Welcome to Waymaker Church! We are so excited to have you join us today! We exist to Encounter, Live for, and Advance the Kingdom of God!

In the series we have looked at:
• Living in agreement with the kingdom of God and not prevailing culture.
• Critics live at the expense of others. Front row leaders pay the price of discipleship.
• The power of your testimony. Having good reputation and character.
• To develop good testimony, we will have to be consistent and disciplined over time.
• That Jesus has called us to be Salt and Light. To do this we need the anointing of the Spirit.

These are critical elements of the believer’s life, but by their is another element to leading from the front row. To lead effectively you will need to know yourself. Behind front row leadership and kingdom potential is a person.

Today we will take a moment to unpack our humanity because impact, leadership, and potential are tied directly to the person. We will also look at healthy self care.

How do we define a person?
A person is more than a name and date of birth. The make up of a person is a set of characteristics that encompass identity, self-awareness, awareness of others, emotions, self-determination, and a rational nature.

We are uniquely created by God with varying temperaments that have strengths and weaknesses. We are born into families that have varying characteristics, mindsets, and values. These characteristics, mindsets, and values lead us into experiences.

The culmination of these experiences has an impact on the formation of our identity. Which in turn effects our soul which is made up of our mind, will, and emotions.

Through childhood a person typically develops the basic functions for life.
From various motor skills, emotional development, communication, and morals. Each of these experiences impact ways of thinking and acting.

They define much of what we express, friendships we create, along with hobbies, dreams, and goals for life. Over time friendships are strengthened or fail, goals and dreams are achieved, changed, or hindered. In all these dimensions a person experiences various emotion.
Life will bring setbacks and defeats along with victories and triumph. With setbacks we can become frustrated or discouraged. In defeat we can confronted with fear or doubt. In victory we can find joy and happiness.

All these inputs influence the characteristics that make up the person. Therefore, it is important to take the time to learn and understand yourself. We can’t maximize our God given potential without first being aware of how were wired. Simple questions like:

• What fuels you and what drains you?
• What God given passions do you have?
• How do you handle stress and frustration?
• How do you approach correction?
• How do you handle your emotions?

Becoming aware of our makeup is not only a key to leading effectively from the front, but it is a huge component of good self-leadership. Life will not be free from difficulties or challenges, and we must learn how to navigate them in a healthy way.

A major challenge right now in our nation and around the world is the subject of mental health and self-care. Many people are crippled with anxiety, fear, and depression are struggling to find their way out. While this may seem like a new epidemic to hit mankind it isn’t.
Generations of people before us have experienced and walked through the same things. Maybe modern culture elevates stressors, but they have always been there. Let me give you a few examples.

1. Moses: was afraid and self-critical.

Their stories reveal the similarity of humanity. Each of these men struggled in areas of their lives, but they also did great things for God! Today take courage! It is possible to live and healthy and have impact. God is not afraid of our humanity and has given us tools to be successful.

God has given us wisdom to become healthy spirit, soul, and body. Man’s all is to labor for the kingdom and enjoy life.

Healthy self-care is demonstrated in one finding the proper amount of rest, refreshment, and labor. It is not intended to become self-indulgence and selfishness. It is possible to labor for the kingdom and enjoy life. We simply have to take the time to learn how to do it. Healthy people have healthy habits.

For example:
• To be a healthy family it will require healthy people. If we live without margin in a constant state of chaos, we will not be healthy as a family. We will have to find the right rhythms.
• To be healthy single parent you will have to be intentional. In scheduling and busyness, finding rest and refreshment when it’s all on you. If not, you may find yourself on empty.
• To be a healthy individual you won’t be able to say yes to everything. You are not a machine. Developing intentionality to know your purpose and pleasure will take time. Learning to say no to good things so you can say yes to the best things.
• To be healthy in your marriage you will have to develop good communication, set aside time to invest in one another, develop consistent rhythms of intimacy (emotional, spiritual, and physical).
• To be a healthy teen or young adult you will need to develop a grounded perspective of life and healthy expectations. Diligently guard the inputs of your life that are creating and shaping your identity.

The goal in self-care is for us to learn how to refresh ourselves without becoming consumed with ourselves or burnt out.

We have to manage the tension between self-care and advancement. If it is all work and no play you will end up weary, depressed, and burnt out. If it is all self-care and no work you will end up self-centered, lazy, and unproductive.

The goal is to love and enjoy life while advancing the kingdom. To do this we will need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Every life is different. Our internal make and drive is different. We will need the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us.

He has the answers we just simply need to ask, seek, and knock.