I find that my criticism is a persistent little pest. It crept up, without hesitation, too many times today. It’s apparent to me that my pride isn’t just going to go away, I’m going to have to work through it. Let’s start with…

Work

I’m a business owner. The company is now in it’s third year after celebrating the two-year mark on July 1, 2008. While this is a success in and of itself, about every three-to-four months, I get in a funk. And when I say a funk, I mean that I’m moody, dissatisfied and generally frustrated…with a lot of things. This is prime time for my criticism to step in. For some reason, it feels justified.

After going through three notable funks, I’ve only been able to conclude that I want what the “successful” guys have. I look at the “Top 30 under 30″ and my name isn’t there. I look at guys who are “making their mark” and wonder why I’m spinning my wheels. I look for “inspiration” from their blogs or the “top” whatever lists and stir in my frustration that I’m not doing a thing to reach this level. The cycle of jealously is a never ending circle that I jump into with both feet in hopes that it will spur me on to even more success. But, it never satisfies. I still get funky.

The other day, a guy stopped by my office to do some freelance work for us. After chatting a bit, I questioned his rates. I told him that he was undervaluing himself and that he needed to raise his rates. He reacted by saying, “how can I raise my rates if I’m not getting the opportunity to send a quote?”

After he left, my thoughts were arrested. How could I be so … ungrateful. At Motiveight, is seems like we are always tracking down new opportunities. Even recently, we’ve been fortunate to submit proposals to great companies like Inspiration Networks, CompuPay, Willow Creek Association and others. It was then that I realized that this guy would kill to be in my shoes and here I sat ungrateful because I don’t have what these other “successful” guys have.

CS Lewis says, “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.”

OUCH!

The more I search, the more I find that pride and joy are mutually exclusive. If I want one, I have to give up the other.

In 2002, my wife and I relocated to Orlando, FL to be part of the launch team for Relevant Media Group. There, I spent 4.5 years targeting, reaching and retaining the 18-34 demographic. It wasn’t easy, but it was fun and challenging. It was there that I was awakened to one of my primary goals in life; pointing my generation back to Christ.

Barna Group reported in 2003 that an alarming 58% of twentysomethings who were active church-goers as teenagers will no longer be active in a church by their 30th birthday (Barna 2003). This has been and still is, the fuel for the above mentioned goal. It is my desire that if/when Barna does this same study again that number decreases to less than 50%. Consider this one of my “big hairy audacious goals!”

A couple of weeks ago, Motiveight took on a new client that has me turning my focus to the 18-34 demographic again. This opportunity has re-awakened my “BHAG.”

One of the major advantages I have, this time around, is access to a plethora of statistics and research. The project that we are embarking on is for the long haul. Given that, I thought that I would document here what the current pulse of the 18-34 demo is according to recent MRI reports. Here’s what we can expect from this group:

• They are more likely, than the average, to be “very liberal” and less likely to be “very conservative.”
• Only 25% of them vote
• They not very interested in environmental causes
• They like to watch: Adult Swim (#1), BET, Comedy Central, MTV, TBS, TLC and VH-1, to name a few. They are less likely to watch the news and weather
• They are less likely to feel that there is too much sex on TV
• They love to show off (rated ridiculously high on this one—almost 2x more likely than the average American)
• They consider themselves more fashionable than others
• They love concerts, clubs/bars, chess (who would have thought!), billiards, dancing, electronic games, video games (#1), karaoke, comic books and fantasy sports leagues (#2)
• They don’t like: birdwatching (can you blame them), attending classical/opera performances, woodworking, book clubs, or live theater
• Favorite sites: Wikipedia, MTV.com, ticketmaster, Monster.com, Yahoo news, Amazon.com eBay, Facebook (#1), Myspace and YouTube

Regarding Religion:

• They are less likely to believe in creationism, believe the Bible literally, give to religious organizations or to support prayer in schools

It’s safe to say that this information isn’t too surprising. However, if you’re interested in the 18-34 demo like I am, the journey ahead is going to require unparalleled creativity and wisdom. This generation will not give room for copycats. We have no choice but to be fresh, provoking and revolutionaries.

Are you surprised by what you just read?

Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit distant form the corporate spiritual climate in our city and church. I’m not talking about feeling disconnected to friends or the vision, but the passion and drive that pushes you from observation to activation. That’s been missing. It’s lack has been bugging me for quite some time…until today.

This morning at church, our pastor,Dale Evrist, gave a prophetic word that nailed me to the core. He said:

There is a deception of being overwhelmed that’s purpose is to isolate you from what God is doing in and around. It’s a lie and we can’t give Satan room with it.

Ever have one of those moments where you aren’t quite sure how to describe what you’re feeling but someone says something and it wraps it up perfectly? Yeah, when he said that today, I was convicted. That was me. Key phrase, WAS.

Interestingly, one of the definitions that dictionary.com uses to define “overwhelmed” is:

To defeat completely and decisively:

DEFEAT! Who knew that when I was talking about being overwhelmed, I was actually declaring that I’ve been defeated. There’s power in my words and I too often declare that I’m “overwhelmed.” Now it’s clear to me why this is a deception. Jesus promises to give us everything we need. In fact, His grace is sufficient for today.

But this doesn’t stop with my spiritual pursuit. I find that I used my business, our transition, Britt’Knee’s story and arrival (or lack thereof), social calendar…just about everything to isolate me from participating in personal and corporate worship. Those things that bring me closer to Jesus and closer to people who will help me along my journey. What a crock Satan has had on me.

Note that the definition said decisively. Or better defined, calculated and on purpose. These things aren’t just flippant distractions. They are calculated and deliberate based on what Satan knows will distract me. You see, I know me best and I can tell you that all of my excuses are things that i care deeply about, but my perspective on them has been focused too much on how they affect me, rather than being focused on how those things play into God’s bigger plan and strategy.

Today, I’ve had to repent of my frequent verbal declarations of defeat. I am no longer defeated, I win. Just read the back of the Book.