverbs each day I was amazed to see the biblical principles I had violated in getting me to that unfortunate crisis. God had not done that to me. I simply made decisions that resulted in that end result. And I very quickly made decisions to walk out of that horrible experience.
Sometimes we assume that our current situation reflects random, individual, disconnected events. But seldom is that true. Rather, we are where we are because each decision we make is a step in a particular direction. And over time that direction determines our position in our work, our finances, our health, our relationships and our spiritual well-being. If you think God did this to you, then it justifies doing nothing until God changes your situation. And in doing nothing I see people open the door to blaming, resentment, anger, guilt and depression. I think God deserves better from us.
You can look back and see how the path you have been following has gotten you to where you are. If you don't like the direction it is taking you, what are you willing to do to put yourself on a different path?
We can choose to walk down a new path in any area of our lives. Here are some tips to help you see a new path open up.
Choose to live a creative life.
Expect new insight and ideas every day.
Capture your ideas – write them down.
Take intelligent risks – be willing to fail more.
Accept responsibility for where you are now – never blame or point fingers.
Keep feeding your mind – read positive material every day.
Make decisions based on your passions and purpose.
Spend time with people who are performing at the level at which you want to perform.
Learn from your mistakes.
Act on your creative urges.
****************************** "To every person there comes in their lifetime that special moment when you are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to you and your talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds you unprepared or unqualified for work which could have been your finest hour." -- Sir Winston Churchill
Each week I read through the questions submitted to select a few to respond to in this recorded podcast.
This week I begin by commenting on the new Florida school "no zero policy." They have decided that it seems like punishment to give a zero to a child even if that child never showed up for class. I think it prepares students to expect paychecks for not showing up as well. Brilliant training for real life!
I am 50 and recently lost my husband to cancer. Before we had our children, I practiced law, but put that aside to stay home and homeschool them. Now I must ponder how to re-enter the working world (I don't really want to, I have to) and don't know where to start.
About 5years ago I was let go from a job I loved, selling bike tours. I have reapplied more than once since, but they don't seem to want me back. Yesterday I found a job posting for a similar job with that Company and want the position--advice?
How do you manage depression/lack of motivation when trying to get a small business started? Exactly one year after being laid off from a company I'd worked at since the age of 18, I'm still bummed out about the unfairness of it all. Politics, nepotism, and dirty pool were par for the course at my company, but I still miss it (and my great salary)! How do I get over this & get on with my new life?
After being in a soulless job of being a Flight Attendant for 25 years, my fear is that job seems to erase the fact that I have a master's degree in Science Education and taught in Science Museums and College level Biology. How do I go about convincing anyone that I am capable of more than serving cokes and peanuts? How do I begin to look when I feel no calling?
I have sometimes heard that your hobby is best left your hobby; that making it your business can ruin the enjoyment of it. When considering a business is it better to start with something you love to do or look for a good business opportunity and develop that?
****************************** If you have a question, just email me at askdan@48Days.com and you can ask about starting your own business, getting a better job, or finding your purpose in life.
And you can click the link below to listen to this week's broadcast immediately – no downloading – no wait.
Coaching with Dan
Many of you ask if I still coach people individually. Yes, I do. Feel like you've been living small? This is a common issue with the physicians, dentists, attorneys and pastors who let us know they're looking for more. Give us some brief information and I'll recommend one of my coaching packages: Coaching with Dan
****************************** 48Days.net
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******************************* House of your dreams
Okay, lots of you talk about wanting to move to Nashville. Well, here's your chance to pick up a deal on perhaps the nicest house in the area. I won't tell you who owns it now -- Just know that it belongs to a Small Town Southern Man who has done pretty well here. Got an extra $38 million – check out this Dream House
******************************* How has God prepared you?
Do you know how you are "wired?"?
The most popular product in the 48 Days arsenal continues to be the 48 Days Career Profile. What's the best environment for you to live out your "calling?" You can find out here.
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. ~Mother Teresa
I simply haven't the nerve to imagine a being, a force, a cause which keeps the planets revolving in their orbits, and then suddenly stops in order to give me a bicycle with three speeds. ~Quentin Crisp
You can tell the size of your God by looking at the size of your worry list. The longer your list, the smaller your God. ~Author Unknown
Most people wish to serve God - but only in an advisory capacity. ~Author Unknown
Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message. ~Malcolm Muggeridge
Those who never rebelled against God or at some point in their lives shaken their fists in the face of heaven, have never encountered God at all. ~Catherine Marshall, Christy, 1967
Every morning I spend fifteen minutes filling my mind full of God; and so there's no room left for worry thoughts. ~Howard Chandler Christy
Do you know how you are "wired?"?
