I believe in challenging the status quo for real transformation.
Mostly we like to keep things as they are if they are working for us irrespective of whether they have a bad or good effect on those around us. We like to fit in. We like to conform.
We are called upon to be transformed by the renewal of our mind and that we should no longer conform; maintain the status quo. This might make us odd, the strange one, and the misfit - the one who spoils the party. We may face alienation, rejection, failure, conflict etc, but would we rather walk on the wide path to doom or stay on the narrow path to liberation. This doesn’t mean we have to rebel and make all the noise, it just means we have to stand out in the crowd and count for something, do something, obey the call, listen to the small still voice inside you and follow through your conviction.
We are all wired differently; there are those of us who are quick and good at challenging the status quo, while there are those of us who struggle with the thought of it. A major reason why we may not challenge the status quo mostly is always Fear. Fear can make us accept things as they are and just survive through.
There are four fears that could limit us from experiencing the real transformation: the fear of powerlessness, the fear of rejection, fear of conflict and fear of failure. Whenever we are faced by a situation, we need to ask ourselves, is it fear limiting me from moving forward? If so, what’s the fear? Once you know what your fear is, you need to ask yourself whether you want to cope with it or confront it. Either way, there are consequences to your decision. Coping with fear tends to entrench our habitual use of defensive reactions; whereby, confronting fear tends to strengthen us and diminish the potency of fear. Successfully confronting fear leads to increased ability to maintain clarity of perception and judgment in times of extreme stress. Confronting fear enables us to decrease the fear of failure by increasing our ability to accept the possibility of it. Confronting fear increases our ability to risk and to fight for what we believe. Our ability to know what needs to be done and doing it without conforming comes evident. Our capacity for heroic actions is increased if we confront our fears.
It doesn’t mean that you will never feel fear and a strong urge to maintain the status quo. What it means is that you will have the ability to overcome fear and act decisively while feeling enormous fear and emotion. You don’t lose fear; you overcome it and learn to respond clearly despite its presence.
Don’t be trapped in maintaining a status quo because of fear, but be willing to stretch yourself, to jump, to go an extra mile because I believe as human beings, the only constant thing is change. We can’t be the same yesterday, today, and forever more. We have to embrace change and the only way to intentionally embrace change is to learn to confront our fears; the four fears: powerlessness, conflict, failure, and rejection, because these four will block clarity in our lives.
I find myself always wanting to enjoy things as they are. But as a leader, I have had to learn how to confront my fears. To face them and rise above the fear acknowledging that it’s better to be liberated than to be the trapped in a status quo. I have had to face the consequences of confronting my fears. Some of them have made me regret while others have brought great outcomes that have made me celebrate. No matter what, we have to move on.
I recently had a conversation with someone I respect about being on a journey of faith. Risking it all to jump and letting God take care of you: making a calculated risk to experience something different. God is waiting for us to show that we trust Him to come through. This is faith.
If this resonates with you, seek to wisely challenge the status quo. Look for a small community of friends who you can learn to do this together with. Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It’s about building a community of friends to share each other’s journey of faith. You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.
Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you…
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Great..
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