Self-Efficacy for Good Works

I can do all things through Christ!

(Philippians 4:13)

Yesterday, I was in a business development class and the facilitator told all of the participants to walk over to the window and in one little word, describe what we saw. Collectively, we blurted about a lot of tangible things in our view. After a couple of minutes, she reminded us of why we had assembled for the day, and prophetically, one of my class mates yelled out: OPPORTUNITY! When he said that, I was suddenly transformed back to that little girl who used to sing: I’m looking for a miracle / I expect the impossible / I feel the intangible / I see the invisible / Just believe and receive it / God will perform it today***. What happened to her?

I can tell you what happened to her. She started to believe that all of the miraculous things that happened in her life were because of her own self-effort. Self-efficacy is defined as the belief in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals. People with high self-efficacy tend to take on challenges that may appear difficult to others and determine the best plan of action, or process, to perform the work. Her motivation and drive came from learning to persevere and making it look easy to do the impossible. Success increases self-efficacy, so her response to questions about how she’s able to reach her goals: I can do all things!

Yes, I can do all things…but the most important words of that verse is through Christ. I actually believed that I could develop a new business model, unlike anything commercially successful in industrial manufacturing today, on my own self-effort. So I stepped out on faith, pressing toward what I believed was my purposed work, and for the first time in a long time, not reaching the goals in the desired timeframe. I was operating at a lower self-efficacy, yet seeking encouragement to continue the work. Just believe and receive it / God will perform it today. My new phrase: Through Christ-in-me-self-efficacy: Grace and strength to endure His purposed work and reach the goal comes only from the Holy Spirit, through increased faith that comes from a continuous prayer life. So on days when I am feeling fearful or doubtful about the progress or the process, I know the source of the helping hand that allows me to be strong and courageous to do the work. No good thing will He withhold from those who are called by purpose.

The end of self-effort is the beginning of grace. God cannot work where you have your hands. Through Christ-in-me-self-efficacy, I have the confidence to believe and receive the good works He has purposed in my life. What intangible or invisible miracle do you believe to receive? Remember: OPPORTUNITY. The sky is the limit! Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

***: I'm Looking for a Miracle lyrics by the Clark Sisters