Pastor + Author
By Daniel Im
3 days remain.
I only have 3 more days in Canada.
There are only 3 more days until my wife and I begin our new life in Seoul, Korea.
How did it get this way? How did we end up leaving our ministry and our life in Montreal to move to the other side of the world? How were we so sure that this is where God was calling us? How did we know that this was God’s will for our lives?
[Read more…] about Ministry and Life Transitions
By Daniel Im
Laziness. We all feel it. We’ve all experienced it. It’s something that really isn’t that foreign to most of us. But why do we struggle with it so often? Some of us, due to our laziness, choose to go on the internet, watch tv or a movie, instead of doing what actually needs to get done. Others choose to sleep or go play sports instead of taking care of their responsibilities.
We all have times of laziness. But where does laziness originate from? Why is it so easy to be lazy?
The dictionary defines “lazy” as being “unwilling to work or use energy.”
My wife and I have an arrangement – If one of us cooks, then the other person has to clean up. As a result, there are often many times when I, full of laziness, don’t want to clean up even though it was my wife who cooked. However, just because I don’t want to clean up doesn’t mean that I don’t do it – I eventually get to it.
But one time when I was trying to coax my wife into cleaning the dishes, she came back with a statement that cut through my heart and is, when you think about it, pure genius. She said,
“Laziness is not a condition, it’s a choice.”
Perhaps the thing that separates greatness from mediocrity is a simple choice.
What choice are you making?
By Daniel Im
Some of you may not know, but I am an intense believer in the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment. Now I know the stigma that veils many assessments (i.e. assessments aren’t accurate, it will box me in, etc), but this StrengthsFinder assessment is extremely different. Based on millions of interviews and over half a century of academic research, this assessment accurately reveals what your natural talents are (I know because I’ve talked to countless number of people who have taken the assessment and loved it). Anyway, my goal of this post isn’t to sell the assessment, but to talk about a certain aspect of it. (In the future, I will continue to talk about strengths and talents.)
When I reflect on my past, I realize that I have never actually won many things. In all of my Tae Kwon Do competitions, I would always get third place or worst. In my short career as a 12 year old hockey player, I got the MVP award. Hahaha…okay I wish. Instead of the MVP, I got the MIP award – most improved player. And we all know that the MIP award is the award given to the worst player. Anyway, in all of that I have never actually won many things. However, even though I was deeply disappointed with not winning, I quickly got over it and went on with life. Why? Because “competition” is not one of my talents (themes) – “achiever” is!
If I had competition, then I would have a deep inner desire to win first place in all things. That is definitely not me. I don’t care if I get first place or second, all I really care about is working hard and doing the best that I can do. In other words, I have a great deal of stamina, and I work hard, but winning isn’t necessarily on the top of my priorities. Having said all that, I do like to win, but it’s just not everything to me.
Now what does all this information have to do with you?
Let me answer that question with a quote that my brother in law (Michael Hu) told me: “Know thy enemy and know thy self and you will win a hundred battles.” Sun Tzu Wu
In other words, in a culture where there is hardly any emphasis on self-knowledge, true greatness and significance will only be achieved when you discover the unique way that God has created you – the distinct fingerprints of God on your life.