Surviving Hate

 19 Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord.[a]  Romans 12:19 (CEB)

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What do you do when you  are  faced with  unfair or  unjust  circumstances?  Let's  be honest  our  first response may  be  to  go off  and  repay hate with hate. Although  doing it may feel  good  in that moment, the  truth is that  repaying hate with hate  poisons you  and  hardens your heart. Think about it this way; While we we're getting  caught up in our emotions  we  may be missing  out  on what God is trying to do through us in that moment.

Here's what  I mean by this...

It  is a  hard  concept to grasp   especially when you're  on the  receiving end of  a awful situation.  The thing is,  every battle that  we face  isn't our  battle  to fight, sometimes  we are  meant to  be a  light  in a  dark  situation.  This  may  for example  look like  being  silent in a  moment  when you  want  to  shout  or standing  firm in what God is  leading you to do even when it isn't the popular thing to do.  



Someone is  always observing  us  in one  way  or another and the grace that  you show in  a  unfavorable   situation  may  be the  only  glimpse  of  Christ that  they've  ever  witnessed for themselves. Things  will not  always  turn out  the way you may  hope that they would,  so  in those instances where you've  done  all that you  know to  do I want to  encourage you to  lean on  God and  pray,  pray , and pray some more.  From there  be patient and trust  that God will give you instructions  for  your next  steps.


 I  also  want  to mention in light of  the  what is  going on  not  only in  Ferguson but  across  america in  general,  I   realize that the  African  American  community  is  being  faced with so many unjust acts  and it seems like the  clock is being  reversed in  so many ways. In this time   It  is important for us  to  rely  on God  more than  ever and  band together  to  seek  social  change.  We are  all  angry and  feeling pressed under  the  weight of  disappoint but  I want to encourage you with the promise of  God, in  Romans 12;19  the  Lord says that  that  revenge is  his and that He  will defend us!  Stay strong   God  has things  under control.


Love,

No Looking Back

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do:(A)forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for (B)the prize of the upward (C)call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14 ESV) 

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You know,  in  life we  face so many different circumstances; From broken relationships,  family drama,  to financial  hardships.  It's  easy to  become  cynical  and  compare our   future to our past.   The truth is   what  separates our future from our past is our outlook.  Just because a series of   unfortunate  events happened   does not mean our  future has to play out in the same manner. 

Where is your focus, Is it on  Christ and His  abilities or   on you  and  your own  abilities ?  The  Lord is able to take all the  pieces of your  past  and  turn them into a  path that  leads you to  growth. He  will grant you  the  wisdom   that  will aide  you in  the future  but you must  be willing to shift your  focus.  Looking back on  your  past  and  thinking of ways things could have  turned out differently  will only leave you  disheartened  because  we  don't   have the power to rewrite the  past  but    putting your  trust in the Lord  will propel towards  His purpose for your  future.

  17 Therefore, if anyone is (A)in Christ, he is (B)a new creation.[a] (C)The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2Corinthians 5:17 ESV) 

There was   a  purpose for your  pain everything you've gone through served a purpose to get you  to   this  place.  I want to encourage you to see  your past  as   a  reference  point and not  your  final  destination. It is so  comforting to  know that  through  trusting  the Lord  and  His   plans  for our lives  we are able to  dust  ourselves off and   move forward with a  clean  slate.   God has  so much  more in store  for  us , more than  we  could ever begin to  wrap our  minds  around.   So don't  waste another  day  dwelling  the old  and  move  ahead .  

No looking back!

Love,

Got Guilt?

 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.  (1 John 3:20 NLT)

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We  have  all  done  some things that we  wish  we could have  done  differently.   For  instance, we may have  been harsh with a loved one ,  overreacted and said something that we shouldn't have or  we may have  overlooked   a  opportunity  to be there for someone who really needed us.  The weight of our  guilt  can  hit us  like a   ton of bricks and often times we  try to pick up the pieces by  trying to think of  ways we  could have  handled  things better.


