We often make the transformation process more complicated than it needs to be. Yet there are actually some very simple traits you need that are more important than anything else. These foundational mindsets will prepare you for the highest level of fruitfulness and change.
Yet without these traits, you will continually cycle in the same problems with little fruit. You will feel stuck all the time and see very little change. Walking with these traits does not take a certain level of education or intelligence. No matter your history, upbringing or talent, these traits will set you apart from the rest of those who never change.
1. Overcomers have a deep passion to change.
No one can want transformation for you more than you do. I find that anyone who walks into dynamic transformation has a deep pulse in their heart that keeps them pressing in for the fruitfulness that is available to them. They do not rely on someone to give them a sense of passion. Instead, they have made a decision to stir it up within.
In working to help people for decades, I have learned that passion is contagious, but you cannot teach someone passion. You can inspire and motivate, but transformational passion is something we are all responsible for cultivating.
Connecting to passion has to do with your level of “want to.” How badly do you want this? It also connects to your “why.” Why are you even pursuing transformation in the first place?
Passion is what will remain when we feel like giving up or walking through times of discouragement. Our deep desire to change at all costs will continue to keep our eyes fixed and focused.
2. Overcomers will do whatever it takes.
If you are not “all-in,” the moment things get difficult, you will bail out. So you need to do a serious gut check to see, how badly do you want to experience change?
Every day, millions of people declare their desire to change and get free, but as soon as things get uncomfortable, they lose steam. A lot of Christianity has been trained to be lazy. We expect so much to come to us with very little sacrifice and effort on our part.
Jesus was constantly testing people to see if they had an “all-in” mindset for the Kingdom of God. He never sought to relieve people of the difficulties, but to upgrade the spiritual muscles of believers to walk with a greater tenacity.
When you are “all-in,” you will be less easily offended, therefore you won’t lose focus. If you have to wait longer than expected, pay a cost that stretched you or get way out of your comfort zone, it doesn’t matter. You are willing to do whatever it takes to experience all that God has for you and nothing will stop it.
3. Overcomers are humble.
The first two traits clear out many people who lack the passion and do not have the “all-in” attitude. Yet if you don’t have a humble heart, you won’t receive what you need to move forward.
Growth in the Kingdom of God is built on humility, which basically means:
- You are not defensive.
- You are willing to be vulnerable.
- God has permission to deal with any area of your heart.
You can tell if someone has a humble heart, simply by how they respond to correction.
If you are moving from teacher to teacher, mentor to mentor and still feel stuck, I wonder if you have really learned to humble your heart. Many times people remain stuck at their current level of humility.
True humility is not self-rejection, it’s a posture of the heart that recognizes your need to learn and grow. You are not beyond needing help and help is not going arrive on your terms. Humbling yourself under the might hand of God is your ticket to promotion, but it often involves humbling yourself before mentors and sticking with it, even when it gets uncomfortable.
4. Overcomers are teachable.
It’s amazing how we can live with a great deal of bondage, yet resist the teaching that comes our way. If you respond with defensiveness or a sense of “yeah I know that,” trust me, you will experience very little change.
This one separates the overcomers from those who never change. With every new level of freedom, you need a new level of thinking to go along with it. This often requires that you be taught new ways that you have not been practicing.
God will often bring teachers in your path that are needed to take you from where you are now, to where you need to go. But are you teachable? Do you posture yourself as someone who is always learning? If you position yourself as a student in every situation, you will learn everything you need to go to the next level. Too many people manifest a “know it all” attitude, when in reality, they need to close their mouths, humble their hearts and listen a whole lot more.
If you want to really grow and change, get a note pad out, ask good questions and listen. Then listen some more; because there are things you don’t know that you need to know.
5. Overcomers take action.
Modern Christianity has taken many classes and listened to plenty of teachings, but we have little fruit because we fail to take action.
If you want to experience maximum fruit from what you learn, develop an action step before you leave any learning environment. If you get coaching, don’t leave the conversation until you decide on an action step. As soon as you get insight that will help your journey, make an instant decision to take action. Don’t wait till you go home or another day, because you’ll forget and probably lose motivation.
When I teach anywhere, I often call people to decision. In that atmosphere, I will ask, “what’s the next step you need to take right now?” This causes us to be more responsible for what we learn. Without action, we will just have a lot of knowledge with very little fruit.