One MoreStepWhat to do when you need energy and motivation

00:10Life is not a lecture, it's a set of lessons

Hey, I am Dr. Gian. Life is not a lecture, it's a set of lessons. Pull up a chair. Let's talk about how to live them.

00:30"I need strength and I need it now"

I need strength and I need it now. Please God, help me.

00:37Life is not a straight line

Life is not a straight line. Sometimes it feels more like a maze. You walk, you turn, you keep moving forward and somehow you end up right back where you started. You look around and think, "How did I get here again?" You don't even understand how it happened. The path felt clear when you began, but somewhere along the way the turns became confusing and then the landmarks disappeared.

01:12You know where you started

You know where you started. You remember the day, you remember the decision, you remember the prayer, but you have no idea how the story ends. That uncertainty can wear on you. It can make you question whether you are still going the right direction or whether you have been walking in circles without realizing it.

01:38Not a sprint: a cross-country race

Life is not a 100 meter dash. It is not a short sprint where you can see the finish line the whole time. It is not even a clean 5k on a marked course. It is more like a cross-country race full of hills that appear without warning. Sharp turns you didn't expect. An obstacle sitting right in the middle of the path you thought was open.

02:04In cross-country, the terrain changes

In a short race, everything is visible. In cross-country, the terrain changes. You have to keep adjusting. You have to keep watching where you put your feet and that is exactly what life feels like for most of us. The course is longer than we thought. The obstacles are real and sometimes the path ahead is harder to see than we expected.

02:36Easy to get lost, easy to quit

It is easy to get lost on a course like that. It is easy to get hurt. It is easy to hurt other people while you are trying to find your way and it is very easy to quit. The thought comes quietly at first.

02:56"I'm done"

I am just going to let everyone else run. I'm done. This is taking too long. This is costing too much. I didn't sign up for this many obstacles.

03:11That voice sounds reasonable

That voice sounds reasonable. It sounds protective but here's the truth. You have to keep coming back to you.

03:20You are competing with yourself

You are not competing with the people around you. You are not racing them to a finish line that only one person can cross. You are competing with yourself. With your own tendency to stop, to settle, to turn around when the path gets difficult. That changes everything.

03:45Stop comparing your pace

When you stop comparing your pace to someone else's pace, you can focus on what really matters. Are you still moving? Are you still listening? Are you still willing to take the next step?

04:04You need a coach, training and a map

But you cannot do that alone. You need a coach. You need training. You need a map with clear directions and instructions. Without those things, the obstacles feel larger than they are and the confusion feels permanent. With them, you have a way to keep going even when the path is unclear.

04:34Paul: "I have finished the race" (2 Timothy 4:7)

The apostle Paul looked back over his life and said something powerful. In 2 Timothy 4.7 he wrote, "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith."

04:52Notice what he did not say

Notice what he did not say. He did not say, "I never stumbled." He did not say, "I never got tired." He did not say, "The path was always clear and I never had to ask for help." He said he finished. He kept going until the race was complete.

05:16Shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment

Paul faced shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment, rejection, and constant opposition. There were many, many things in the way. Yet, at the end of his life, he could look back and say he had finished the race God gave him.

05:35Not a perfect race, but a finished one

That is the goal. Not a perfect race, but a finished one. You do not have to have everything figured out today. You do not have to see the entire course. You simply have to keep running the portion that is in front of you with the help God provides until you reach the end he has prepared.

06:03How the army trains its soldiers

Think about how the army trains its soldiers. They do not sit in comfortable rooms and hope the path stays clear. They practice. They climb. They crawl under wire. They go through obstacle courses designed to be difficult. They train in the woods, in the desert, and in the jungle so that when the real situation comes, their bodies and minds already know what to do. They learn how to move when they are tired. They learn how to keep going when the terrain is rough. They learn how to work with others and how to keep moving when they are alone.

06:47Hard on purpose

Their training is hard on purpose because the real challenges will be hard.

06:56Obstacles are part of the course

Life works the same way. The obstacles you face are not random interruptions. They are part of the course. Some of them are there to help. Some of them reveal what still needs to change. Some of them force you to depend on God in ways you never would have chosen on your own. When you understand that, the thing in the way, it stops being only an enemy. It becomes part of the training. That does not make it easy. It does make it meaningful.

