I believe that God expects you and me to be more than merely ordinary. In fact, I believe the Bible teaches that God desires for His people to live an extraordinary life of impact. We are to be light in the darkness, salt to the world, and ambassadors of Jesus Christ.
Yes, God’s desire is for you to live an extraordinary life so that you impact the people around you for His glory alone.
How to Live an Extraordinary Life
First and foremost, if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, these keys to an extraordinary life of impact are not for you. These are for Christians who love their Master. If you haven’t yet turned from your sin and surrendered your life to the Master, you need to do that first. And soon. (Click here to find out how)
But if Jesus is, indeed, the Lord and love of your life, then you do have both the power and the resources at your disposal to live an extraordinary life of significant impact. God will bless you in eternity and use you for His glory here on Earth. You can enjoy life and have it in abundance. And so, to be used by God in extraordinary ways sometimes requires the need to start over, begin afresh, or simply take a few moments out of our overly busy schedules and take inventory.
Question: How is your life right now?
- Are you living an extraordinary life or impact, or is it rather average at the moment?
- Are you satisfied with where you’re at in your life’s journey, or are you asking God to open a new door?
- Have you been misappropriating the resources God placed in your hands?
- Are you wanting to live an extraordinary life for God’s glory, or are you hoping to spend it on your pleasures?
Keys to an Extraordinary Life of Impact
So without further ado, here are the 7 keys (steps) that you should commit to so as to begin living an extraordinary life of significant impact.
1. MAGNIFY YOUR VISION
First off, stop thinking small. People of little significance pray little prayers, expecting God to not do very much. Understand that God is greater than you can ever imagine. Nothing is difficult for God and He never breaks a sweat. It is not more challenging for God to cure you of cancer than it is to find you a good parking spot at the mall. Increase your faith in a BIG GOD who can do mighty and amazing things.
2. DISCOVERING YOUR TRUE IDENTITY
You were created in the image of God, placed on Earth to live for His glory, and He saved you. When you finally exhale your last breath, God will bring you home to Heaven where Jesus has built a heavenly room…just for you. God wrote your name down in the Lamb’s Book of Life. When Christ spilled His blood on Calvary’s cross, He took the full blunt of the Father’s wrath for your sin. All of your sin! God loves you more than you could ever begin to imagine, and your are to call Him, “Abba! Father!” Yes, that’s who you are. That’s your true identity!
3. DEFINING YOUR SELF-IMAGE
What do you see when you look in the mirror? (Get that image in your head for a moment.) Now, what do you think God sees when He looks at you? (How different are those two images?) What you need to do is to begin getting your self-image to become more congruent with God’s true assessment. It may take some time, a process of spiritual maturing, and help from other people, but you can get there in God’s power. Begin asking yourself questions like,
- What do I really want my life to look like or become?
- What kind of person do I want to be?
- How can I serve God in that greater capacity?
Understand this, that if you cannot (or will not) define what your extraordinary life is supposed to look like or become, then rest assured that you’ll never, ever, ever receive it.
4. OVERCOMING THE PAST
You are not your past failures. Yes, you’ve made mistakes and sinned and you’re going to make more mistakes and sin more in the future. But God has forgiven all of it. God forgave you, so begin your extraordinary life today by forgiving yourself. And once you forgive yourself, then forget the past failures. Don’t carry that old baggage around with you. You need to forget what is behind and press forward to what is ahead. God is the God of second chances, and today is a brand new day.
5. ESTABLISH A NEW STATUS QUO
What is the status quo, you ask? The status quo is the way things have always been for you. It is the expected routine of your life. It is the same old job, the same bad decisions, the same environment, the same, same, same, same. You can’t live an extraordinary life while swimming in the Sea of Ordinary. Move beyond the ordinary, the average, the mundane, and begin seeking out new ways to do the things that need to be done. Few people actually go through the effort to establish a new status quo in their lives, which is why so few people ever experience an extraordinary life of impact.
6. PREPARING FOR THE HARVEST
I don’t know the first thing about farming, my thumbs aren’t green, and I can barely grow green grass. But I do know the basic theory of it all. When it comes to living an extraordinary life, you need to prepare for the harvest by doing the following:
- Plow the Fields of Opportunity (Search out new ways to get what you want out of life, and don’t give up until you know exactly what you need to do.)
