Life Through His Name, Learned Leadership, The Root of Self-Belief
The Disciple-Leader Newsletter #35 // September 23, 2023.
Discipleship. Leadership. Mental Performance.
DISCIPLESHIP
"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
John 20:31
What does it mean to be given life through His name?
LEADERSHIP
"Leaders are not born. They're made. There's no such thing as a natural leader. Everyone starts out with shortcomings as well as strengths. Leadership potential doesn't depend on the traits you possess. It emerges from the values you choose and the skills you learn."
Adam Grant
Tom Brady is the most decorated quarterback in the history of the NFL. Some of the records he holds include:
Games started (333)
Wins by a starting quarterback (251)
Passing yards (89,214)
Passing touchdowns (649)
Completions (7,753)
Touchdowns thrown to different receivers (98)
Division titles (19)
Pro Bowl appearances (15)
Oldest player to win NFL MVP (40 years old)
Oldest player to be named First-Team All-Pro (40 years old)
Seasons with one team (20, Patriots)
Only player to beat all 32 NFL teams
Super Bowl appearances (10)
Super Bowl wins (7, more than any NFL franchise)
Super Bowl MVPs (5)
This list omits many other records of his. But you get the idea. You might be surprised to learn that Tom Brady also holds one of the five slowest 40-yard dash times in NFL QB history. He was drafted #199 overall in the NFL draft. His athleticism? Subpar. Arm strength? Average. Body build? Nothing to write home about.
So how did he close the gap between his athletic deficiency and his actual success as a QB?
His mind.
Tom Brady is known for having what the sports world refers to as "the killer instinct". He and Michael Jordan are the poster boys for the ultimate competitor's mind. It would seem as if he was just mentally wired differently than the majority of people.
But was he?
In an interview released this week, Tom was asked, "(When you were) in high school, 13, 14, 15 years old, did you have that absolute killer instinct? Were you always like that or did it develop later on?"
Tom's response: "It developed over a period of time."
This shouldn't come as a surprise. This is true for every quality, trait, or skill worth obtaining. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught, "Nothing worthwhile ever just happens."
There are no natural leaders. There are no natural writers. There are no natural disciples. There are no natural athletes. Everything must be learned.
Leadership is learned
Faith is learned
Hope is learned
Love is learned
Optimism is learned
Courage is learned
Communication is learned
Everything is learned.
MENTAL PERFORMANCE
1) "I have a problem when young men, with everything in front of them, don't believe."
2) "How am I going to invest in you when you don't invest in you? How am I supposed to believe in you when you don't believe in you?"Deion Sanders
We severely underestimate the power of belief.
Even the smallest amount of belief can yield tremendous results. Jesus taught, "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matthew 17:20).
You can do a lot with mustard seed-sized belief. What then could you do with mountain-sized belief?
God wants you to believe in yourself. In fact, a lack of belief in oneself doesn't stem from self-esteem issues. The root cause of insufficient self-belief is an insufficient understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
James E. Faust was clear when he taught, "It is a denial of the divinity within us to doubt our potential and our possibilities."
When he has a soul-deep understanding of his identity, he won't waiver in self-belief. When her identity is written on the fleshy tables of her heart, she won't doubt herself.
Powerful is the disciple whose self-belief is grounded, established, rooted, and settled in their Christ-belief.
Jesus Christ believes in you (Moroni 7:45). In fact, one of His special witnesses wrote about what He would say if He were talking with you face-to-face. As you read this, take a moment and really visualize that Jesus is in front of you, speaking to you.
"I believe He would start by expressing His deep love for you. He might say it with words, but it would also flow so strongly—just from His presence—that it would be unmistakable, reaching deep into your heart, filling your whole soul!
And yet, because we’re all weak and imperfect, some concerns might creep into your mind. You might remember mistakes you’ve made, times you gave in to temptation, things you wish you hadn’t done—or wish you had done better.
The Savior would sense that, and I believe He would assure you with words He has spoken in the scriptures:
'Fear not.'
'Doubt not.'
'Be of good cheer.'
'Let not your heart be troubled.'
I don’t think He would make excuses for your mistakes. He wouldn’t minimize them. No, He would ask you to repent—to leave your sins behind, to change, so He can forgive you. He would remind you that 2,000 years ago He took those sins upon Himself so that you could repent. That is part of the plan of happiness gifted to us from our loving Heavenly Father.
Jesus might point out that your covenants with Him—made when you were baptized and renewed each time you partake of the sacrament—give you a special connection with Him. The kind of connection the scriptures describe as being yoked together so that, with His help, you can carry any burden.
I believe the Savior Jesus Christ would want you to see, feel, and know that He is your strength. That with His help, there are no limits to what you can accomplish. That your potential is limitless. He would want you to see yourself the way He sees you. And that is very different from the way the world sees you.
The Savior would declare, in no uncertain terms, that you are a daughter or son of the Almighty God. Your Heavenly Father is the most glorious being in the universe, full of love, joy, purity, holiness, light, grace, and truth. And one day He wants you to inherit all He has."
If Christ believes in you, how could you possibly not believe in yourself?
Disciple-Leadership: Jesus-led. Lead like Jesus.