How To Increase Your Capacity to Grow

Posted on by

5 things which I like to refer to as my “Motivation Navigation” to increase my capacity to grow in whatever state I find myself in.

Get Unstuck

“Jabez cried [prayed] to the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me! And God granted his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:10 (Amplified)

Everyone at some time feels “stuck”. It’s not a great feeling when deep down How To Increase Your Capacity To Growinside you want more, you want to become more, you want to be used by God more, or you want to experience God more but don’t know where to start. In my experience whenever I’m in a place where I feel stuck, stagnant, complacent or unsure about how to proceed, I use the following 5 things which I like to refer to as my “Motivation Navigation” to increase my capacity to grow in whatever state I find myself in:

  1. Hunger: Complacent people don’t get very far because they’re not hungry. Hungry people will not be denied. When you have an appetite for more, God will give you more.  We don’t have more of God because we don’t hunger for God.  To become hungry, FAST.
  2. Study: Studying increases your capacity to learn. With the amount of information at your fingertips to read, watch and listen to, there is virtually no excuse why you aren’t learning something new each day. Learning new things keeps your mind sharp and promotes a feeling of well-being. Studies show that increased cognitive activity in the elderly slowed their decline in cognitive function and decreased their risk of mild cognitive impairment. This made them two and half times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia than seniors with less cognitive activity. Keep yourself in a position where you are constantly learning.
  3. Exposure: Increases your capacity to think. You cannot think beyond what you’re exposed to. Exposing yourself to bigger and better things opens your mind to think bigger thoughts. Your life is changed by the books you read, through the revelation of God and by being exposed to different kinds of people. You are the average of the 5 people that you are closest  to. Keep quality people within reach.
  4. Stretching: Increases your ability to move. Just like with physical exercise, if your muscles are tight, you stretch. Before you start any vigorous exercise, you stretch. Stretching yourself and your limits allows you to see just how far you can go, increases stamina so you are able to stick with it until you reach your goal, and enables flexibility in case you need to reposition yourself along the way.
  5. Practice: Increases your capacity to perform. If you’re afraid to meet new people, practice. Go for a walk in the park and strike up a conversation with someone else who is walking the trail with you or take a public speaking class and face your fears head on. Look for opportunities to put your new skills to use. The more you practice, the more you increase your capacity to perform.

Still need a little more motivation? Check out Valorie Burton’s “Get Unstuck, Be Unstoppable: Step Into the Amazing Life God Imagined For You”