Having  remorse for what you've done can begin  the process of  taking a  introspective look at ourselves and  making  necessary  changes where we need to.  What  you shouldn't do is  carry around the  burden of  guilt.  Instead    go to the Father in prayer, repent  and accept His  forgiveness. From there  ask God to lead you into your next steps.  If  you have the opportunity to make things  right then do that if not  pray for them and  God will take care of them. 



God is fully  aware of  our  weakness and where we fall short after all He  created us.  He knows exactly  how we are wired so  don't  waste time beating yourself up instead  allow  God  to pour  His wisdom into you.  I want to encourage  you  to not  allow  pride to  keep  you  stuck in time; God   has the ability  to take  those shortcomings  and  turn them in to an   opportunity  to mature you, so moving forward  you will be more sensitive to the leading of the holy spirit.

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1 NKJV )

There is no condemnation in  Christ  Jesus! This   means  we  are  free   from   carrying guilt  around with  us.  So  if we  have   prayed sincerely  for   forgiveness and  God has  extended  His grace to you then why let your  past  weigh you down?  Now that  you've  gained a  new perspective move on and  don't allow the enemy or  anyone else to remind you of your indiscretions in a effort to   keep you bound to  your past;  Instead  use your past  as a reference point of your  growth and how  God  changed you. 

Love,

Show Some Compassion #FridayQuickFix

 6 Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual should restore someone like this with a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted too. (Galatians 6:1 CEB)

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It's  amazing how God  is  able to  change us  from the inside out  and  grow us in areas where we once  struggled.  We begin to mature in Gods  word , be  more intentional about  walking out our purpose and that's great! But sometimes we  get to a  point  of  maturity  and we   develop amnesia  and forget the road we had to travel to become free.  

 For instance,  you may notice a  pattern or  behavior  in a  friend or  loved one  that they are  struggling with and  begin to judge  them harshly.   Instead of condemning them  consider yourself and   think about how patient  Jesus  was when you were  weak, fell short  and  complained when you didn't get your way.  We  all have  a  story and we all   had to go through a  process to  become more mature in our walk with  Christ.   Living for  God is  a  daily learning experience;  You don't  become saved and instantly  have it  altogether, each day we  must  seek  Christ to sustain us.

 17 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.” (Mark 2:17MSG)

So when you see  that  someone in your life is  struggling with some sort of  issue pray for them, guard you intentions by making sure that they are  pure and  finally  choose  your words wisely.  If the holy spirit  leads you to   help them remember   that  the body of  Christ is  full of broken people and Christ  came to  save and mend us  all. 

Love,

You've Changed

2 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12 )

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Not  everyone will understand   your  journey  and how God is transitioning you  out of  one  season and into the next.  Often times  we  find that  people are more  eager to point out your flaws and  give   shallow advice rather  than actually supporting your growth.  Whether their intentions are  well-meaning or not,  if it doesn't line up to  where  God is leading you then  you have to use   for their input. 

 You've changed...

Great! When  God is  changing your perspective it's  inevitable  that you will change for the  better.   You've exchanged your will for  Gods.  He is   growing you in areas where you use to struggle and you're losing interest in things that  weren't  good for you. This may take some  people in your life  off guard  and  you may find that the same  people that  lectured you about your flaws will ridicule  you for   changing for the better.

 You see, when  people see something in you that they  lack within  themselves  they will attempt to knock you down  a  peg in order  to make themselves  feel better.  In this instance   resist  the urge to put them in their  place, don't take it  personally pray for them   and  stand  firm in the fact that  God  has  a plan for you  and  that he is  moving you in a  new  direction.

Transitioning  into  Gods will for your life can  be difficult and  you will experience some growing pains.  Keep in mind that  at the end of those  trials  and those  people that doubted you is  a  crown of  glory.  Keep   going , keep trusting  God and His plan for you.  He  will bring the right people and the support system you need to  move into  the next level of  your  life and your faith so don't  lose  focus.

