DAY 83
心流區
雷克-喬納

堅心倚賴你的，你必保守他十分平安，因為他倚靠你。（以賽亞書26:3）

幾個月前，我和幾十名NFL和NBA球員一起參加退修會。他們中的許多人都是全明星或全職業明星球員。多年來，我一直在研究領導力，並試圖瞭解是什麼讓一些人能夠出類拔萃，而其他看起來更有恩賜的人卻做得不盡人意。僅僅是和這些球員中的一些人坐在一起聊天，就使我得到了一些關於這個問題的最佳答案。

你會經常聽到體育界的一個術語是"心流區"。這是一種身心似乎完全和諧的狀態，它能讓球員的表現上升到超出他或她平時的水準。當球員處於"心流區"時，他們似乎是不可阻擋的。我開始詢問其中一些球員關於"心流區"的問題，他們都用同樣的術語來描述它。對他們來說，這基本上是一種心態，在這種心態下，他們能夠摒棄所有常見的干擾，完全專注於自己的任務。當他們能夠保持這種專注時，他們會覺得沒有人能夠阻止他們，而且通常他們是對的。

後來我偶然看到一篇雜誌文章，作者是心理學家，他一生都在研究體育，他也對"心流區"特別感興趣。他把它描述為基本上是"在壓力下集中注意力的能力"。有趣的是，他認為對球員產生負面影響最大的因素是憤怒和恐懼。如前所述，研究表明，僅僅片刻的憤怒就能消耗掉與許多小時的艱苦勞動相同的力量。同樣地，只是片刻的恐懼，甚至是30分鐘的微妙憤怒，或一般的擔憂，都會使我們喪失與許多小時的艱苦勞動一樣的力量。因此，運動員要想進入"心流區"，就必須完全專注於自己的任務，不被憤怒或恐懼所左右。他們能夠做到這一點的程度，就是他們能夠上升到更高的表現高度。

這不僅僅適用於運動員。憤怒和恐懼是任何目標或任務的兩個最致命的敵人。我們有多少精力被憤怒或焦慮所消耗？有多少潛在的偉大成就被不寬恕或痛苦所破壞？有多少偉大的信仰工作因恐懼而脫軌？

就像運動員在最大的比賽中發揮出最佳水準時成為 "超級明星 "一樣，最偉大的信仰行為是在最大的壓力下能夠專注於主的結果。這是每天學習越來越多地關注祂的結果。如果我們不在小事上看到祂，就無法在大事上看到祂。

我們的目標不僅是為祂做的一切，而且是與祂一起做。當我們在生活中看到那位高於一切統治、權柄和主宰的人時，當我們在生活中專注於那位全能的人，祂用祂的力量維護宇宙，我們也將超越常規，生活在奇蹟的領域。

今天，當你在工作中，或與你的家人或朋友在一起時，如果出現了可能使你生氣或灰心的事情，請立即仰望主。確定你不會被憤怒或恐懼耗盡你的生命，而是要利用每一個機會在信心和神的平安中成長。確定你要成為主在這些環境中使用的容器，將信心和平安傳給他人。你的生活將會改變。你的表現將上升到以前未知的高度，不是因為你停留在 "區域"，而是因為你住在聖靈裡。


DAY 83
The Zone
Rick Joyner

The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in Thee (Isaiah 26:3).

A few months ago I was on a retreat with several dozen NFL and NBA players. Many of them were All-Stars or All-Pros. For years I have studied leadership and tried to understand what enables some to excel while others with seemingly more talent do not do as well. Just sitting around talking with some of these players led to some of the best answers I have received yet to this question.

One term that you will often hear around sports is "the zone." It is a state when mind and body seem to be in perfect harmony, and it allows a player to rise to a level of performance that is beyond his or her usual level. When a player is in "the zone" they seem unstoppable. I started questioning some of these players about "the zone" and they all used the same terms to describe it. To them it was basically a state of mind where they were able to tune out all of the usual distractions and focus completely on their task. When they could maintain this focus, they would have the feeling that no one could stop them, and usually they were right.

I then happened upon a magazine article written by a psychologist who had spent his professional life studying sports, and he too was especially interested in "the zone." He described it as basically "the ability to focus under pressure." The factors that he felt most affected players negatively were interestingly anger and fear. As stated previously, studies have shown how just a moment of rage could sap the same amount of strength as many hours of hard labor. Likewise, just a moment of terror or even thirty minutes of a subtler anger, or general worry, can sap us of the same amount of strength as many hours of hard labor. Therefore, for athletes to enter "the zone" they must stay completely focused on their task without giving way to either anger or fear. To the degree that they can do this is the degree they will be able to rise to greater heights of performance.

This is not just true for athletes. Anger and fear are two of the deadliest enemies of any purpose or task. How much of our energy is being sapped by anger or anxiety? How many potentially great accomplishments were derailed by unforgiveness or bitterness? How many great works of faith were derailed by fear?

Just as an athlete becomes a "superstar" when they perform their best in the biggest games, the greatest acts of faith are the result of being able to focus on the Lord in times of the greatest pressure. This is the result of learning to focus on Him more and more each day. If we do not see Him in the little things we will not be able to see Him in the great ones.

Our goal should be not only to do everything that we do for Him, but with Him. When we live by beholding the One who is above all rule and authority and dominion, when we live our lives focused on the One who is so all-powerful that He upholds the universe with the word of His power, we too will rise above the usual to live in the realm of miracles.

Today while you are on the job, or with your family or friends, and something comes up that could anger or discourage you, look to the Lord immediately. Determine that you are not going to have your life sapped by anger or fear, but that you are going to use every opportunity to grow in faith and the peace of God. Determine that you are going to be a vessel for the Lord to use in those circumstances to impart faith and peace to others. Your life will change. Your performance will rise to previously unknown heights, not because you are staying in "the zone," but because you are abiding in the Spirit.