Finding an Escape

There were times when I shined. Times I truly sparkled, my wings were out, ready to fly but there was no wind, no grace, no hand to hold me. My light grew dim and my heart faint. I faded away, running in fear to hide in my cave where I could be safe. But the time has come when I want out, but is there a road? Am I strong enough to take it if there was? What if I’m not brave enough to spread my wings again? Will I rot away if I stay? To be productive and fruitful is all I want. It’s all I ever wanted but I can’t seem to manage this life. It’s a car that won’t start, a game I can’t play. My hope is in You, Oh Lord it’s always been in You! There were moments I shined, moments when I thought I could fly but things are different now and tears flood my eyes every day. I long to be diffrent but I’ve backed myself into a corner and now all I want to do is escape. Escape life.

Hope in Jesus

Feeling down and discouraged? Ready to give up and leave this world behind? Tired of the way things are? Frustrated with bad choices? Does it seem like things could never get better? Are you clouded with despair? Running from your mistakes? Hiding from the truth?

Well my friend, what you need is hope. The kind of hope only found in Jesus. He is the light that casts away all darkness and the redeemer who wipes away your mistakes. Only through Jesus can you be made new. You can start again! Yes! Just as if you never sinned. This is the day to lay it all down. Leave your cares and worries at His feet for He cares for you. Trust in the name of the Lord and the peace that surpasses all understanding will wash over you. Yes! This is the day! Surly it is time!! New life awaits for you! All who are weak and weary, come! Come to the Lord for He has good plans for you! Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and future.

Your hurts and pains, the world has no remedy for, but the Lord, oh He has healing in his wings. There is nothing He can’t do. He is able! He is willing! Will you come? Come now, come all! This is the day of salvation!

They might change their minds...

“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God let the people around by the desert road toward the Red Seas. “- Exodus 1316

While reading my Bible this morning, this verse really stood out and I’d like to encourage you with it.

If the road seems long and if the road seems empty, be encouraged! It just may be that the Lord is taking you through the desert to avoid obstacles that could discourage you and ultimately hinder your destiny. Many times the road to our destiny and the fulfillment of God’s promises is much longer than we anticipate. A little push or shove so easily sends many of us heading back to the land of “comfortable” or “Egypt”a place of bondage because of this God may not to take us the shortest way, but completely around those things that would cause us to quit. Faced with too many obstacles, road blocks, and adversaries, we may grow weary and pack our bags. The desert gets lonely and it gets dry and sometimes it seems like the worst possible road to freedom, but God knows what He’s doing. It just may be the safest way for you, “for God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”

Trust in the Lord though the road seems long. Allow Him to marinate in you while you walk through the desert and when you make it through, you will rejoice and say, “God has been faithful to me!”

There will always be something!

I know people expect you to be perfect before stepping out in faith to do what God has placed in your heart to do. But honestly, you’ll never be perfect. I don’t say that as a discouragement, but encouragement. There will always be something that leaves something to be desired.

I use to be one of those people that would just sit around and wait until everything in my life lined up perfectly, but then my super sharp mind (ha-ha) figured it out that nothing will ever be lined up exactly right. God may be dealing with you about your attitude this season, but once you’ve grown up and matured over that issue, you’ll face something else next season. There will always be something.

Also, there will always be someone who thinks you are not good enough or lack talent, even denies your gifting completely. But you cannot back down because every season will hold another growth experience. The blood of Jesus is our righteousness. He is perfect so we don’t have to be. Press forward and continue to allow the Lord to purify you, yes! But don’t shrink back and wait around doing nothing until some imaginary day arrives when you’ll be “perfect” because it won’t happen. God is pleased with you now and he’ll be pleased with you later too! People will put unrealistic expectations on you and even judge you when you let them down, but ultimately that is a problem that they have to work out within themselves. Don’t allow their ideals to make you feel unqualified and somehow broken. I believe that’s a trick of the enemy.

Your gifts were given to you by God to encourage and bless those around you and if He’s given you the gifts, don’t you think that He too will open a door for them? What parent would buy their kids a pair of skates but turn around and say, “They must sit on the shelf and never be touched!” or give their child a flat basketball without air? If you wouldn’t do that to your kids, why would God; the one who displayed the ultimate expression of love? Wouldn’t you want to see your kids laughing and skating with their new skates? Or shooting a hoop with their new basketball? Why would God have any less joy in watching us thrive in our spiritual gifts? Would you take your kids' skates away just because they didn’t know how to use them at first and fell down a few times? Or would you encourage them by saying, “You are doing great, get back up, and keep practicing, you’ll get the hang of it before you know it.” So why in the Body of Christ do we see people trying to take away another's gifts?

Yes you may have fallen short and yes you may have to work on a particular issue for a few season and yes God may have to teach you how to walk with your head held high full of His boldness, and yes there might be a lot of other things that look less than what they should be, BUT don’t give up. Don’t allow the words of bystanders to slow you down. Most of the world and even the Body of Christ only sees what is in the natural. They can’t comprehend the wonderful things the Lord is mending, molding, birthing, and fashioning inside of you.

