When I was kid, I thought I was the best at Karate. I thought I could beat anyone up with a couple kicks and karate chops, and they’d be done for. Granted, I was 4, and my skills were learned from watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

 Here’s the questions though, “Have you ever thought you were really great at something just to discover that you really were not?

We don’t like to admit it, but it happens to all of us. In our lives, our jobs, and our ministries, there are problems that we don’t see. We put on blinders, and simply refuse to see what’s happening all around us.

Unfortunately, it can become a lot like this guy:


He’s obviously bad. I can only hope that someone has told him that he can’t sing. He may have even had a Simon moment, but that didn’t deter him. He was blind to his own shortcomings and refused to listen to his critics.

What this guy needs is what Thom Rainer calls in Breakout Churches an ABC moment.

Awareness, Belief and Crisis

1. The first step is awareness. The first step to any addiction recovery is to admit you have a problem. He needs to realize there’s a problem. The same is true for us. In order to fix the problem in our lives, we have to first be aware of the problem.
2. The next step is belief. The guy in the video needs to believe his critics when they say he’s not a good singer. He also needs to believe that he can be great at something; however, that is probably not singing. Once we are aware of the problem, we need to believe that we can change. We know that it may hurt and cost a lot, which brings us to the third step.
3. Crisis. Once we reach this step our hearts have now changed, and we have realized that we must do something about our problem. This is where the change really begins. We work through obstacles, say our apologies, and let God and leadership restore us. It’s hard, but so very worth it.

For the next few weeks, we will continue to explore the ABC moment, and how we can apply it to our lives.

 So what about you? Have you ever had a problem that you didn’t know was actually a problem? What have you done to change it?

Disclaimer: Some say this video is a fake. I'm not sure, but it gets the point across well.