I work in ministry and thought my life was set at an early age. This is until I realized something that changed my life. It changed my point-of-view about “certainty“, “destiny” and “journey.”
Looking back on my life, the word “process” was not even in my vocabulary. Of course, it certainly is now.
In fact, I believe that having a view of life that is built around process is vital if we are going to fulfill our purpose.
Being Intentional About Intentionality
Process has taught me to live my life more intentionally and openly. It has led to more success. Once I understood the role that process plays, it gave me an eagle-eye perspective on my life. To have an eagle-eye perspective is to understand situations at a macro-level or from “10,000 feet up.”
Because we as humans have our own biases and preferences, we have a tendency to get stuck in a limited perspective of our lives and the world around us.
For example, we are taught to look outside of ourselves for answers as opposed to looking to God.
We become so disillusioned by the world pushing us into what the world thinks, that we very easily forget that we have access to an eagle-eye perspective of our lives through God.
Looking back as I look forward means to see that life is a journey, it is not an event. It has been a process all along, I just never noticed it.
Life As a Process
When you view life as a process then one opportunity leads to the next opportunity. Life past, current, and future are all connected and our future is directly connected to what we are doing today.
I believe we get mentally confused when we mistake or place our life as an event. When this happens we often tend to view God as just part of our life, and He is not, He is our life, so our focus is not the future – but the focus is what I am doing for Christ today.
When I do my best every day, I then walk my life out in process and this gives today huge value for tomorrow. If I view today as an event, then who cares if I do my best or not, it is just today.
The process-view of life is a real life adventure, where the daily process of life guides my actions and the challenges I face do not become limitations but learning opportunities so that tomorrow can be better.
A New Rich Life
My life was not always this rich with meaning, with this level of depth and connection. Once upon a time I was insecure, viewing my life as an event, which meant failed dreams and continually feeling on the verge of “this is not working.” Before I discovered the power and value of life as a process, I was constantly searching to fill a never ending void through self help books, workshops, and spiritual teachings with limited and inconsistent success in order to build a “I will make this to work” and “in the end it will work out” attitude.
When I came to understand that life is a process not an event it lightened my load and it birthed a new way of living within me. It has been freeing. Each step of the process is in alignment with a greater mission and the challenges become one more step to a better and healthier tomorrow.
I am ever so grateful for the opportunities to live each day, for grace that is infused with the process of life. When you understand process, it will lift you up to the platform that will carry you to say “I was born for this” and you will say it with true excitement, inspiration and joy!
Keep walking it out in process!
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Tom Atema is VP of Business Development at John C. Maxwell’s EQUIP organization
His passion is Biblical servant leadership development
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Excellent. Answers a lot of questions and resolves so may issues in my life. Bravo. Glory to God for this excellent piece.