SOAR

A little bird fell to the ground, but it was not harmed. Soon, a larger bird swooped down and picked the little one up, carrying it back to the place where it would try again. After several attempts, the little bird began to fly and then, to soar. You have witnessed a miracle, the kind that happens every day.

The little creature didn't know any better than to keep at it.

Here is an acronym to remind you to SOAR above the circumstances of your life, the babbling murmurs of your critics, and the nagging indictments of your sinister accuser who slivered through the garden and now creeps into your consciousness to keep you earthbound.

• Your circumstances are real, but it is not their purpose or prerogative to determine the course of your life or drive your direction.
• Your critics are real as well, but they don't know what you know and they don't have your heart. They are stuck and would like for you to stay stuck with them.
• Your accuser is Satan and he will do everything he can to demoralize and debilitate you so that you will not achieve your potential or live your God-given call.

You can and must soar above these.

Soar above it all and remember four words today that will launch you from the pad where you have anchored yourself:

S = SUCCESS - Success is movement toward a goal or objective that is worthy of your time, effort, energy, and commitment. It is taking more steps forward than backward. It is seeing the vision and moving resolutely toward it. It is progress. Progress makes us soar. As long as you are moving forward, you will catch a current that moves you more decisively toward success. Psalm 118:25 says, "O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success."  You have a powerful ally in your quest for success.

• Pray for it.
• Believe it is possible.
• Celebrate it in increments, small victories and large.

O = OBJECTIVE - Your objective, goal, or vision is that picture of an outcome that dominates, motivates, and even aggravates. it demands your time and attention and gets you up and going in the morning. Paul talked about forgetting everything else except the goal of the prize set before him. He wrote about having a goal of pleasing God, a goal of love, and a goal that is too big for human effort alone. There is an objective on your heart that will cause you to soar if you allow it to. No plane takes off without a destination in mind. What is yours?

There are seven instances of the word, "goal" in the scripture (New International Version):

1. Luke 13:32 - He replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' 
2. 2 Corinthians 5:9 - So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 
   
3. Galatians 3:3 - Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 
   
4. Philippians 3:12 - [ Pressing on Toward the Goal ] Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 
5. Philippians 3:14 - I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  
   
6. 1 Timothy 1:5 - The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  
   
7. 1 Peter 1:9 - for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

• Make it your primary objective to please God. Then seek His vision/dream/goals for your life.
• Keep love at the center of  all your objectives - love for God and love for others.
• Make sure your objectives are always greater than your ability to accomplish them without God. Set yourself up so that you must depend upon the Holy Spirit.

A = ACTION - Actions follow attitudes, but they are ultimately indispensable. You must take action to move yourself toward your objectives. Progress depends. on doing something to move yourself along. You cannot measure a good thought or a positive attitude, but you can tell if one is present by the behaviors that result. Do something measurable today, something that is visible and positive and directly related to what you are trying to accomplish. Actions propel you to flight and in flight, you will soar.

• Create a set of action plans.
• Write them down.
• Read them.
• Divide them into incremental tasks.
• Check them off as you do them.
• Reward yourself for actions with a pat on the back.
• Do something every day to move toward your goals even  if you don't feel like it - at least something!

R = REJOICE - There is a thrill in flying that makes the heart sing. The heart soars before anything else. Anticipate the thrill of success. Live the wonder of soaring before you leave the ground. Rejoice in the prospects that your future holds. Laugh before you hear the joke; smile before anyone else does; sing before the orchestra receives the downbeat; rejoice for the daybreak while it is still dark. Let your rejoicing precede your reality and help shape that reality.

Rejoicing is more than  just a positive attitude. It is a witness of faith in the One who is real even when we cannot see Him working. He is faithful and He is the One for whom we are living, dreaming, and moving toward success. Our soaring is an act of worship toward Him.

Philippians 4:4 says: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Today, you may soar if you believe you can. First, you must be grounded in a purpose that defines your success and move toward it in faith, hope, and commitment.  Second, you must define and dedicate yourself to certain objectives that are part of the BIG DREAM for your life that the "Dream Giver" has planted in your heart. Then you must takes positive, daily actions that are calculated to advance those objectives. Finally, and actually,m first. you must rejoice in the unrealized reality of flight. Shout for joy as if the soaring had already begun and you were flying over all of your trials, critics, and accusers.

You are ready to soar!