07:39When the door closes

Life is filled with challenges. And one of the most common challenges is the door that closes when you expected it to open. You prepare. You pray. You step forward, and the doors does not move. Or worse, it closes firmly in front of you. At the same time, other doors begin to open, doors you did not expect, doors that lead in a different direction than the one you planned.

08:13The Holy Spirit closes and opens doors

The Bible shows us that the Holy Spirit is often the one involved in both. He closes certain doors so that you do not waste your life going the wrong way. He opens other doors so that you can walk into the assignment He has for you.

08:32Acts 16: a different door

Acts chapter 16 gives us a clear picture of this. Paul and his team try to go into one region, but the Spirit of God stopped them. Then a vision opened a completely different door, and that new direction changed the course of the early church.

08:56Keep praying, keep depending on God

That is why you must continue praying. You must continue depending on God. You cannot treat closed doors as failures and open doors as accidents. Both are often part of His guidance.

09:14Regroup

The more you stay close to Him, the more clearly you can recognize which doors He is closing and which ones He is opening. When the path becomes confusing, you learn to regroup. You step back. You stop rushing. You look at where you are and how you got there. Then you talk it through with your mentor or your mentors.

09:44What a mentor does

A mentor does not walk the race for you, but a good mentor can help you see what when you are tired or when you are discouraged. They can remind you of the map. They can ask the hard questions. They can help you distinguish between a temporary obstacle and a closed door.

10:11Regrouping is not quitting

Regrouping is not quitting. It is wisdom. It is the pause that lets you adjust your direction before you waste more time and energy going the wrong way. The strongest people are not the ones who never need to regroup. They are the ones who know when to stop, listen, and get counsel before they keep moving.

10:38Your attitude

That is why you need to have the right attitude. There is something especially important as you face the thing in the way, your attitude.

10:50When you are alone, be strong

When you are alone, be strong. No one is watching. No one is cheering. The obstacle is still there, and the only person who can take the next step is you. In those moments, strength looks like refusing to quit, refusing to complain, and refusing to turn around simply because the path is hard.

11:17When you are with people, be kind

When you are with people, be kind. The pressure of the obstacle can make you sharp, impatient, or defensive. Kindness in those moments is not weakness. It is maturity. It protects your relationships where you are working through the challenge. It keeps you from turning the people around you into enemies simply because life is difficult.

11:40Strength and kindness

Those two things, strength when you are alone, and kindness when you are with others, will carry you further than talent, timing, or even a perfect plan. They are the most important things your attitude can show while you are facing what stands in the way.

12:01"Is God leading me here?"

You also need to ask yourself an honest question. Is God leading me here? It is possible to be stuck, not because the obstacle is too big, but because you were never supposed to be in that place to begin with. Sometimes the thing in the way is not an invitation to pull harder. It is a signal to stop, and ask whether you are still on the path God has for you.

12:29Everyone is dealing with something

Have you noticed that everyone around you is dealing with something too? You are not the only one facing a barrier. Other people are navigating their own closed doors, their own unexpected turns, and their own moments of confusion. Comparison will only make the obstacle feel larger. Focus on the path in front of you, but there is another danger.

12:57Don't become stubborn

You can become stubborn. You can dig in and refuse to move even when God is trying to redirect you.

13:06Pride and fear: give it to God

Pride can make you keep pushing on a door that He has closed. Fear can make you stay in a place that no longer has His direction. When that happens, the wisest thing you can do is to give it to God. Stop fighting Him. Surrender the direction. Ask Him to show you clearly whether you should keep on going or whether it is time to turn.

13:35Abraham and Lot

Abraham and Lot had a very interesting experience. Abraham faced a situation like this with his nephew, Lot. Abraham loved his nephew. He had brought him along in the journey. He wanted good things for him, but Lot kept making choices and led in the wrong direction. He looked at what seemed prosperous and moved toward it. Even when it took him away from the path of blessing,

14:05Abraham did not abandon him

Abraham did not abandon him. He interceded for him. When Lot was in danger, Abraham stepped in and rescued him. He cared enough to pray and to act, yet Abraham also had to recognize that Lot's choices were Lot's responsibility. Abraham could not force his nephew to stay on the right path.