Love,

You Win

 4 because everyone who has been born from God has won the victory over the world. Our faith is what wins the victory over the world. (1 John 5:4 GW)

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Isn't it  amazing to know that  our faith ensures that we  win.  Even before we put fourth any effort God  meets us at the point of  our faith. With that being said, ask yourself  this;  When faced with unfavorable situations how do you react, do  you  operate in  faith or  give in to  fear?  Your answer will determine your outcome.

 6 When you ask for something, don’t have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. 7 A person who has doubts shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:6-7 GW)

As  long as we  walk this  earth we will face situations that  are  difficult.  Your  response is  important  and  key to your victory . If you're  constantly  being swayed here and there by your emotions how  do you expect  God to  move in an  area of your life  that you don't believe He can bring you through?

Worry  doesn't  accomplish  anything other than  keeping you bound  to a  situation that God wants to rescue you from. What you're going through  will not be the end of you. Take everything that  makes you anxious or   fearful and  exchange it  for Gods  ability to   completely  shift  your  circumstances. 

Will you take that first step, will you  take that leap of  faith?  Victory is   on the other side of your faith. It's what will sustain you in  hard times. God is  calling you to take  down the boundaries  you've  set up  and  begin to   see Him with new  eyes. In your weakness  Christ is  strong so focus  your attention on  Him and know that with him all you can do is  win.

Love,

Faith Builder

11 God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. (Colossians 1:11 NCV) 

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I believe  that it would be  safe to  say that we have all experienced  seasons in our lives where things seem to be falling apart and  you find yourself  becoming overwhelmed by our circumstances.  In these instances it's  easy to  begin to rely on our own reasoning   and attempt to  handle things in our own way instead of  relying on the hope that we have  in Christ.

The problem with  taking things into our own hands is that we  shift our  focus from the power of  God that  can  completely  turn our circumstances around to  the "power" of the  issue we're facing.  Remember   when unfavorable things are   happening in our lives  it is important  to begin to  have tunnel  vision  and  focus in on Christ; Allow this situation to be  a  faith builder  not a hope crusher.

The  mission of the enemy is to  steal  your  joy, kill your dreams and destroy your hope.  If he can successfully  bury you under the weight of your  anxiety  he  can keep you bound to this  moment that you were never meant to dwell in .  What we  must  understand is that there  isn't a  point in our lives that  God cannot reach us.  Even the enemy  has to submit to God; So  if  God  hand is  on us and He  has  given us power over the enemy  why would we  willingly  give the enemy  a  platform to stand   on by  focusing on whats going wrong.

9 Behold, I have given you authority (A)to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of (B)the enemy, and (C)nothing shall hurt you. (Luke 10:19 ESV) 

God intention is for us to   grow through our  pain not  to get stuck in it.  You don't need to know why or how things are  happening in your life  you just  need to   trust that   God  can  bring    you though it.   Let  your circumstances drive your closer  to  God , build  your  faith  and increase your endurance; So moving  forward  you won't bend easily because  you'll  be able to stand firm on His promises because you know from experience that you can take Him at his word.

Love,

Why Wise Counsel is Important #FridayQuickFix

Plans fail with no counsel, but with many counselors they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22 CEB)

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One of  the  biggest  killers of  personal  growth  is thinking we have it all together and taking on life's  issues  alone. We all need people in our lives that we can confide in, that we can share ideas with and receive   Christ centered  advice from.   A  genuine  friend  and a  solid  support system is  a valuable  and vital piece to  moving  towards our  purpose.

God never intended for us to figure everything out on our own  that's why He  has given  us  the   holy spirit  to  aid us in discerning  who to trust and develop   bonds with.  We need people in our lives that  will  pray for us,  pray over us and tell us when we are wrong and  help us figure out a plan to get on the right track.   

Wisdom is  recognizing that  we  all have  gifting in different  areas and  by sharing what  God has poured into  each of  us.  We all can benefit and  grow stronger and be  more effective in our day to day lives because of  the relationships we've nurtured. Today ask  God to  place the right people in your path  and to create a  support system  that pushes closer to Christ and your purpose. 