If you have been discouraged by the words and attitudes of man, start today anew and forget what others have said about you or thought about you and even done to you and surrender your gifts and talents to the Lord. Step out in faith knowing your righteousness comes from the Blood of Jesus not on performance or lack thereof. You will never be perfect on your own; there will always be something in need of growth and maturity in your life. So stop waiting for an appointed day and just jump in the river.

Biggest Loser or Biggest Lover?

Isn’t it funny how people copy and mimic one another without realizing it? How easily we take on another’s offense or join in spirit with someone without even knowing why?

I was watching Biggest Loser this past week and saw a few things that really began to stir within me. You see each contestant on Biggest Loser gets to have a partner but on this season they sent one partner home for a few weeks to see how much weight they could loose on their own while the other partner stayed at the show with the benefit of trainers. When it was finally time for the sent home partners to return the show weighed them all to see their progress. Everyone that was sent home lost a surprisingly large amount of weight expect one girl who only lost 2 lbs. She tried to make excuses about why she lost such a small number but the trainers quickly put her in her place by basically saying she lost a small number because she put in a small amount of work toward that goal. But all to soon does this contestant forget her shortcomings because later in the show the trainers get on this other girl’s case named Joelle for being lazy and unproductive in the gym. The trainers had issues with Joelle’s performance for awhile and it had stirred up a few of the other teams already but in this episode the very girl who lost only 2 lbs was seemingly the ring leader of accusation and condemnation toward this other girl Joelle.

It really made me think about how soon we forget our own need for mercy and grace. How often we forget the extent in which God has stretched His arm to us. We are so quick at condemning and accusing others of the very things we have been guilty of. Not only did this show highlight our eagerness to point the finger at someone but it also showed how quickly others jump on board to condemn someone just because someone else is doing it. Why do we take part in such spirits? Do we even ask ourselves “why?” we feel what we feel or say what we say? How many times are we taking on someone else’s offense or bad attitude for no reason at all, just going with the flow but obviously the wrong flow.

I’d encourage each of us including myself to slow down and examine what flow we are choosing to flow with. As Christians we need to be different. Let’s extend mercy where others are not. Let’s give the benefit of the doubt to those in need. Let’s speak life not death. Just because everyone else is mad at someone doesn’t mean you should jump on board. I acutely challenge you not to jump on board but to stand up for those who can not stand up for themselves. It doesn’t matter what a person’s done, they are never to far that God’s love can not reach. As Christians we should be the first to chase others down with God’s mercy. Don’t allow unclean and bitter spirits to influence the love you extend. Step away from the crowd and their flow and begin to walk up stream. Be the life, love and grace the world needs. The ones that frustrate us the most are the ones who need our love the most.

He built a bridge

I think it’s sad that when people get to a certain level of Christian maturity they assume they know whether or not someone else is anointed or if they really love Jesus. Haven’t we all seen people like that? If you haven’t you’re probably the one doing it, no offense or anything.

Who are we to make judgments about other people’s spiritual life? Maybe it’s because we get jealous or insecure? Maybe it’s because we feel intimidated or maybe even convicted? Whatever the reason it’s just sad.

Lets give people room to be who God created them to be because assuming we know all about another person is really not mature at all.

If we do see something out of line or weird why don’t we run to that person instead of forming a wall against them? Doesn’t that make more sense?

Jesus didn't form a wall against you. He built a bridge!

Spiritual Gift Assessment tests

Most people who have been involved in church for any length of time have come across spiritual gifting assessment tests. These tests ask a list of questions in hopes to identify your biblical spiritual gifts. Being a psychology student, I’ve always enjoyed the tests because I enjoy personalities and understanding why people do what they do.

Over the years, I have noticed how different spiritual gifts can indeed cause a person to have specific characteristics and these characteristics can be identified at times through these tests. It's very fascinating. Even with myself, I see how certain gifts affect my personality and things I enjoy and so forth. But what worries me about these tests is when people expect them to be 100% accurate, when they allow the test to be the deciding factor instead of God.

We must remember that God is the giver of all gifts. He alone chooses whoever He wants and how many times has God chosen someone who fit the part?? 

Our weaknesses are not off limits to God, and we are not always able to see what He sees in ourselves and in others. Many times the things God wants us to do are the very things we think we can't do.

Though I've taken many spiritual gifting tests over the years, I didn’t find out my spiritual gifts through a test. I found them out through desperation. I felt left out and left behind and I began crying out to the Lord. I wanted Him to show me what He had deposited in me and He answered me in a dream. But even now at 24, God is still sharing pieces to the puzzle with me about what He wants me to do for Him. 

It is a process and one man made test just doesn’t cover it all. God is wonderful at making something beautiful out of our insecurities and doing great things through people who aren't so great. So trust God and know that when and where we are weak, He surely is strong!

God is the giver and He will show you!