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Mission: Mindset Week Four - Now

As we continue to develop attitudes around making our mission count, the ‘N’ in M.I.N.D.S.E.T. stands for Now...

Now.

To say I love Lin Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical, Hamilton, is an understatement. 
 
The songs, the ideas, the acting -- seriously, can it get any better?! I’m happy to admit, I’ve had the privilege to go see it not once, not twice, but 3x!
 
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Alexander Hamilton, he was a complete baller! He’s one of America’s founding fathers, helped write our Constitution, was the first secretary of the United States Treasury, helped establish the Coast Guard, was the mastermind behind building our national bank, and was a war hero during the American Revolution. And he did all this before his death at age 47! Like a said...complete baller. 
 
But what I like most about Alexander Hamilton is how he lived his life with a sense of urgency. He didn’t wait around to make things happen. He acted in the moment. He did things ‘now!’ That’s how I want to live my life. That’s part of being mission-minded. Why wait when you can act now
 
The ‘N’ in Mission M.I.N.D.S.E.T. stands for Now
 
Act 1 of Hamilton closes with a song called “Non-stop.” This song perfectly describes Hamilton’s persistence and tenacity. Here’s the lyrics (speaking of Alexander):
 
“How do you write like you're running out of time?
Write day and night like you're running out of time?
Everyday you fight like you're running out of time
Like you're running out of time.”
 
Do you live like you’re running out of time? Because the truth is, you don’t know how long you have on this earth. James 4:14 tells us, “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.”
 
It’s so true. We are not promised tomorrow. In a sense, Hamilton understood this. When the Revolutionary War was over, he partnered up with John Jay and James Madison to write what came to be called the Federalist Papers. A total of 85 essays were published anonymously and the workload was supposed to be distributed evenly between the three men.  However, history tells us John Jay wrote 5, James Madison wrote 29, and Alexander Hamilton wrote 51!
 
Centuries from now, are people going to be talking about your life, your choices, and your work with the same kind of passion and urgency as Hamilton’s? Do you fight for people like you’re running out of time? Do you care for those around you like you’re running out of time? Do you love Jesus like you’re running out of time?
 
Time passes, and it never needs our permission. Stop putting off tomorrow what can be done today. Complacency is the enemy of urgency and is one of the biggest opponents of a Mission Mindset.
 
Don’t wait until you have no choice but to take action. If there is something aligned with your mission that demands your attention, do it now.


Go create a life that counts,
Timmy
 
Sneak peak @ next week: D - Be Different 

DIG DEEPER:

What are things you’ve been putting off that you know you need to get done? Make a list, create a plan, set a deadline, and do it. Now.  

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Signed copies of Mission Possible available now!

Visit Barnes and Noble to pre-order your signed copy while supplies last!


Recap from last week: A Mission Mindset starts by knowing your Maker. Your mission is from Him, with Him, through Him, and for Him. If you missed Knowing your Maker, simply click here...

Be Interruptible.
 
Have you ever planned or scheduled something and it didn’t go the way you intended it? How did you react? With frustration? Anger? Bitterness? Anxiety? Trust me, I’ll be the first to say that I can get a little annoyed when things don’t go as planned. But the reality is this: plans change. The market takes a turn. You lose your job. You don’t receive the scholarship you wanted. A storm cloud pops up out of nowhere. You get a flat tire on the highway. Life is such...and we usually don’t like it.

But let’s be honest, when does anything really go 100% according to plan? Hardly ever. I believe most of the time there’s probably going to be a change in your plans. Why? Because God has a tendency to interrupt our lives. (Hint: Look no further than the last two years!) 
 
Recently, I was in Dallas, TX for a speaking engagement. It was supposed to be a quick trip, in and out. The event went great (people from Texas are so nice!) and I was really looking forward to getting home to see my beautiful wife and our three fur babies! But God had different plans. Our flight got cancelled at the last moment, forcing us to stay overnight. Not ideal.
 
At that moment, I had a few options. I could either stay frustrated and go to bed grumpy OR our team could make the most of the situation. We picked the second option. We immediately reached out to several of our closest TTF friends in Dallas and was able to meet up with one of the families the next morning! And I’m so glad we did! We had an amazing day full of stories, great food, and lots of laughter. It was totally worth every second and I knew this was why God wanted us here.
 
Part of having a Mission Mindset is saying “God, I’m ok when you interrupt my plans.” It’s a mindset that not only accepts change, but welcomes it. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The mind of a person plans his way. But the Lord directs his steps.”
 
Does God direct your steps? Do you give Him access to rearranging your calendar? When things get out of order, are you asking the question, “Okay God, what are you up to here?” 
 
I’ll tell you what, I’m so grateful for all the times it didn’t go my way, or the way I had planned it, or even the way I thought it was going to go. Because of God’s ‘interruptions,’ I’ve been able to experience far more than I could’ve ever imagined. See, when you say yes to what God wants, I truly believe it's going to be better than anything you could have planned.

In the big and small, in the grocery store or at a stop light, a Mission Mindset is tuning into the voice of God, and being willing to move wherever, whenever, and for whoever.
 
So, Next time there’s a hiccup when executing your game plan, instead of being frustrated, look around and see how you can make the most of it. It might not be according to your plan, but it might be according to God’s plan.
 
Go create a life that counts,
Timmy

Sneak peak @ next Monday: N - Now

DIG DEEPER:

Are you interruptible? Or do you have your mind set on what you want to do? I challenge you to be intentional this week to see the needs of others around you and act on their behalf. 

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Signed copies of Mission Possible available now! Visit Barnes and Noble to pre-order your signed copy while supplies last!

Learn how to live Mission Possible with the entire family.
Pre-order your copies today!

 

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