Welcome Thrivers to Day 1 of your 21 Day Thriver Series…

I’m thrilled to be go on this journey with you, and I’m prayerful that you will find our time together both empowering and inspiring.

For our first workshop, I want to talk about the meaning of Thriver and why thriving is not a condition but rather a position. When we think of thriving as a position, and not a condition, we’re able to understand that thriving is not dependent on what’s happening. Our condition, or current state, tells us what’s happening but thriving is based on a state of mind, a position, that is informed by our faith.

“…for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11)

Have you experienced a trauma, struggle, setback or challenge in life that overwhelmed you? That’s your condition. Our condition can feel or seem impossible to overcome but what we know through wisdom and faith is that our condition is both temporary and temporarily. Let me explain: temporary indicates something is not meant to last forever. Temporarily indicates that something is being done or exists in a way that isn’t permanent. In other words,  our position tells us, in any condition, that our circumstances are temporary because something is being done in heaven and can be done by us that will change our condition.

This is critical because when we are ready to throw in the towel, count ourselves out or believe that our present circumstances are impossible to overcome, we have to draw on the wisdom of our position: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Understand the significance of this wisdom…if what has been done will be done again, that means every mountain we face has been faced before and every victory that we face has already been won. In our condition, we are not defeated we are temporarily without the knowledge or understanding of what can be done to be victorious.

Don’t get me wrong, conditions can and do overwhelm us, especially when we have no experience in the area or with climbing that particular mountain. Anybody who says otherwise is kidding themselves or they’ve never been through the crushing that comes from life experiences.

Think about this scripture and ask yourself what this means to you: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Did you notice that this scripture didn’t say, “You will overcome”?  It says, “You have overcome” – past tense. This is what it means to use the wisdom of our position or a thriver mindset in the midst of our trials. What about, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Did you notice it said, “In all these things we are…,” not “we will be” more than conquerors? Just meditate on those two scriptures and allow yourself to rethink limiting beliefs, or rephrase statements that don’t agree with the wisdom of your position, your power, the thriver in you.

Some believe that thriving is the result of winning or implies that we’re beyond the point of our trial, turmoil or struggle. That’s not true. That’s actually what causes us to associate thriving with a result as opposed to a mindset. If thriving requires us to cross the finish line as opposed to adopting a mindset, then we can never thrive until we’ve arrived. Think about that…and listen to what  the Apostle Paul said: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). A thriver mindset isn’t conditional or based on arrival, it’s based on what we believe.

The thriver in you is your position…the immovable, unchangeable position that defines who you are and what you believe according to your faith, regardless of what’s happening. Just like your birth name is the same regardless of what you’re going through, so is your divine position…conqueror. Conditions don’t change who we are or our position, they define what we experiencing in the moment. Our position tells us that our condition cannot and will not define us, stop us or defeat us, because nothing is new under the sun.

As we conclude the first lesson in our workshop, I want to challenge you with this story about Abraham. Make sure that you are somewhere quiet so that you can fully appreciate what happened in this passage — that is often missed. It’s critical to understanding the thriver mindset, and the power of a thrivers’ position.

The bible tells us that Abraham was in the struggle of a lifetime. He was faced with an unthinkable, unimaginable condition…the burden of having to sacrifice his child Isaac. You would think that Abraham would have been consumed by his fateful condition. He had every right to be. Haven’t you experienced a difficult decision or been faced with what seemed like an impossible, inescapable nightmare? If you have, you can attest to the fact that in that moment, the last thing we “feel” like is a thriver, a conqueror, confident or determined. If you’ve not felt like a thriver in the midst of a struggle, difficulty or a valley, you’re not alone. And that’s why we have to understand what being a thriver means. It’s not a feeling, it’s a belief.

Listen to what Abraham said right before he was to sacrifice Isaac:  “Abraham said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you‘” (Genesis 22:5). What stands out to you about Abrahams statement — before even going over to the place where he was to sacrifice Isaac? Reread the passage slowly to see if you hear the phrase that represents the thriver mindset. Faced with one of the most terrifying, unthinkable trials that anyone could be faced with, Abraham said, “...I and the boy will go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham said, in effect, “My condition does not determine or overrule my position; I will have the victory, I will not fail, I will not be defeated, I will not lose. And even though I will be nervous and afraid, hurt and angry, I will go over there, worship — in spirit and in truth, and I will be back!” Can you hear the boldness of Abraham’s position? Jesus tells us that we are not immune to trials, struggles, difficulties or crushing: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Conditions will come and no matter what we feel, we must tap into the power of what we know to be true.

I can tell you that when you are going through life’s tribulations, surround yourself with people who have tribulation experience. Surround yourself with people who can sharpen you, not add more weight to your struggle. Surround yourself with people who are not just saved by the blood but who are not afraid of the sight of blood. When you have to fight, you need warriors around you to inspire your position, not people who aggravate your condition.

Listen to what Jesus said to Peter before his sifting: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (22:21-32). Do you see the similarity in what Jesus said to Peter and what Abraham said?  Peter is getting ready to be sifted but before he is, Jesus says, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” It’s the “When you have turned back” part that we have to pay attention to. Jesus was speaking to the thriver in Peter. Jesus was saying, “If you keep your thriver mindset, through faith, you will be back.” You see, being a thriver doesn’t mean we won’t go through things in life, it means that with a thriver mindset, we will be back!

To begin our 21-Day thriver journey, I want you to take the next two days — before our next big challenge, to fully embrace what it means to have a thriver mindset, and why a thriver mindset is important in life and in significant relationships. The thriver mindset is at the core of everything that we will be focused on and using for breakthrough after breakthrough over the next 21 days. Whether we are faced with a toxic relationship, betrayal, trauma, major life change, healing and recovery, or navigating the struggles in life, the thriver mindset has to be fed, affirmed and celebrated for it to serve us in our condition.

In every battle, situation or circumstance, we must remember the importance of this: “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). Wisdom comes from our position to overcome, navigate and manage our condition. The term is use for this is called, “S.G.A.P.” or Seek, Get, Apply and Practice. In other words, when we are faced with a new challenge, an unfamiliar test, an overwhelming condition or a challenging season, we must trust that there is nothing new under the sun, and then seek wisdom, get wisdom, apply wisdom and practice wisdom to keep our temporary condition from overriding our position.

Until next time, be blessed.

Patrick

Download Thriver Workbooks

Elevate with Patrick Group Members, download your 21 Day Thriver Series eBook Workbooks.