Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17
Recently I've been watching/listening to some YouTube videos on a channel called "The Face of Ambition."
I don't always agree with everything she says but that goes for anyone. That's why we are all different. But her enthusiasm for the concept of not staying stuck in one place in life, but instead being able to continue to grow, to reinvent oneself is inspiring to me. When I read 2 Corinthians 5:17 today this was one of the first things I thought about - the process of reinvention. When we become a child of God, He makes us completely new. He gives us a new identity in Him. That identity is ours immediately but growing into the kind of person who fits that identity is a process. Here is what Timothy has to say about this -
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. ~ 1 Timothy 4:15-16
Progress is always a process. And the reason we want to make progress is not only to benefit ourselves but to also benefit others. When others see our progress, it is encouraging to them. Hiding the work God is doing in your life, in an attempt to be "humble" is not particularly beneficial to anyone. Instead, it is important to not only grow for one's own benefit but to display the glory of God to those around us, to encourage others to want to experience those changes in their own lives, to become the people He created them to be.
I firmly believe most of us (me included) live at only a fraction of our God-given potential. We manage to stay stuck in a kind of mediocre rut in fear of the challenges of living a life of growth. In the following video Jordan Peterson gives an interesting talk on how personal potential is unlocked as we refuse to live in fear of what we do not know and instead move forward into new adventures.
As Jordan Peterson shares, unlocking our potential, learning new things, failing forward, growing - none of this is particularly comfortable. I like when he mentioned not becoming less afraid but more brave. What a way to live! And it is possible not only because each one of us is created to grow into our individual potential, but also because we have a God who is beside us, who walks with us, guiding and encouraging us on this journey of growth.
Here's to living the lives we were created to live - reaching our potential and helping others reach theirs.
To learn more about why I write, and why I share my life here, please read this post - Uniquely You, For a Purpose.
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