“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7
Warriors are glorious to God and deadly to the enemy – so our adversary’s goal is to try to get us to believe lies that will cause us to give up. We’ve identified a few common ones that many TWC members have reported overcoming.
A great question comes from Caroline Leafe: “Why are you thinking the thoughts you are thinking?” God wants to replace the lies behind our negative thoughts with His Truth and Life. Whether your transition is as a New Member or to a new Training Level – take time to think about your thinking and be sure that any of these lies are being displaced with Truth instead.
These are some of the common old mindsets that we get to displace with the Truth in TWC:
- “(Sigh) I can’t do all of this! I’m overwhelmed.”
- “Everyone else is getting this better than I am.”
- “If there’s a problem? Hide!”
- “If only I could receive direct mentoring….”
OLD MINDSET #1: I CAN’T DO ALL OF THIS!
TRUTH: YOU’RE RIGHT! YOUR ARE NOT EXPECTED TO DO ALL OF THIS AT THE SAME TIME. THIS COMMUNITY AND TRAINING IS DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITY AND CHOICE, NOT STRESS AND OVERWHELM.
TWC works through in invitational culture. That means you have an opportunity to seek God and choose the invitation God highlights. You can choose…God empowers your choice.
The lie is that you HAVE to do it all. The truth is the Warrior Commission buffet table is much too large to eat all at once, so it’s important to pace yourself.
This basic lie keeps our focus on the stuff and not on the Lord. Some of it comes from performance thinking: the more we do, the more valuable we are. But our value comes in who and Whose we are.
In much of our Church life, many of us have not had to make a great number of choices in our spirituality. Structured environments choose for us. The variety of choices actually help us learn how to walk more closely with God as we partner with Him through them. The power to choose is a foundation of freedom – and Jesus came to set captives free!
We designed TWC as a “buffet”. The core is the self-paced training modules and our Blueprint focus. If you are feeling pressure, take a minute to step back into abiding, refresh and ask God what you need to focus on as a priority right now. The other things will fall into place.
Because we want empowered warriors who take responsibility for their own brilliant life with God, we won’t rescue you from the challenge of choosing. It’s an opportunity for you to discover if this is an obstacle in your thinking and to practice overcoming.
And you will have the opportunity to believe that we really mean what we say.
TWC has different purposes for different people:
- For some people, TWC will be a primary Kingdom focus and a chief passion.
- For others, it will be an excellent support and environment for growth amongst other parts of their lives.
As long as you are pursuing your training at the pace the Lord leads you on, then you’re on track!
The training calls, engagement calls, warrior buddy groups, are all part of the mentoring potential that TWC carries through our veterans, coaches and members. Take a moment to connect with God, then decide with the Holy Spirit which of our excellent tools and opportunities you want to go after… and go after them!
OLD MINDSET #2: EVERYONE ELSE IS GETTING THIS BETTER (OR QUICKER) THAN I AM
TRUTH: EVERYONE DEVELOPS AT EXACTLY THEIR OWN PACE FOR THEIR UNIQUE RACE. COMPARISON IS NOT YOUR FRIEND.
Comparison thinking is the bane of our existence! Why? Because it takes our focus off of God’s plan for us and the mantel we each carry. It puts us into a less or more than mentality. The body of Christ is fantastic. You are part of that “fantastic.” What you carry and how you develop is unique and important to your journey and story.
You ARE as brilliant as any other member.
Comparison thinking is a thief meant to steal your joy and passion… and God does not do it – so neither should we. And if you do, stand back and consider: God brought you here. You are made for this. You are an important part of this organism we call TWC. God placed you here and without you, we are incomplete. He knows you are a piece to the warrior picture He is creating in this moment. And, He is developing the warrior in you, so expect to be stretched a bit!
We have a range of members from:
- rocket scientists to those who never finished high school
- hard-working moms and single dads
- intelligent folks who have overcome severe learning disabilities and educators of special needs children
- leaders of ministries, pastors and hidden gems in the body of Christ
- people who work 70 hours a week, retirees and students with jobs
- extroverts who are learning how to share the conversation and introverts for whom entering a conversation takes courage.
- those for whom English is a second language to English teachers
-Everyone has a different life situation.
-Everyone has unique gifts, skills, anointing and callings. Everyone has value.
-God is not comparing you to anyone else and neither are we. You’ll have the opportunity to choose to believe in your value and voice. We treasure it and hope you will share it with all of us.
OLD MINDSET #3: IF THERE’S A PROBLEM? HIDE!
TRUTH: “PROBLEMS” ARE GOD’S OPPORTUNITY TO TURN SOMETHING INTO A “POSSIBILITY.” CONNECTING WITH OTHERS FUELS POSSIBILITIES.
Problems are a part of life. We will face them and they will pop up whether we look for them or not. We can’t ignore them or hope they will go away. As we learn to live the lifestyle of a warrior, we learn to see those problems differently. They are real. They will require something from us as we navigate them.
Problems often provide a wonderful opportunity for God to gently place His finger on an area of growth or healing. That is part of the possibility we begin to discover. Those problems actually open space for us to explore the endless possibilities we have with a limitless God. We get to see the majesty of God and often discover the upgrade available for us in the middle of it.
If you feel you are stuck in your training or intel, contact one of your Training Coaches through our email at twc.warriorepic@gmail.com. Our process often causes “missing pieces” in our experience with God to become evident. That’s GOOD news! Now you get to see Who God plans to be for you in that place.
Remember: There is both “overt” training and “covert” training in TWC because it is a process, not a program.
- “Overt” training is what’s written on the paper. It is what is seen in the day to day.
- “Covert” training comes through the real life scenarios that allow us to encounter, experience, behold and become what we are learning about. In other words, we become covert operatives as we practice and live out what we have learned. As we do, we shift from a conscious thought of how to do this, to a lifestyle of doing it as a natural part of who we are.
Your “problem” is a fabulous real-world “possibility” for practicing the Kingdom perspective we’re all on a journey to come up higher into.
OLD MINDSET #4 – “IF ONLY I COULD RECEIVE DIRECT MENTORING….”
TRUTH: GROUP MENTORING IS BETTER!
Why? In group mentoring you get to draw from multiple people with a myriad of experiences and knowledge. The synergy that comes on a call can build as one shares and another adds to it. Often, one point triggers a reminder of God’s hand moving in your life that you may have forgotten. In addition, the trainer has the opportunity to be inspired through the conversations and maintains a stance of learning, not just pouring out. The whole group rises together.
If we remember that God is actually the One mentoring us, we get to share those nuggets with each other and find a synergy that comes through the collective wisdom each person adds to the conversations. You have a part to share and so does everyone else in that conversation. God brought each one to that conversation (whether on the Forum, on Warrior calls or face to face) and each one carries gems of promise, upgrade, revelation and purpose.
If, however, you have a question or need clarification, you know our coaches are joyfully expectant to connect to you through the email (see above) as you ask your question.
