What is in your past holding you back?

Luke 9:62 - Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (NIV).

What is in your past holding you back? Is a question, we must all ask ourselves as we move forward on the word of God. Because the thing is this, God will never ask you to give up anything that He does not have something greater in store for you. Neither does the Father tell you to not look back to mess with your head; he does so because you need to be focus. See, we go in the direction of our focus, whether we admit it or not. As our focus influence our thinking, and our actions. God also knows what lies behind you will draw on your heart strings and divide our efforts. Resulting in us being unsure, unsteady, and indecisive in our choices, which ultimately could, more likely than not, lead to doubt, then fear, then anger, thus no forgiveness.

What in your past is holding you back? We all have family members and friends who love us so much, they do not want us to move forward and prosper. They do not mean any harm but they have been in this funk of a mindset and lifestyle for so long, nothing else seems plausible. Therefore, they throw up roadblocks while covering them in sweet and sugary, “you know, I want what is best for you, and I love you’, all the while throwing up bricks to block your path, and roadblocks that stop you from moving forward and upward in God’s name. So, yes Virginia, do not look back because God gotcha your soul covered 360.  So, when he says look ahead, just do it, or end up like Lot’s wife Gen. 19:24-26. God just asked we trust him over others, to serve him above all others, and believe him with our whole heart. The same we ask of our loved ones, and friends, if we desire it and expect it of them, and we are flawed. How much more is our God? God forbid, we get so high, we become unfit for service because we can’t see the miracle lying in our God’s smile…We choose, it is always our a choice, to make. So, don’t let what in your past stop you from achieving, rather say, done and done!

Transformed by the renewing of your mind

And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Rom 12:2 (ASB)

Hey everyone! I have been gone for a minute. I know, I have been M.I.A. for real, I had to get some things together and find my way too…smiling. 

So, lets work. I have had the verse above rolling around in my head for a week or so. I just cannot shake it. I guess, because I live in a world where ‘fake it, until you make it’ is the more than a notion, but a way of life. The problem, I have with this is, when are we going to metamorph in the beautiful butterfly, and not continue to stay spongey, shapeless thing. When ‘we fake it, until we make it’, we forget, and we get our feathers in a ruffle when others are not buying, what we are selling; it is fake, they see it, and do not care for it. See it seems we do not mind, making outward changes so we are socially acceptable, politically correct, or religiously right because we have been told this is the SOP (standard operating procedure) for life; but it is not always bought as it is sold…  We are not really having this thing called change, renewing, transforming the mind as part of our 'things to do list.'. Why? It requires confronting some truths, we rather not confront.  More often than not, we refuse to admit our flaws, imperfections, and fears to ourselves, which means we cannot even begin to change so we can see the good and acceptable things of God in its fullness. The verse above states - … ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God… Now, us nice Christian people, most of us, speak it, but we not trying to do it…Now do not get me wrong, I am not talking about us putting our issues in the street for everyone to take shots at us. What I am speaking of is being authentic with self, so you shall live your truth, and be free, and start creating and having honest and authentic relationships. . No it is not easy, but nothing worth having in this life ever is; the journey, the process grants the value.

Yet, owning where we are flawed, imperfect,and/or our fears is the beginning of change. We cannot have healed, what we will not reveal, and the revealing and admitting begins in the head and the heart.  God cannot get through to us, when we are caught up in like fashions of man, and react according to the wiles, ruse man has present before us. See we can be washed, white as snow, have it shot out, but if the heart is not right, we just had a good ‘high’, a good fix nothing more. We have to begin the process of inward change.  See, once the inward change had been done, the outward change of doing right is no longer a chore, work, struggle, it is done with a seamless unconsciousness ease because you are authentic with you, thus, it is easier to be authentic, positive and kinder in our verbal exchanges.

Promotion, elevation

With promotion, elevation in life we must be prepared to give something up; what you will give up determine how far you will rise.The irony is in order to rise the highest, or reach our fullest potential; we most likely than not, have to give up the things we want to hold. When we begin to selectively choose what we are willing to give up because it is easy, we limit our own growth. Or maybe we only give up what we think we need to give up, this but not that. The funny thing is, the things you say you don’t need to give up, to get up, are the very things you need to give up. Why do I say that? Do you really think David would given up the comfort of home, inspite of the teasing to run for his life for at least 14 years, if it was foretold to him before he would be king. What about Abraham, he would not have chosen all he endure, the wait, if God had told him the how long the wait would be or he would have to be willing to sacrifice ‘the promise’ to gain it; I don’t think so. What about the disciples, the twelve, they all had to give something up, no one will rise in life without giving something up; we got to get this in our sinew of our being.

See elevation, promotion is not an easy task, even though many people desire it, covet it, they are not all willing to endure the journey or prepared to handle the pressure that come with it. So, the next time you wonder how come him/her, but not me, ask yourself - am I willing to pay the price to gain the promotion, elevation, and can I stand to lose what I never thought I could live without? Because these are questions, we must face as we seek promotion, elevation because whether you desire to or not, giving up something is required…it is, what it is…we choose.

Almost one year ago…

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9 NIV           

    

One year ago, almost, I made a declaration about my relationship with God, and I thought things would just go. I would follow the protocol set before me, and move forward, but like most things with me, that was not to be. It seem most often than not, my path is a little different and more colorful, to say the least.lol. However, what I found most disconcerting is hardly no one really came to me with encouragement, or with ‘a keep your head up’, rather I received many negative digs, or toxic comments. I was like really?! See I believe in my heart what God allowed, I accept because He is teaching or using me for what I do not see. He does make something bless out of what man does in his negligence, selfishness, or cruelty ways; God uses it for my good.  But we are too quickly to seek man’s way of doing, seeing, understanding things and not seek out God’s. However, if it is a God thing, then why seek man’s way? Is because we worship the creation, and not the Creator, or misery like company? I do not know what is it, but I do not know this. Who God called He justified, who he justified, he sanctified, who he sanctified, he purified, and in time, His time, He reconciles them unto Himself; done and done.

See God made me in His image, fashioned me with His intricate grace, refined  me in the fires of mercy lace justice, and tempered me in blood stained cleansing love. I am reminded,  I was not designed by Hasbro, plans laid for life were not laid out by Parker Brothers, made strong to endure life problems by Tonka toys, or placed into action by Trendmasters; I am God’s child…

And I remember more often than not, this verse when I am questioned about ‘how come’ - Proverbs 18:21 -The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit…We choose, we always do…done, and done

Believe to recieve...

You have to believe it to achieve it, receive it. It is easy to do, believe, in a household where basic needs are met, extras are provided, or the environment that encourages it. Therefore, it is the norm. However, it is difficult to do so when those things are absence, and you have no one to comfort or encourage you. You begin to think this is true, this success, achieve thing is all good but only for ‘those’ type of people. But these verses – 1 Cor. 2:9-10 - However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit, and Jer. 29:11-12 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you - do not echo that, it does not reference your condition, or the state you are in; it is about you believing to receive. Yet, it does issue promises, guarantees of God because a little is much when it is in God hands, if you do not believe it reread Eze. 37:2-5 - He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!  This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. See God shows us, and provides for us in those places we find to be dry, desolate, bleak and/or infertile, we just have to believe because He had not forgotten about us or the needs we have. Go…Choose, believe, and receive…