IN PURSUIT OF YOUR DREAM, BE READY TO PAY THE PRICE

The Leadership Guru, John Maxwell, in talking about life trade-offs says this, “I’ve found that the higher you go, the harder it is to make trade-offs. Why? We have so much more that we risk giving up. People often talk about the sacrifices they had to make in the beginning of their careers. But in truth, most people have very little to give up in the beginning. The only thing of value that they have is time. But as we climb higher, we have more, and find it more difficult to let go of what we have worked for. That’s why many climb partway up the mountain of their potential and then stop. They come to a place where they are unwilling to give up to get the next thing. As a result, they stall – some forever.”

That is so true. This week I relinquished all my Pastoral duties in one of the greatest Churches in this city where my wife and I have served for the last 12 years. It wasn’t easy giving up my position, leaving behind my fruit in the ministry, long standing relationships plus of cause a pay check. We like Abraham of old are leaving behind our land, our relations, and our Father’s house to go into a land that God is showing us. We are embarking on a new journey as we establish a marriage ministry in this city.

Twelve years ago I resigned from formal employment to join “full time” ministry. I thought then that that was a great sacrifice. But compared to the sacrifice we are now making, that was nothing. I have come to learn the hard but vital lesson of life that in order to go up, you need to give up certain things that are so dear to you. Something in human nature tempts us to stay where we are comfortable, where we have comfortable stress and adequate finances, where we have comfortable associations with people without the intimidation of meeting new people and entering strange situations.

But we can never achieve our dreams if we don’t come out of our comfort zones, if we are afraid of the uncertainties ahead of us, if we are afraid of taking a risk, if we are wondering how things will turn out; there is a price to be paid and so we must be willing to take a deep breath and dive into the deep end as it were. And the deep end is doing what we know is the right thing for us to do.

“Greatness is a narrow path that affords us little detours. It is a path of give-ups. The secret of greatness is choosing the right give-up.”    - Anthony Gitonga in his book Made for Greatness.