- Sow Seeds of Success (Once you’ve determined which opportunity to pursue, begin planting your seeds in that area. Touch, touch, touch. Crops don’t grow without seeds first being planted, and the extraordinary life as a mere pipe dream if you don’t sow some seeds in your field of opportunity.)
- Watering and Weeding (Nothing grows without water and your crop will get choked out if left unattended. To water your opportunities means they need to be massaged and managed. Get yourself a weekly schedule and pull up the weeds in your life that are sucking away the time from your day. Focus!)
7. LIVING YOUR LEGACY
Your life is not for you. Your life is to be a blessing to other people! Your purpose in this life is to direct people to know the Savior; to worship God, to fellowship with other believers, and to minister to others around the world. God won’t give you in extraordinary life if you mean to waste it on worldly pleasures, sin, or…whatever. You need to be a mentor to someone in need, to motivate the people around you, and become a person of influence. To live an extraordinary life means to leave a legacy of impact.
For me personally, #4, #5, and #6 are challenging. Much work to be done still!
Numbers 4, 5 & 6 are my challenges, too.
For #4, overcoming the past is very difficult, While I struggle with regret and sadness at my own sins, it is the damage done to me by others’ sins, primarily my Dad’s. I don’t so much hold resentment, as fail to recognize that I’ve been living more by my dad’s view of me, than by God’s.
#5 is challenging, but very exciting. It’s exciting to realize that I can change my status quo. I am actively working on that, right now.
#6 is an extension of how I’m working to challenge my status quo.
Your post is so very encouraging, and so filled with truth. Thank you!
Hello Karen!
I think 4, 5, and 6 are a struggle for most people. We’re all in the same boat when it comes to these issues.
Remember…..you are not your past. You are not your failures. And if someone sinned it against you, that is NOT your fault! Surround yourself in God’s grace and do what you can to forgive your dad, forget the past, and move forward. God does not desire for you to be shackled to the past. He has amazing things planned for your present and future.
Regarding your Status Quo, would you mind sharing what it is you’re working on or changing? I would be encouraged to hear about it. God bless!
Personally I think no 3 I have always thought that my ideas don’t make sense hence causing self pity and rejection!!! because everytime I say something at work a more “genius” or eloquent person steps in and turns my idea down(most of the time).this caused me to be quite and everytime anyone asks for my opinion on something I will go with theirs because I think they are more correct and right than I am and there is nothing of importance I can add but thanks for reminding me with no 2 that I “have to see my self as a princess (daughter of Christ)by discovering my self image who will be talking with confidence with the knowledge of my heavenly father.PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE IS HELPING ME TOO.PLUS CHARLES SPETCH’s twits and Blog teaching me about self confidence a billion thumbs up Pastors Charles& Rick plus my dad ofcourse Pastor John!!!!!!!
That’s amazing! I love to hear how God is working in people’s lives and wonderfully encouraging ways.
Linda, we all experience that “imposter syndrome” from time to time, myself included. We always think that someone else is better, could do a better job, etc. But the fact remains that God has you where you are for a reason and a purpose. Fulfill that purpose and don’t ever give up!
You are God’s child and his plan for your life is to be amazing.
Think about who you know who needs to know God more and who you can bless and encourage. Pour yourself into that person’s life! God bless you, my friend.
May you be blessed by God Almighty and He continues to use you to glorify Him.
Am really touched by this teaching. the no 1 nd 2, I be live. Am tryn to work more on the rest. I am just moving out by faith into God’s plan for my life to start or raise a platform for Him. and while studying I came across ur article. I actually want to know more on how I can impact life for Christ. Tnx for being a blessing to ds generation
Praise God for its 2,3,5 and 6
Praise God for its 2,3,5 and 6
Do you have an accompanying study guide?
Thanks and God bless you for this word of encouragement. I think number 6 is summary of every thing. more grace brother.
For any of these suggestions to become heart lodged and behavior and thoughts to become consistent with God’s vision for us, we have to be able to take in His encouragement as well as goal points. Each little step toward His perception, each thought and behavior change that encourages ourselves and others to live in love and service is a victory. I can’t wait until I do something extraordinary and spectacular to be thinking I’ve made progress or that will not happen. I’m blessed to be a blessing. That includes each smile, prayer with a stranger, encouragement of anyone, response to God’s nudging to pray, call be there for someone. These things aren’t spectacular. They may be seen as ordinary Christian life. But when I was so shy and insecure once and now can pray and encourage and declare God’s word, each time is a victory.