Dharius Daniels - Average Is Not an Option

Well, what’s up, family? Welcome to Thrive! Here at Thrive, we believe there are three ways you can live your life: sinking, which is level one; surviving, which is level two; and thriving, which is level three. We believe, based on John 10:10, that this is what Jesus meant when He said, «The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly,» or to the full. We believe that is the thriving life, and I believe I’m speaking to a group of people who are saying, «It’s level three for me.» Thank God I’ve come out of my sinking season! I know what it is to survive, but it’s my time to thrive. If you’re receiving that, if that’s your conviction, I want you to put «level three» in the comments section. Come on, just drop it there—level three, level three! It’s level three for me.

Now, we believe that the best way to thrive is to live life God’s way. We’re striving to live life God’s way, not just because it’s right or because we’re religious, but because it’s better. We’re doing this not just because it’s theological; we do it because it’s logical. The creator of a thing knows how to get the best out of that thing— that just makes sense, right? The creator of this mic knows how to get the best out of it, and the designer of certain clothes knows how to maximize their potential. They even give you manufacturers’ instructions! For example, it might say, «Don’t put your phone in the microwave.» But when someone says that, we don’t say, «Who are you to tell me what to do with my phone?» You can, but it won’t work! If you put it in the microwave and press defrost, your phone is going to come out destroyed.

We believe that the manufacturer knows how to get the most out of a thing. If we believe God created us—and I think believing in an intelligent being who made us is logical, not just theological—then it makes sense. Just look at the degree of detail: a skull protects my brain, ribs shield my vital organs, and my eyes are on my head, not on my feet. If they were on my feet, I could only see things at a certain level; but they’re on my head so I can see everything. The meticulous nature of design shows that whoever created the universe did so with us in mind. The correct balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? God made us! Somebody put «facts» in the chat—yeah, facts! If He made us, then He knows how to get the most out of us. Does that make sense?

We’re following this guidance. This shirt has a tag with manufacturer’s instructions; our life’s instructions come from the Bible, which is equivalent to the tag on the shirt. When the Bible tells us not to do something, it isn’t trying to control your life—it’s like saying, «Don’t put your iPhone in the microwave.» When He says, «Don’t be unequally yoked,» it’s like saying, «Don’t put your iPhone in the microwave.» When He tells us not to gossip, it’s the same warning.

So, if we want to thrive, we have to live life God’s way—following the manufacturer’s instructions. We use the Word of God and draw from its themes that will help us thrive. Today, I’m starting a new series called «Embracing Excellence.» I’ll be spending the next several weeks discussing this topic with you. Your assignment requires excellence, and I believe this series will provide great support as we prepare for a challenge next week. I’ve already got my board in the room!

Next week, I’m starting a five-week boot camp called «Unleash Your Calling.» For five days, I’ll be helping people understand, embrace, and unleash their calling. It’s one thing to understand your calling, another to embrace it, and yet another to unleash it. Thrive exists not just because I understood my calling—I unleashed it! I’m throwing it out into the world, and it’s time for you to do the same. You’ve been keeping your calling in your pocket—now it’s time to throw it! There are people who aren’t catching it because you’re not throwing it. Someone put some fire in the chat right there! I said some people aren’t catching it because you aren’t throwing it.

Who’s losing because you’re not winning? Who’s suffering because you haven’t started? I really want to spend five days with you, so I encourage you to go to unleasyourcalling.live and register for this! VIP is filling up quickly, and we have limited spots for that Zoom room. VIP gets an hour-long session early and a bonus day on Sunday, while everyone else starts on Monday. They’ll also get an hour session on Zoom where they get to see me, I get to see them, and people can ask questions!