14:29The people we love who walk the wrong way

There is wisdom in that story for us. There are people we love who are walking in the wrong direction. We can pray for them. We can speak truth. We can step in when they are in real danger, but we cannot make their choices for them, and we cannot let their direction pull us off the path God has given us.

14:55Once you are certain, be persistent

Once you are absolutely certain that you are on the right track, once you have prayed, checked your motives, sought counsel, and listened, then what you need is persistence. Keep on going. Keep trying. Do not quit on the race God put you in.

15:16The thing in the way does not get the final word

The thing in the way does not get the final word. You do. If you stay under the right coach, keep the right attitude and refuse to stop.

15:29Practical steps: not every obstacle means you are failing

Let me give you practical steps forward. So what does this look like in real life? First, stop treating every obstacle as a sign that you are failing. Some obstacles are simply part of the course. Ask God for clarity. Then keep moving with the light you have.

15:53Get the help you need

Second, get the help you need. Talk to a mentor. Review the map. Pray specifically about the doors that have been closed and the doors that seems to be opening. Do not try to figure everything out in isolation.

16:10Guard your attitude

Third, guard your attitude. Be strong when no one is watching, be kind when people are around. Those two choices will protect your heart and your relationships while you work through the challenge.

16:27Check your direction

Fourth, check your direction. Ask the hard question, "Is God leading me here?" If the answer is yes, then become persistent. If the answer is no, then have the courage to turn. Stubbornness is not faith. Obedience is faith.

16:53Finishing matters more than speed

Finally, remember that finishing matters more than speed. Paul did not win the sprint. He finished a long race. You can do the same.

17:08Real, but not permanent

The thing in the way is real, but it's not permanent. With the right mentors, the right attitude, and the willingness to keep going, the Lord God will help you and guide you so you will reach the end of the course the Lord God has set before you. That is why you must continue praying. You need to continue listening while you are reading the Bible and reviewing your motives.

17:38The race is not over

My friend, the race is not over. And the thing in the way does not get to decide whether you finish or not.

17:49Set your path in God's direction

Here is your life. You are on the race, and there are obstacles. What to do? The first thing is to set your path exactly in God's direction. How? By surrendering. If you have never given your heart to the Lord today is the day.

18:10John 1:12

Do you know that in the Gospel of John chapter one, verse 12, it says that those who receive Jesus and believe in Him, He gives them the right to become children of God.

18:23Children of God

Children of God, my friend, because when you have the Spirit of God inside of you, things are going to be so different. Then is when you are going to continue discovering what's next for you.

18:37Review this teaching

I am so glad that you watched with me this program, and I hope that your heart is ready to the next things. I want to encourage you to take a look of this URL in the QR code here, because you might need to review this teaching. You can watch it or even you can read the document related to it. So here is the URL in the QR code.

19:04I am praying for you

Remember that I am praying for you, hoping that you will have a beautiful rest of your day, and I hope to see you here next time. And here is some humor for you.

19:16Some humor: the tough supervisor

One of my friends has a very tough supervisor, and the guy really pushes him a lot. He was wondering one day, why this guy pushes me too much? So while he was wondering, suddenly he said, "Hey, keep going." So he replied, "Great idea. I was worried I might accidentally stop and enjoy myself."

19:43Some humor: the coach's voice

I was watching one day a coach and a kid practicing certain sport. The trainer yelled, "Again, kid! Again!" So the kid said, "Sure, after you practice your coaching voice on a pillow."

20:03Some humor: the jogger

This neighbor said to me that a jogger passed his house, but this guy is lazy. So he yelled at the guy and said, "Hey, you're going the wrong direction!" The jogger slowed down and in turn said to him, "How do you know?" So he yelled again, "Because I've been watching from this window for three years and nobody's ever come back!"

20:32Some humor: my dad and exercising

Speaking about exercising, my dad, who was never a guy who liked to exercise, said to me one day, "You know, son, I'll start exercising when I see someone jogging with a big smile on their face. He's still waiting, and me too!"

Transcribed from the video and lightly corrected. Spoken words are kept as Dr. Gian said them.