Didn't See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects and Everyone Experiences

by Carey Nieuwhof

As Tim Keller put it, “When work is your identity, success goes to your head, and failure goes to your heart.”

So how do you make sure you never lose your gratitude? First, express your thankfulness regularly. If you pray, offer prayers of gratitude. Second, fall more in love with the Giver than you ever do with his gifts. Third, never claim full credit for your story. Acknowledge the role of grace and providence publicly when you talk.

Paradoxically, pushing other people into the spotlight is one of the best forms of job security. If you can produce leaders who are as good as or better than you, pretty much any organization will hire you instantly. Helping others succeed and sharing the stage with them doesn’t make you less valuable; it makes you more valuable. When you’re humble, you realize the overall mission is more important than you are.

Cynicism never finds a home in a healthy heart.

What I’ve learned is that obedience is greater than my emotions. Eventually your emotions catch up to your obedience. As you get healthier, your emotions begin to work the way they should. Sometimes they work better than they ever have.

Someone once said that 70 percent of discipleship is a good night’s sleep. That’s about right in my view. If you’re like me and most everyone else on the planet, you are at your kindest when you’re most rested. So rest.

A mentor of mine, Terry Wardle, once told me that ministry is a series of ungrieved losses.

if God wants to go deep, it’s because he wants to take you far.” The more I’ve thought about that insight, the more I see how true it is.

If you’re working too many hours, do you know why? You might say, “Oh, it’s just a busy season.” But don’t fool yourself. I used to say that all the time. You know what’s true about seasons? They have beginnings and endings. If your season doesn’t have a beginning and ending, it’s not a season; it’s your life. Remember, working is healthy; overworking is not.

Globally, obesity now kills three times more people than malnutrition does.7 And even if it doesn’t kill you, it can significantly affect the quality of your life. Being overweight or even obese is almost normal in many circles today in Western culture.

To truly care for yourself, come back to this question daily: What do I need to do (or not do) so I can live today in a way that will help me thrive tomorrow? That question will serve as a filter that will push you to rest when you’re tired, stop eating when you’re full, work out when you need to, put the brakes on your appetite, renew your heart, and do whatever else you need to do to thrive.

Prayer is not a button to be pushed; it’s a relationship to be pursued.