Spiritual Inventories and New Life Approaches; Sabatticals and Major Change.

I hate it when people assign me to do better and then don’t give me a means to do it. Sometimes life’s most difficult issues are made difficult, Only because we don’t know what to do. We suffer from a lack of knowledge.

When a business is trying to assess their current state. And discover how to go forward profitably. The first order of business is an inventory. This is a prerequisite, to refined business goals. In our personal, professional and spiritual lives. It is often the same way. In order to move forward in our spiritual life, we need a spiritual needs inventory.

Until we know what to do, we cannot move forward. There is obviously something amiss, when we feel that our lives are out of whack. But what is it? And this is the big dilemma that most of us face at different points in our life.

Our waterloo’s are not meant to be stopping points. But points that help us to reframe the perspective that we have on living. To see our current circumstances correctly, we have to step back and gain some objectivity. The old saying is that we can’t see the forest for the trees. And this is often true.

We need to step back from our situation. And look for a fresh perspective. In this way God helps us to find improved approaches to the situation. Often it is not the situation that needs changing but our perspective of the situation. How we look at it. The same circumstance can be looked at as a horrible demise. Or as an opportunity for growth and development.

It’s not a different set of eyes that we need. But a different lens that we need.

But it takes time and an intentionally different approach to see with a different lens. But if we want to get out of a rut and experience a healthier life approach. We have to deliberately do a personal inventory. We have to slam on the brakes with the intention of changing direction. And so, I think we literally have to take sabbaticals.

Sabbatical’s are Times that we stop and take a deeper look at where we’re going, verses where we want to go. We cannot keep on at the same Reckless pace that is causing us to fail, and hope to succeed. It has been often said; that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. This is so true and easy to see about others but hard to admit, about ourselves!

The problem is often denial and admitting failure. But we often have a flawed perspective of admitting failure. Confession is many times good for the soul. And a healthy and necessary part of catharsis.

Admitting failure is not always defeat. As a matter of fact it is often the springboard, that leads to a vital and new season of possibility. Perhaps you do not know what I mean by this term sabbatical. It has often historically been considered important for people to take one, in re-energizing a profession. To intentionally have a season of travel, reprieve and enlightened study and devoted re-education towards rejuvenation, in the field Ministry or other life callings.

However I propose that such a major reinvention time, in our lives is important for most of us. If not all of us.

I think God has called me to help and Mentor people towards success and finding and fulfilling His plan in their life. Having said that, there is a part of people’s discovery that people can only do for themselves, with the help of God. So as a mentor or life coach, it’s my goal to help those I help, to see their own path of growth. I try to help others see how they need to assess and design their own means of healthy well-being. And this often leads to a discussion around the idea of the need for variations of sabbatical, life reframing.

So the whole point of this lengthy dissertation. Is that the point of frustration and challenge you are currently experiencing, can be exactly what you need. The prescription for your personal and spiritual growth from this point is there. And it likely resides within your own heart and mind. But you may have to stop what you’re doing and have a season of deep reflection, pondering and searching; to find these meaningful answers that you need.

The point I’m making is that your answers are there, probably IN you. God will show them to you. But there’s no Small Wonder in His instruction to “seek and you shall find.” The deepest Avenues of life will not come to us flippantly. They only show themselves, when we deeply resolve to seek earnestly, as our Master Jesus has instructed.

So I assign you my friends, to accept no less than your best in this life! But with the assignment, I prescribe the means for you to achieve it. And that is to deliberately and wholeheartedly, have your own season or seasons, of soul searching and redirection. Call them sabbaticals. Call them whatever you want. But don’t accidentally think you will find God’s will in your life. Let it be your very own purpose and deliberate decision; that you seek to find your call and Direction in life! So help you, God! You can find the direction you need!