I’ve heard people say, “Where is my ministry?” or “I don’t understand why God doesn’t use me more.” Many people try to build a platform to minister from and become frustrated. Maybe they’re missing it. Let me explain.
This is simply a perspective moment.
In The Journey Training we talk about seeing a different perspective of your situation. You may have a blind spot that is keeping you stuck.
Matthew 25:23 says, “You have been faithful with few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” Are you meant to pastor a church? Maybe. Where do you start? You start exactly where you are; you simply take a step and, in turn, take responsibility.
I needed to pay a house payment and had no work. I was worried. I thought, “How will I make this payment?” Then and idea came to me. People had often asked me if I trained people. I guess when you lose 239 pounds and keep it off, other people want that, too. I decided to begin a bootcamp here in town. I called it “Simply Lose It”, which is the name of a health program I am releasing this year on QVC. Twelve people signed up, and I was able to make that payment! In turn, I had a responsibility – to those twelve people.
Simply Lose it is in its fourth session, and I see something happening. I am caring for people; helping them progress physically, and also spiritually. I speak encouragement to them! I am seeing them succeed. Let me share a message from one of my participants just two weeks in: “Thanks for sharing the talk at the end; I cannot express my appreciation enough for you doing this bootcamp. You have changed my life probably more than you will ever know. I will never go back to the fat, lazy, unhappy person I was just a few weeks ago. THANK YOU SO MUCH!”
You see, God has given me my Bootcamp, and the people in it. I have changed my perspective to see it is a ministry. Not a church. Not a lucrative business. (YET!) But God has entrusted me with a few dozen very special people, and I will be as faithful to them as I can.
Maybe you need to change your perspective and see that your ministry is exactly where you are.
It’s where you work, where you play, in your home, and it’s the next person you meet. If you are “faithful with few things,” you’ll end up stepping into many. You’ll find the answer to “Where is my ministry?” And you won’t be trying so hard to build that platform. It will just kind of build itself!
Simply Lose It Bootcamp is run by Danny Cahill.
- When: Monday – Thursday & Saturday (Generally 5 weekly sessions)
- Cost: $99 per month for up to 3 weekly sessions, or $119 for unlimited
- Where: Fitness Together 97th & Riverside, Fitness Together Downtown Tulsa, Outside at several different Broken Arrow, Tulsa, and Bixby parks.
- Info: Email Danny@TheDannyCahill.com
“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” ~ Zig Ziglar
I’ve learned by traveling the world as a motivational speaker that you have to know where you’re going before you can get there. When I left for The Biggest Loser in 2009, I knew two things: God gave me this opportunity, and it was my responsibility to act on it.
180 pounds was my destination – quite a long road from 430 pounds! But if I never set the destination, how I would I ever get there? There are two things you must know to navigate to your destination: Where you are and where you are going. The first step is to acknowledge where you are. If you don’t know where you are, how can you know where you want to go? You cannot heal or change what you don’t acknowledge. The second step is defining where you want to be. These destinations could be health, finance, relationship, career, any number of things. Only when you know where you are and where you are going can you then “map” a road to success. In my case, once I knew where I was going, and I had less than 7 months to get there, so I had to devise a plan for success.
Plan For Success in Health
I learned that 3,500 calories equaled a pound. I made a goal of losing of 1½ pounds per day – a 5,250 calorie deficit. If I ate 2,000 calories, I would need to burn 7,250 calories per day to reach my goal. This gave me a mark to hit – a target! Some days I would fail, some days I would succeed, and other days I would exceed the mark. The show’s nutritionist Cheryl Forberg and Trainer Jillian Michaels taught me what to eat, and Bob Harper and Jillian taught me how to burn calories – SWEAT! Then I hit GO on my GPS.
Plan For Success in Finances
This principle has helped me in areas other than losing weight. Finances are also an important area in which to plan for success. When you are in debt it can seem overwhelming. The reason I know this is because at one time Darci and I owed $62,700 of unsecured debt. Darci and I paid off that debt in just a few years – WITH A PLAN! On my YouTube channel you can see the video of Darci and me seen on Joyce Meyer describing our journey. It took a plan and self discipline to get there.
In marriage, it is wise to counsel with your fiancé and learn each other’s goals BEFORE saying I do! Then you can know where you both presently are and where you both want to go – and you can agree on plan for success in your marriage.
In whatever area you are looking to change – health, finances, marriage, parenting, any area – you must devise a plan. I urge you to find wisdom from good people who can help you such as your pastor, a counselor, or a trusted friend or support group. Those who have gone through The Journey Training have buddies and small groups to help when they need encouragement or ideas. Then you can follow a plan to focus on the future you want, not the future you just might happen upon! As Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan you are planning to fail.”
When I was growing up, I made a decision to change my life, to live for God and try to live as a Christian did. I started watching who I hung around with, and what I let influence my life. When I was in my mid 20s I started playing paintball. There is something thrilling about running around in the forest with guys shooting at you! This was something I did on a regular basis, and eventually I wanted to play tournaments. I wanted to win, so I joined a team that was really, really good.
Why Did I Say That?
But on this team, my teammates and I did not hold the same values. I started to notice over time that the words I chose to use were more and more colorful. I was not using them because I was mad and it was an “accident.” I was using them because they were convenient and familiar. I used these words because the people around me used them. I never once stopped to ask myself, “Why did I say that?” My wife noticed this growing habit as well. She told me once, “In the heat of battle you seem to be cussing a lot.”
Eventually, my wife’s words convicted me and I apologized to her. I then had to make the tough decision to find a new team that better reflected my beliefs and character. This new team did not win as many games, but it was far better for my both my character and my soul.
If you ever find yourself asking “Why did I say that?”, take a look at the people you spend time with. If so, it may be time for you to make some changes as well.
By the way, my new team and I eventually got better, and actually ended up beating my original team.