{NEW}   

Dealing with Difficult People

17 You won’t even have to fight. Just take your positions and watch the Lord rescue you from your enemy. Don’t be afraid. Just do as you’re told. And as you march out tomorrow, the Lord will be there with you. 2 Chronicles 20:17(CEV)

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Have you  ever   encountered  someone who  is  just plain difficult  to be around, nothing you do  seems to be  right and they seem to find  fault in  everything you do?   Of course, we all have had to deal with someone like this at some point.  It can prove to be very difficult in these instances to keep your  cool .

 In my  personal  experience  of  dealing with  a   difficult  person  there  have been times when I just wanted to snap and  treat them  the way they were treating me and then some!  The truth is it might have  made me  feel better  in the moment  but in the  long run what  would I have  really gained   by  mirroring their sour  attitude? Nothing. 


What I had to  realize is that   their  perception of me  had nothing to do  with  me.  It was pointless to allow them to  offend me  especially when  their opinion of me was based off of  an assumption. I've learned when  people can't seem to figure you out they begin to formulate opinions and scenarios that  simply don't exist instead of  just taking the time to get to know you. 

So  I had to shift my focus from taking  their  words personally to  trusting God  to fight my battles for me.  2 Chronicles 20:17a  says   "You won't even have to  fight. Just take your positions and watch the Lord rescue you from your enemy".   What I had to realize is that  it  wasn't  my job  to  win them  over or  convince them  of anything.  It is  more important to   continue to be true to who I am and who God says  I am.  

I'm sure  you've heard the  the saying misery loves company.  Well it's  true,  people  who  are unhappy with themselves tend to  seek  other people to  take their  insecurity out on. If you find yourself dealing with  this   kind of person right now I want to encourage you  to pray for  them   and     ask  God to  grant you discernment in this situation  and  follow His lead.   Don't  get caught up in your emotions instead position yourself to  trust God  he  will  meet you at the point of your need. 



Love, 

Following Gods Lead

  A person may plan his own journey,but the Lord directs his steps.  Proverbs 16:9 (GW)

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What do you do when your plans are completely  different from  the direction  God  in leading you in?  God  may  be asking you to  do  something  that is completely  out of your  comfort zone and let's be  real here  that  can be really intimidating .  In   this instance  you may be tempted to  run away but  resist  that urge. 

My  church is  doing a  series on  insecurity  and the recent  messages have  really been  helping me with  the  season  I'm  in currently. I've learned a  lot from this series  for  instance God isn't  concerned  with  what you think your skill sets are, if   God has   given you a  task to walk out  you can rest assured that  He has  already  qualified you.

The problem  begins when we   try to rationalize  our fear as  a valid reason to  put Gods plan on a shelf until  were "comfortable".   We  have the case of what I like to call the  "and then's or I'll be ready when's". I have to admit  I have been guilty of this myself, earlier this year I felt like the Lord was tugging on my heart to step  out of my comfort zone and leave my  job  but   I  brushed it  off and   buried Gods plan   because  I  couldn't  see the outcome.

What  I am learning is  that  trusting God with your  next  step doesn't mean  you will be able to figure out how it will all come together, you  aren't in  control and  you have to  be ok with  that;  Your job is   to continue walking out  Gods plan  one step at a time.  You may not  understand  the  purpose of what you're doing right now and  but you must trust  God  and move as He leads you.

Adjusting to change is  hard  but  trusting   God to get you through the  growing pains of  fully  operating in  your  purpose is  worth it.   Hang in there you're not alone  what God  brings you to He will  also  bring you through!

Love,

Taking God at His Word

Proverbs 30:5 (GW) 5  “Every word of God has proven to be true. He is a shield to those who come to him for protection.

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Sometimes it is really hard to  find people in your life that are  true to their  word. Often times they may forget a  promise that they made, lose  interest or simply change their minds.  I have to admit  that    one of my  biggest  pet peeves  is not being able to take someone at their  word.  But  I've learned over the years to forgive  those who have broken promises but  trusting them again is definitely  a process  that  takes  more time. 

Disappointment  can   really  change your  perspective not only  of the  person who disappointed you but  from that point on  it can change how you see  everyone else that comes into your life after the fact. You  begin to look for corresponding   behaviors that  remind you of   past offenses and  immediately put up your defenses.  

