Occupy In Your C.R.E.A.T.I.O.N

¹¹ Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. ¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 

Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)

We are on a journey to materializing our wholesome and healthy “it”.  “It” can be the network that you don’t have, that you need to secure that next job or organizational role.  “It” can be the collection of advocates who need to vocalize support for you in rooms that you don’t inhabit. “It” can be the actual opportunity to actualize your potential or show what you can do.  “It” can be a boundary that you need to establish to keep yourself safe.  Whatever “it” is, if non-existent, you can create “it” using the C.R.E.A.T.I.O.N. framework.

Recall the elements of C.R.E.A.T.I.O.N. framework as shown below.

As we continue this journey of creating the wholesome “it” that we desire for ourselves, we have done the following:

1. We have defined the CONTEXT of our situation, recognizing that things are neither ALL good nor bad, but a mixture of states. We have labelled out “it” and hopefully shared it with others. We have reflected on the future benefits we foresee receiving and the negative present circumstances we are experiencing (as a result of not having “it”).  Our “it” may be related to our relationships, careers, personal comfort, personal characteristics, social connectedness, financial security etc. “It” can be any wholesome longing that we have that is currently not in our grasp.
2. We engaged our RATIONAL mind to reflect on the feelings and thoughts we have about our current circumstance and perception of the future. Feelings are expressed using the sentence stem “I feel…” and involve some aspect of the emotional states of sadness, happiness, surprise, anger, disgust, fear and shame/guilt.  Thoughts are expressed using the sentence stems “I am…”, “You are…”, “He/she/it is…”, “We are…” and “They are…”.  These capture our perception of how our characteristics and those of others (or the environment) intersect with our current circumstance and the feasibility of achieving our “it”.
3. We extracted the thoughts we identified and conducted an EXERCISE in judgment to create separation between thoughts we can do something about and those that we can’t. Additionally, for those thoughts associated with things within our control, we identified the ACTIONS that we need to take address the thought.  If my “it” is to create a broader professional network, then one thought I may have is “I am not interesting.  No one will want to connect with me.”  An action to address this thought might be to challenge this thought with feedback from a trusted colleague, friend or partner.
4. We consulted with trusted others to determine the proper TIMING and content of our action plan. We recognized that the enemies of proper timing are impulse and inertia.  We ensured that access to experienced counsel and sage advice helped us to formulate the correct sequence and content of events.  We exercised appreciation of the finiteness of the resource of time and we committed to not waste it.
5. We used prayer to INCLUDE God in the alteration and optimization of our quest. We recognized the specific struggle associated with this inclusion, namely the acceptance of God’s sovereignty over all things and his ability to manifest himself in spite of our doubts and presumed inabilities to communicate (with him).

This brings us to the next step in our C.R.E.A.T.I.O.N journey:

 Genesis 1:24-31 ²⁴ And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. ²⁵ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Simply put, even though our future is still in the making, we must take stock of our present.  We must inventory the nature of the current opportunities we have (no matter how limited) and seek to maximize our application within them.  At one point in my career, while in between corporate roles, I recognized that my best effort with my less-than-ideal situation would somehow be relevant for what God was preparing.  I applied myself as best as I could.  I made connections with others whom I had not interacted with before.  I developed ways of communicating I had not utilized in the past.  I refined my “elevator pitch” and gave it at every opportunity.  I envisioned what I wanted and used my mind’s eye to connect it with what I was doing in the present.  I sought encouragement and mentorship from others and grew my courage for self-advocacy.  I developed the skills to advocate for others and worked on honing my own identity, working to improve the way I managed my boundaries.  I allowed disappointment to have its limited time.  I grieved the loss of what I thought would be…but I chose not to lie down and die!  For many demonstrated withdrawal is a form of protest against what might seem to be an unfair decision that results in disappointment and pain.  Although this is absolutely understandable, the only person who loses is the individual.  The world soon moves on.  In Genesis 1:28, God instructs mankind to “be fruitful and increase in number…”  We have the ability to produce in whatever situation we find ourselves in.  We just need the positive encouragement of community.

Discussion Questions:

1. Even if not ideal, what opportunity/opportunities do you currently have?

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2. What is one thing you can do to realize this opportunity?

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3. Who is one person you can depend on to encourage you in this opportunity?

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