Next Level Living

"The skills and competencies and experiences you've had in the past will not be enough for every challenge you will face in the future. They are enough to prepare you, but not enough to sustain you. You must build on the past but live for the future."

----- Erwin McMannus "Wide Awake" p. 64

I would recommend that you stop right now are reread that quote until it resonates within you. Mr. McMannus has just told us a very important truth about going to the next level in living life. In order to go to the next level relationally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, will require you to assemble new skill sets to face new challenges that will arise. I am just dork enough to use the illustration of video games so here goes:

Every good video game will start you out as a beginner but will not let you survive very long at that spot. Your character has to develop, become stronger, smarter, be able to take more hits, learn to use different weapons, etc. As your character grows so does the difficulty of the game and especially level bosses. If you character doesn't grow, it will never survive past level one (imagine being stuck forever in level one...stuck in the same life over and over again....I unfortunately think I know people like this.)

I think there is a few sermons in this illustration but I think only dorks like myself would really appreciate it's beauty:) But I think you get the point. Life should be a continual search in growing smarter, wiser, stronger. Using the tools you currently have in pursuit of gaining the ones that are just on the horizon. Being able to take on bigger challenges because the ones in your past have helped you develop into the person you are today.

Bottom line...in order to go to the next level in your life, you have to be willing to go on the adventure and the battle that will get you there.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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