Part 17 INITIATIVE

A person who has initiative is, by habit, ready and able to start something on his own. He is able to complete responsibilities on his own without being reminded.

Initiative will be shown in your life as a concern for accomplishing all that is God’s will for each moment of you day. You should always be thinking about the things that you know you are expected to do. You should be seeking new areas or learning or service; if you have initiative, you will never be satisfied with yourself or with what you have done for the Lord. Lk. 17:10 Eagerly look forward to every opportunity to do God’s will and to do His will to the best of your ability. Ec. 9:10 1 Cor. 14:40

Train yourself to get things done without having to be pushed or reminded by your parents or by your teachers. Many responsibilities that you have are things that are not directly assigned to you by an adult. You should be willing to study when you have not been directly asked to do so, be willing to obey when nobody is watching, be the first to do what is right, be willing to seek forgiveness, and be willing to be the first to settle an argument.

Train your mind to remember all that you are expected to do. Write notes to help in remembering chores, assignments, commitments, and appointments. The person who has initiate will be the one to be given greater responsibilities and will be allowed to have more privileges.

Does the character trait of initiative show in your life through your thoughts, speech, attitudes, and actions? If you have initiative you will be a “self-starter,” with a willingness to start, on your own, those things that you know are right to do

I do my chores at home without being asked or reminded each time.
I study new class notes as soon as possible so that I don’t have to learn so much material all at once for a test.
After I have been sick I go to each teacher and find out what I have missed while absent, and then make up any work without being reminded.
I am willing to make something right with the Lord in chapel or in church even if nobody else goes forward.
I am willing to help those who are younger than I am as soon as I see a need. I do not wait to see if someone else will do it or wait to be asked.
I willingly have daily devotions without being reminded or “pushed.”
I SEEK ways to improve my grades when I get a low grade on a test or quiz.
When given work assignments at home or at school, I always try to do more than what is expected of me (more in quality or more in quantity).
I am willing to initiate conversation about the Lord when I am with friends.
I am willing to initiate conversation about the Gospel when around unsaved people.

Set a specific goal that you can work on every day to help develop the character trait of initiative in your life. Continue to set new goals after you have accomplished the first one!