March 2013 – Life Inspired By God

A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 KJV2000

You may feel this is not relevant, but of course I do lol. We all pray for things; we all have things we want and long for. Some of you desire marriage, friendships, or other things in the form of people to satisfy some need. I learned this the hard way.

I prayed that God would send me a friend back in 2009. And I received the word back many times that in order to have friends, you must first be a friend. What this meant I would learn over many years, and today it was crystallized in my mind how difficult that process has been, but how the end result was great. Over the last 3-4 years, a number of people have come in and out of my life to be my ‘friend’ and some have definitely not made the cut. But there have been a select few of these relationships that have weathered the test of time and my emotions and feelings, lol; they have definitely given me some wounds lol but thank God for healing. There was a need deep within my heart to keep pressing and going back and forgiving, supporting, praying, encouraging and remaining there for that person in spite of their complaining, neglect, disagreements with my way (because for some people, its my way or the highway ), and just ruffling my feathers and rubbing me the wrong way–chafing my skin.

I think of Jesus and our heavenly Father, how time after time after time we are forgiven when we are less than ‘friendly’ to them. We doubt, we give up, and cry and pout (I know I’m talking to myself and its funny now lol). But they are still there for us…why you ask? Because of love! We show others the love of God when we withstand the ability to give up on them, even when we want to and truthfully others want us to as well.

You must be a friend first (your act of sowing) so that when friends come along (your harvest) you know how to treat them! In my case I have asked God for many things: a mentor, so I have had to mentor people (very difficult); to be a wife and get married so I have been going through a preparation and purification process that has been very humbling to me, including confessing my own list of ‘I am’ statements which detail qualities I would like in my husband as well as that I become the Proverbs 31 woman, submitting to God’s authority, having integrity; to be a leader so I have been undergoing the DIFFICULT, testy task of be led, both at work, school, and in the Spirit; to be a mother so I had a mentee that was very much like my child that taught me things about life and even in helping with my nieces and god-daughter even though I am nearly a 1000 miles away, being nurturing to others, in particular to their Spirit man; to be wealthy so I had to learn to give and sow and tithe, all acts of my faith necessary for me to see the manifestation of the resources that will cause that to happen… I have had to sow these actions so that when my times come for harvesting–my marriage, my becoming a parent, my becoming a leader–I am prepared to maintain the rewards of my labor.

Your sowing will attract the harvest you desire. The beauty of being a friend or a mentor or a mother to someone else…you are sowing God’s love into someone’s life that will produce the greatest harvest ever–the salvation of their soul.

Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 HCSB

I will give thanks to You, for the greatness of the way I was made brings fear. Your works are great and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14 NLV

I had several realizations over the last few days, as God decided to give me a closer touch and glimpse of who He is. God speaks to me about and for others regularly…but I needed and still need a regular revelation for myself. So God has shown me that He heard my prayers and wanted to teach me a lesson in faith: have faith in myself.

There are things I innately have felt competent at, things I knew without much effort I could do, like fixing things, cooking, and solving problems. I knew I would get into law school, despite the fact I did not apply myself as I should have (DON’T follow in my footsteps, preparation is essential, as I now know). However, upon getting in and actually starting school, that confidence I have always had in regards to school quickly diminished, to an almost nonexistence. I recognized my faults and am working to rectify them…but this experience had left a mar on the faith I once had in myself.

This was translated from my work, which is the primary reason for this sharing of my testimony lol… I have been working for my job for nearly 5 years (I know I don’t look it lol). I finished all necessary requirements for my developmental training earlier than anticipated (with the inclusion of my nearly 4 months off work due to my health and my dad’s death). I have performed well…but I allowed some of the tests that God has allowed in my life in the form of bad leadership to cause me to question myself. I felt like I did not deserve to apply for my promotion until I had achieved this milestone, which now seems virtually impossible after several months of work on it. But He chose to reveal to me the truth.

I recognize now that I had the formula wrong. I was trying to do it in my own strength. Both school and work, things that have become things I identify myself by, I have been trying to be successful without God. Of course I will come to Him in prayer for clarity and strength…but I had not asked that He guide me, that He goes before me and makes my paths straight. Instead, I have been meandering along, albeit He has been showing me things along the way. This lesson though, to have faith in myself, requires me to have faith in the Father, because He equipped us with the gifts and talents necessary to excel in any situations we face.

I read several translations of the scripture above because I confess it every morning but I remember looking at a few translations and how sometimes different versions will really speak to you. And today I needed to see this. Having faith in yourself is essential to your truly being used of and by God. To believe in God’s plan and purpose for your life, you have to, you must believe in the abilities, talents, gifts, and skills you have. Why? Because they specifically qualify you to be the best person for the specific assignment He has for you. Your having faith in them coincides with your faith in Him because He gave you them!

You must have faith in yourself, because God uniquely created you. He set you apart for something great. Here is the key: we have faith in God. We have faith in His works…we are one of His works. We are His beloved creation. He is within us; having faith within ourselves allows God to have the maximum ability to work through you because we can rest in those things He put within us. How can you do it if you don’t believe you can? Its time to be like the Little Engine that Could and faith it till you make it! Love you….

I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe.
You have approached even the smallest details with excellence;
Your works are wonderful;
I carry this knowledge deep within my soul. Psalm 139:14 The Voice

Month: March 2013

Laws of Attraction, Sowing and Reaping

The Other Side of Faith