Forward Thinking: Die Empty

“I want to challenge every Kenyan to go to the cemetery and disappoint the graveyard. Die like the Apostle Paul who said I have finished my course, I have kept the faith and I have been poured out like a drink offering. There is nothing left. I am ready to die. That’s how I want to die because there is nothing else for me left to die,” ~ Dr. Myles Munroe

“When you die, die like I am planning to die. Empty. It’s finished,” ~ Dr. Myles Munroe

Forward Thinkers, on Sunday, November 9, 2014 the private jet carrying Dr. Myles Munroe crashed in the Bahamas and Dr. Munroe, his wife Ruth, along with the other seven passengers aboard were killed.

Forward Thinkers, Dr. Myles Munroe was the senior pastor of Bahamas Faith Ministries International Fellowship.

Forward Thinkers, today in the Forward Thinking article we will pay tribute to the life and ministry of Dr. Myles Munroe and I pray my tribute will bless you the way his life blessed me.

“The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.” – Myles Munroe

Forward Thinkers, we often talk about finding our God given purpose in life because until we discover why we are alive, we can never really begin to live. Forward Thinkers, today I challenge you to discover your purpose and commit to living it out to the fullest.

Forward Thinkers, I’ll never forget the story of the baby eagle left in the nest of a bunch of baby turkeys. The little eagle would spend its time walking around like a turkey and digging in the dirt for food like a turkey. The eagle like many of us was living his life below his God-given purpose until one day he looked up in the sky and saw a giant eagle flying above with such grace and power and the little eagle declared: I want to fly like that also. Forward Thinkers, once the eagle discovered its purpose for being here was not to be a turkey but to soar like an eagle, his life took off.

Forward Thinkers, we must stop allowing our environment to stop us from discovering our purpose and once we discover our purpose we must soar in it for the rest of our lives.

“People generally fall into one of three groups: the few who make things happen, the many who watch things happen, and the overwhelming majorities who have no notion of what happens. Every person is either a creator of fact or a creature of circumstance. He either puts color into his environment, or, like a chameleon, takes color from his environment.” ― Myles Munroe, “Understanding Your Potential”

Forward Thinkers, when we were born, God put unlimited potential inside us and this season of your life I challenge you to strive to reach your full potential. Forward Thinkers, do you remember in the bible that daily Goliath the giant would intimidate the Israelite soldiers and they would flee in fear believing they were not able to defeat the giant?

Forward Thinkers, David was not intimidated by the giant but David made his mind up he was going to defeat the giant and today I challenge you to face all the giants in your life and commit to defeating them.

Forward Thinkers, at some point we must stop watching and complaining and rise to the occasion by taking action to overcome every giant in our way of reaching our full potential.

“We are a sum total of what we have learned from all who have taught us, both great and small.” – Myles Munroe, “Understanding Your Potential”

Forward Thinkers, the bible reminds us all things work together for the good and I believe like Dr. Munroe, there are lessons to be learned from every situation we face in life. Forward Thinkers, this year I taught a series called “Fall Forward” and the main thought of the series was that no matter what we face in life we can choose to use it as a learning lab and move forward or we can choose to allow it to defeat us.

Forward Thinkers, we must not forget in life we need both the positive and the negative to reach our full potential; therefore, we must not allow the negative to hold us in bondage but use every negative as a spring board to our full potential.

“God’s love sets us free from the need to seek approval. Knowing that we are loved by God, accepted by God, approved by God, and that we are new creations in Christ empowers us to reject self-rejection and embrace a healthy self-love. Being secure in God’s love for us, our love for Him, and our love for ourselves, prepares us to fulfill the second greatest commandment: To love our neighbor as ourselves.” ― Myles Munroe, “The Purpose and Power of Love & Marriage“

Forward Thinkers, I often say the greatest freedom is the freedom from the opinions of others and Dr. Munroe clearly states in a relationship we must focus on the fact God has approved us without the consent of others.

Forward Thinkers, in order for us to love others the way God has commanded us to love we must first believe that God loves us unconditionally and God designed us without getting the approval of others.

Forward Thinkers, in order to operate in a healthy relationship with others we must first have a healthy relationship with God and our selves.

Forward Thinkers, I pray this tribute to Dr. Myles Munroe has been a blessing to you and has inspired you to live your life to the fullest and you will join me in my commitment to honor Dr. Munroe by dying empty.

Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church located, 16711 Ella Blvd. Houston, Texas, 77090. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com or the church website http://www.ghic.net.