Discernment is  one thing  but sometimes  we   confuse the ability to   be a  good  judge  of character with actually  being  a  pessimist .  A pessimistic  sour  outlook on everyone and everything is exhausting  because  you are  constantly  revisiting  your past in order to compare notes. This attitude  can even bleed into  our walk with  God  and  our  ability to  fully trust Him.  

 Here's what you need to know;  There is no comparison between   finite  people  and  an infinite  God.    We cannot even begin to  wrap our minds around  Gods timing  or  how  He  chooses to move in  our lives but  what you can be assured of  is that  every  word, every  promise  from  God is already  done.  God knows where you are right now  and what you need.  But  will you trust Him or  continue to  lean to  your own understanding?

Sometimes we get so  caught up in our past hurt and  disappointments  that we are blinded to the fact that He was  present even in our pain  and  that  He is still present and working things out in your life right now.  Instead of  complaining about  dead  situations   I want to encourage  you  to  pour  your heart out to  God  and  ask Him to heal your broken heart .  You don't have to continue to struggle under the  weight of your pain and disappointment.

Love,

Don't Have to Believe Everything You Think

Ephesians 6:10-11(CEV) 10 Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks.

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Million of  thoughts  flow through our  minds within the course of a day and   most we are  able to brush off and  not give much thought to but then  one negative thought  creeps in and attempts  to change  our  perspective of ourselves. 

The truth is  that  the objective  of  the  enemy  is to feed you lies that will  diminish   your confidence.  Breaking your  confidence   slows down the journey to your  propose because now your  focus has  shifted to areas of  your life that you are insecure about; Pinpointing the   things that you're insecure about  is a  tactic to keep you  defeated.  He knows that the longer  that  he  can  distract you with negative  thoughts the longer the journey will take. 

Hears what  you need to know:  If you're life didn't matter and   your purpose wasn't  so important the  enemy would be trying  so  hard to  defeat you with  negative  thoughts.  The  TRUTH is that your life  does  matter and your  life  has  purpose!

Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper,And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn.

Today I want to remember that you do not  have  to believe  everything that you hear.  Every thought that  flows through your mind isnt true.   A  way to gauge this is   to ask yourself  this   Does  this  thought  line up with what  God  says about me? If  not  discard those thoughts  and  replace it with Gods truth. Below are  few  verses that you can mediate on. 

Psalm 139:14(NKJV)14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;Marvelous are Your works,And that my soul knows very well.

Matthew 5:14 (NKJV)14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Ephesians 4:24 (NKJV) 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

1 John 4:16 (ESV) 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Use  Gods truth as your ammunition  and  press forward the best is yet to come!

Love,

You Talk a Good Game But.....

1 John 1:5-6(GNT) 5 Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. 6 If, then, we say that we have fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions.

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Have you  noticed how through social media  we can   hype  ourselves up and  project any image of ourselves that we'd like.   You  really  never  know what's  authentic and  what   is the  reality behind  the computer or iPhone screen. 

The same  goes  for Christian  at times;  We we project an image that we  believe  other  believers  expect of  us but outside of those circles our actions contradict who we say we  are.  The truth is  you can  only keep up appearances  for  so long before  truth  peeks in.  Who we really are will eventually play out in  the company we keep, our lifestyle,  our temper and the   language we use  .

I don't know about you but  I want to be  the authentic to who I am   and more  importantly  I want to be  true to what  God expects of  me.   The truth is you maybe  able  to  put on a  good front  and fool a few people  but   you cannot  do  the  same  with God.  He knows where our heart is  at and where we really stand in our  convictions. 

So  take a honest inventory  of areas of your life where you've  wavered in your  convictions. Is it  the music that you listen to, a  TV show or  the  company you keep?   From there ask God to  further search your heart and point out the areas you may not be aware of.  God will take the blinders off  so that  moving forward  you won't  fall into the same patterns of  old  behaviors.  You won't have to talk a  good game because  you're  growing and becoming authentic to  who God created you to be.