Valley Fellowship Church continues the AWAKE series with twenty-one days of intense prayer during the month of August. As I was studying for my soon-to-come sermon from the Book of Jonah, I stumbled on notes from a message I shared more than a decade ago. I don’t recall where I may have gotten the original idea. I think I heard someone share something similar when I was still in high school. Or, maybe, I was just inspired while drinking a carbonated beverage – 7Up!
I was encouraged by seven points I had jotted down, and so I thought I would elaborate upon them today. As Christ followers, we are always on the way up – hopefully, changing day-by-day into the likeness of Christ. Here are some unassuming tips – seven ups – to take you to the next level.
1. Wake Up
Decide to have a good day. Let the joyous strength of God arise in you. The Psalmist puts it simply: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 HCSB) You are alive; live like it.
The late Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill shared a story:
An Irishman went into the local bank to get a loan to buy a house. The Yankee banker looked up the record of the Irishman’s bank account, then he looked over the application for the loan, and then he addressed the applicant. “I have a standard test,” he said. “I have one glass eye and one real eye. I’ll give you the loan if you can tell me which is my glass eye and which is my real eye.”
The Irishman studied each of the banker’s eyes carefully. “The glass eye is the left eye,” he finally said.
“You’re correct,” said the banker. “But how could you tell?”
“It was easy,” said the Irishman. “The left eye had warmth in it.”
2. Look Up
Start your day with your attention set on heaven’s Lord. Focus on the Lord, not your problem. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2 NLT)
3. Dress Up
Put on clothes that encourage you to be successful. In college, I discovered that I would perform better on exams when I was dressed up. You don’t have to put on a tuxedo to advance in life, but you might want to consider how your attire impacts you.
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I like this story:
My friend Helen has twelve children, and she dresses all of them alike. “When we had only four,” she explains, “I dressed them alike so we wouldn’t lose any. Now that we have twelve, I dress them alike so we won’t pick up any that don’t belong to us.”
4. Lift Up
Lift your voice in prayer. Get into a real conversation with your loving Heavenly Father. Your prayers unlock the path for your next level. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)
5. Shut Up
Make a conscious decision to listen and then to choose to say pleasant things. Hold your tongue from releasing that ready cut-down. Instead, let your words encourage your listeners to move on up to the next level. And, don’t be so quick to give full voice to every thought that flies through your head. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. Wisdom counsels, “Whoever controls his mouth protects his own life. Whoever has a big mouth comes to ruin.” (Proverbs 13:3 NOG)
6. Stand Up
Stand for what you believe in, for what you value, for what matters. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. “And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” (Galatians 6:9 AMP)
7. Reach Up
Reach for something higher than you currently are. Don’t settle; don’t stop moving forward. God isn’t finished yet, but He is faithful to finish what He started (Philippians 1:6). Hold out for what God has ahead. John Maxwell astutely quips “Circumstances do not make you what you are – they reveal what you are!” Several years ago, a classified ad in the Great Falls, Montana, Tribune offered: “Uninspired fat guy wants to sell intimidating exercise machine. You can reach me in the evenings on the couch.”
With that – I think will get up and take a walk.
