David Lee Martin

There will come a day when the curtains close on this era and a new and glorious Kingdom takes its place. Jesus will rule from His Jerusalem throne and all will be well.

In the meantime, we have to deal with this mean time.

People are confused, questioning, seeking and searching for truth. Groping in darkness in the hope of a better way.

Can you show it to them?

And yes, I’m speaking of the gospel. That’s the central furrow in the field. But life is lived and cultivated on many levels. We preach a Kingdom not just an altar call. Once someone has stepped across the line their journey has not ended, it has only just begun.

And the Kingdom extends to the ends of the earth. Every realm of life, every business, every precious place.

What are your areas of expertise and experience? And how can you help others reach their potential?

For example, I write and publish books. Lots of them.

Those skills I now use to help others do the same.

I create online training products.

So I mentor others to crystallise their value into courses and resources.

I’ve spent thousands of hours in prayer. So I teach people to pray.

Here’s the picture.

A tree has a purpose. Many people think that the purpose is fulfilled when the tree bears fruit.

Of course, that is a wonderful result of the tree’s growth, a benefit if you like. But the tree’s destiny still lacks one fundamental and ultimately essential key.

The tree is designed to produce another tree!

And another. And another.

Our goal is not just to become a fat disciple or a business success.

It is to produce disciples, to champion the success of others, to call forth their latent gifts and cheer them to their finish line.

When we do this, we fulfil an even deeper need that goes beyond our own success.

Someone is waiting for you today to step up. They need to hear your voice.

It may take some time to hone that voice. To really grasp the essence of your message and what you bring uniquely to the table.

But start now.

The longer you leave beginning or taking that next important step the longer others will be left scratching their head wondering where their answer is coming from.

Create, don’t be late!

“Placate”

to soothe or mollify, especially by concessions

Common synonyms of placate: appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, and propitiate.

Christian creator, do not fall into this booby trap.

Caressing everyone else’s predilections leaves you powerless to act.

Worrying about:

• what others will think
• what they will say
• how they will perceive and judge your boldness
• or what their opinion of your decisions and creations might be…

…is a pointless waste of energy.

Creativity by nature is courageous.

It divides opinion and makes some people nervous.

⚡ Newsflash ⚡

Not everyone wants a new you to arrive on the scene.

They’ve grown comfortable with the old or present you and future you would be a threat to their worldview.

You cannot live your life desperately trying to please people.

Seeking to please everyone = pleasing no one.

Create, don’t placate.

The danger with dormant gifts is that they diminish over time.

Unexercised creativity crumbles into a sad conformity to the status quo, never pushing the bounds of what’s possible.

You are more than that!

Bust the box

Your place on this planet is not designed by God to be one of slow death (even while you’re breathing).

There is a vibrant expression of ‘YOU’ that the world is waiting to experience.

Some will love you when you show up, others won’t. In fact, some may want to stuff you back into the box you’ve been living in and throw away the key.

Bust the box, friend.

You are not the focus

No one is focused on policing your decisions, they are focused on themselves most of the time. So why worry what they will think?

Wake up and do something different today.

Make something remarkable.

Speak your truth and worship God in all of His vibrant creative colours!

Status quo or get up and go?

Religion and the status quo want to wrap you in mediocrity. Plaster your brain with thoughts of inadequacy.

Jesus, on the other hand, wants to set you free. Release you to boldly enjoy a freedom of expression that will change your life, and ultimately change the world.

It’s either status quo or get up and go. The choice is yours.

Stir those gifts. Shake up those ideas and then step out to try some. You’ve got nothing to lose.

If you’re gonna live, you may as well do it with your heart pumping and your eyes wide open.

Create, don’t hibernate!

Who or what are you waiting for?

God chose you to fill a very peculiar space. To play a unique role in this short history.

To take the stage and bring what only you can bring, say what only you can say, in a way that only you can say it.

Despite the nefarious idea that this grand responsibility rests with someone else, there’s no other you waiting in the wings to step into the breach. Your one glorious life counts.

Don’t cower.

Quit your concerns about what others will think if you step up and step out.

You have a voice. Use it. You’ve got ideas. Run with them.

And keep running, don’t stop. If you stumble, rise. If you fail, learn. Pain is part of the pathway for creatives. But so is the pleasure of making something remarkable. The great joy of growth and discovery. The unmatched delight of making disciples and helping others become the people God formed them to be.

It’s a ‘for such a time as this’ era.

An ‘is there not a cause’ epoch.

And you were born to be brilliant in it!

Create, don’t abdicate.

This week I want to encourage you to create.

There are lots of choices we can make. Hesitation is one of them.

You get an idea, then second guess yourself.

That leads to third-guessing and fourth-guessing until that fledgling inspiration is flattened under your reasonings.

There are a multitude of reasons “why not” knocking on the door, all with compelling arguments about why you should not risk your reputation or set yourself up to fail.

But awesome lives and breakthroughs are not built on hesitation. Fear is not your leader.

You have not been given a spirit of timidity, but one of power, love, and intentional inspired action-taking awesomeness.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)

Yes, there are many “why nots” but you only need one “why”.

Because my spirit says to do it!

Some people call it intuition.

I prefer to recognise these promptings for what and who they are.

My inner man, in partnership with the Holy Ghost, is leading me, prompting me, inspiring me, calling me, urging me toward my destiny in God.

Does that mean every thought is one I should act on?

Of course not.

You know exactly which thoughts and ideas I’m referring to!

Don’t silence the still, small voice. Don’t skirt the promptings of your heart.

Create.

Don’t hesitate.