Grow for It!

By Janice L. Anderson

Many leaders fail to expand their reach not because they lack the ability to do so but because they lack the availability. Often, this lack of availability is masked by what I like to call a case of the “not enough”s:

Not enough time.

Not enough money.

Not enough influence or connections.

Not enough information.

And so on. The truth, however, is this—to be available for any endeavor in life is simply a matter of decision and will; it’s a choice. For many leaders, the lack of understanding what it means to expand, why it is necessary to expand and what it takes to expand has caused them to numb their minds and hearts to the possibility of growing beyond where they are today.

If this is your mode of operation, I want to challenge you to see this for exactly what it is—leading from a place of distorted perception. More plainly stated, you are making decisions from a place of deception. Let’s expose and dispel the myths that may be keeping you from making the impact you were created to make on the world around you. 

And while we are at it, let’s call these distortions what they are: lies. Here are seven lies that leave us stuck where we are countered by seven truths that create environments conducive to growth:

LIE #1: “Expansion is not for me. I have no desire for a big [fill in the blank]. I just want to do what God told me to do.”

Expansion is not only for businesses, megachurches and those desirous of fame and fortune; expansion is mandatory for every believer. If you’re a writer who can encourage, liberate, educate and inform, then it is your duty to share this gift with as many as will read. If you are an attorney who can make the complex nature of societal mandates and policies plain so that justice, liberty and freedom prevail, it is your divine responsibility to make sure as many people as possible experience this excellence of God through your work.

Your gifts, talents, skills and abilities were not given to you to be safely stored and shared only among your family, friends and those with whom you feel comfortable. Part of the evidence that God is with you and you are one with him is that your life and everything that you are a part of produces fruit. “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8 NASB).

TRUTH #1: Expansion is your divine responsibility.  

LIE #2: “I’m not ready. No, not yet!”

Expansion is not something you do. At its core, expansion is about who you are becoming. The idea, When I get all of my ducks in a row, I will make a move, is a paralyzing thought rooted in fear. You have been created, called and equipped by God since the day you were born to be and do something remarkable. Neither you nor I will ever have it all together. However, we do have everything we need within us to take our next step.

To choose to expand your reach is to choose to follow God’s divine plan for your life. No matter who you are or where you are, expansion is your next step. “I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; and if you run, you will not stumble” (Proverbs 4:11-12 NASB).

TRUTH #2: Expansion is your next step.

LIE #3: “Expansion will cost me too much.”

When faced with the idea of expanding their reach, many people fear the perceptions of others, loss of self and even greater—losing sight of God. In addition, the fear of not having enough time, money or resources to devote to the things that matter keeps many stuck in a place of complacency and stagnation.

Expansion, according to the plan God has for your life, will cost you, but it will not leave you empty-handed. Expansion pursued and performed God’s way leads to joy, fulfillment and prosperity. The true cost of your expansion journey is your commitment not to the job but to the God of the job.

“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do” (2 Corinthians 9:8 TPT).

TRUTH #3: Expansion will cost you. However, when you do God’s work God’s way, it will never cost you more than what he will and is able to provide.

LIE #4: “I am not as good as [fill in the blank].”

Your gifts and calling were not given at the expense of your neighbor. We each are custom-created and uniquely graced with all we need to fulfill God’s plan for our lives here on earth. When you compare your gifts, talents and your unique expression of God’s grace to those around you, you say to him, “What you have given me is insufficient.”

In essence, you are saying, “I am not enough.” To believe that you are not enough is to believe that God is not enough. “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works” (Psalm 139:14 KJV).

TRUTH #4: Expansion will not require you to become anyone other than who God created you to be.

LIE #5: “If expansion is meant to be, it will just happen.”

You will not reach more people with your message or mission by chance, happenstance or wishful thinking. Expanding your reach is a direct result of consistently taking intentional action steps. Independent of corresponding action steps, no amount of prayer, praise, Scripture reading and unrelenting hope will cause you to expand your reach.

Faith-filled action designed to lead to expansion is the only way for you to reach more people with your message and your mission. “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4 NASB).

TRUTH #5: Expansion requires action.

LIE #6: “If I expand, I will be rejected, ridiculed or exposed.”

This belief is actually not a lie. It has been my experience throughout my 30-plus years of serving alongside leaders who are brave enough to diligently carry out their God-given assignments that there are naysayers, critics and skeptics lurking on the sidelines. Rejection is to be expected, not feared.

May the sound of those who oppose your work be drowned out by the voice of the one who chose you for the work. After all, it is his work. When put in the proper perspective, you’ll realize expansion has nothing to do with you. Expansion is a by-product of God’s desire to express himself freely and abundantly through you. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25 NASB).

TRUTH #6: Expansion is not about you.

LIE #7: “I tried. I failed. Expansion is not meant for me.”

Fear of failure keeps many from ever starting. But fear of failing again keeps many from ever dreaming. I once read, “When you stop dreaming, you start settling.” Improperly processed, failure can lead to settling.

This expansion journey is not easy. Failing is a recurring part of the process. You will have seasons when it seems that no one sees you, no one accepts you and no one shows up for you. And in those seasons, remember this, God has promised to never leave you. He has promised to never forsake you. By his very nature and essence, he is always there with you. 

And when it doesn’t work out as you expect, you can put your confidence in this—God has a higher plan, and his plans always work out in your favor. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).

TRUTH #7: Your expansion journey will include moments of failure. They will pass; keep going. 

Expansion far exceeds a bigger building, more land, more members, more clients and more money. To expand, according to dictionary.com, is “to express in fuller and greater detail, to influence.” When we expand, we allow God to be expressed in fuller and greater detail. Therefore, my life’s mantra has become: “Expanding your reach is not optional; it is mandatory. Failure to expand is not modest; it’s selfish. When you fail to expand, you deny others the opportunity to experience God through you.”

Adapted from Expand Your Reach Without Emptying Your Pockets: Build, Brand and Expand Your Brand.