Your piece of the puzzle
INsights 064, Friday 15th November 2024
Your piece of the puzzle
INsights 064, Friday 15th November 2024
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If the end state that we all desire – a prosperous, harmonious, equitable society built on a foundation of monotheism – were to be represented as a complex but beautiful scene on a large jigsaw puzzle, which piece of that puzzle are you going to find, design and take the trouble of fitting into the overall picture?
Most editions of INsights in recent weeks and months have focused on macro issues.
I’ve attempted to outline an overarching collective vision for us as believers, in which we can all participate, and which would give a shared objective to galvanise the efforts of all aspiring and existing leaders.
I’ve also explored some key themes of our public presence and engagement such as universal concern, belonging, contextual relevance, as well as the importance of narrative and our usage of language.
Now I want to shift the focus from the macro to the micro, from the collective to the individual, from principles to practicalities.
In other words, I’m going to stop talking about us for a while and start talking about you…
If what we’ve been exploring together recently is what the overall picture of a future ideal society might look like and how, in broad terms, we might actually make this vision into a reality, at some point you need to figure out where you fit in.
Take responsibility
This involves asking yourself some tough questions.
How are you going to contribute and serve?
What exactly are you doing with your God-given time, energy, resources, skills and opportunities?
Will you be counted by your Lord amongst those who strove for His cause?
If the end state that we all desire – a prosperous, harmonious, equitable society built on a foundation of monotheism – were to be represented as a complex but beautiful scene on a large jigsaw puzzle, which piece of that puzzle are you going to find, design and take the trouble of fitting into the overall picture?
Unless you’ve figured this out for yourself already, unless you feel like you’re currently doing as much as you possibly can to further the mission of monotheism, your journey to do so could, and probably should, start right here and now.
Free your mind
It’s important to realise at the outset that the process of mental and then actual transition from an ordinary life to an extraordinary one in the path of God cannot take place if you allow your existing circumstances to prevent you from exercising your imagination.
You can’t let your financial worries or ambitions, your decisions to date, your imposter syndrome and feelings of ineptitude, your fear of failure, your subjecting yourself to the expectations of others… you can’t let any of these things get in the way of you imagining what it might be like to live a life in service to God alone, in fear of God alone, in hope, trust and love for Him alone. After all, "You alone we serve..." (1:5)
So many of us quickly write off as impossible any idea that might come to us that we know deep down would constitute a deeper level of service to our Creator but which we also know would involve us moving outside of our comfort zone. We are often more cowardly than we’d like to admit.
Don’t let the devil have this effect on you. Stay with your noble and godly thoughts, aspirations and dreams until they eventually grip you completely and you see no life as truly worthy of living other than one in full pursuit of His cause.
Yes, practicalities need to be addressed, but they can be dealt with once you have a clear and worthwhile end in mind. Worrying about them too early prevents you from seeing the best possible pathway for your life from the outset. This makes for a lack of progress and slowly mounting regret.
So assume yourself to be fully free, capable and secure. Know that God is on the side of His servants who aspire sincerely and strive diligently. Only with these things in mind can you productively move to the next stage of figuring out the piece of the puzzle for which you’re going to take responsibility.
Construct your vision
Once you’re in a state of mind that combines humility and determination, calmness and courage, free from all material constraints, I suggest you come up with a vision.
In our analogy, this means describing what your piece of the puzzle looks like, remembering that the overall puzzle represents a picture of the ideal society.
What specific outcome do you believe matters to God, matters to people around you and matters to you so much that you would be happy to give as much of yourself as possible towards achieving it over the course of your life?
This essentially represents your vision.
It’s not what you’re going to be. It’s not what you’re going to do. It’s what you see.
It’s your completion of a sentence or paragraph that begins with, “I have a dream…”
It’s a statement of intent that you would happily communicate to your family members, friends, then eventually your beneficiaries, other stakeholders, and one day to God Himself.
If He were to ask you in the next life, which is totally reasonable to expect, “My servant, what exactly were you trying to achieve on earth for My sake and for My cause in your preparation to meet Me?” then your vision would be your answer.
When you think about it as something that you’d present to your Lord as part of your pitch for paradise, you know it better be for real, a true representation of your intention. It can’t be some half-hearted statement that sounds good in theory. Rather it needs to be something truly worthwhile to live for and even to die for.
Start with a problem
If you’re finding it difficult to describe your vision, it can be very helpful to identify and describe the problem first.
What specific problem do you believe matters to God, matters to people around you and matters to you so much that you would be happy to give as much of yourself as possible towards solving it over the course of your life?
Remember, it’s not just something you care about, but something you want to dedicate yourself to working on seriously. It therefore needs to be both within your sphere of concern but also within your sphere of influence.
Once you write down a specific problem that you feel strongly about and that you want to solve – even if you don’t know how just yet – the vision is usually just the opposite of the problem statement.
For example, I might feel strongly about the problem of people saying and doing things in their prayer that they don’t understand. This matters to God, matters to people (even if they don’t realise it) and matters enough to me that I want to do something about it.
So a vision based on this problem might be something like: a world where everyone who prays understands what they are doing and saying in their prayer, such that their prayer becomes an experience of deeper connection and tranquility.
If I wanted to make this more specific, I could narrow it down to something like: a Britain where believers aged 10 years old and above understand what they are doing and saying in their prayer…
It’s a clear goal, something worthwhile in the sight of God, something I care about and something I want to work towards. It’s a vision that can then guide my decision-making about the use of my time and skills now and in the future.
Begin brainstorming
This isn’t intended as a theoretical, feel-good reminder.
It’s a call to action.
How are you going to serve God’s cause?
Are you going to find your piece of the puzzle or just watch from the sidelines as others take on the responsibility?
What’s your vision, your statement of intent, your pitch for paradise?
Please set aside time to work on it.
Whether you get to a complete version or just a draft over the next few days, feel free to share it with me. I’d love to know what you're working on or what you'd like to work on, and to help you achieve more clarity if I can.
Lots more to come on visioning next time too, God willing.
Until then.
Peace.
Iqbal
~~~
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Have a blessed week. I'll send you the next edition next Friday, God willing.
