One major epidemic in the world today is that everyone wants to be the next big name instead of being the first them. And the thing is, it takes no effort to be like someone. All you have to do is copy their mannerisms, copy how they talk, and simply do what they do. However, it takes faith to be original, but you are being led on a path you, or no one else, have been on before, no one but God.
Learning how to access the original identification we are called to requires us getting detoxed of who we are not. We have to really face our fears and ask ourselves a lot of questions, questions like, “what do I like? Who am I really? What am I called to do? Where is my place in the world?” It takes a strong spiritual consciousness and awareness to ask ourselves these questions so we can understand who we are even the more. The problem with copying others is that we can be so far into it that we do not even know ourselves. We don’t know what our favorite color is; we don’t know what gifts are inside of us; we don’t know what our passions are, and it’s all because we have been so busy imitating others that we do not know us. There is a difference between learning from someone and copying them. Yes, it is necessary to learn foundational principles like integrity, Godly character and the like. But the way God desires to speak through each of us is different. The way we live should be according to His will and plan for our lives and not living vicariously through someone else. Another hang up that keeps us from being original is that we do not accept our God-given value. We feel like we are only successful if people say we are, that we are only powerful if certain things manifest in our lives like we’ve seen manifest in others. This is simply not true. The lack of fathers in the lives of children today has opened the door to the lack of identity in the natural, but I’m so glad that none of this took God by surprise! Our identity was in Him before our parents knew each other! God told Jeremiah in chapter 1:5, ‘before I formed you in your mother’s womb I knew you.’ Think about it this way. When we try so hard to be like someone else we are robbing not only them but ourselves of the delight of being who we really are. And anyone who wants you to be like them is secretly dealing with their value being placed in your hands as to say that you hold the key. That’s too much pressure to put on anyone. No one deserves that; no one can handle that but God. This is why our value is in the Cross, the blood of Jesus. So in closing, as you reflect on today’s thought, meditate on the fact that you are original, and no one can be you but you. Make the decision not to waste anymore time trying to be like anyone else but to be the best you for God. Let’s go!
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Boldness is a sign of confidence, Godly confidence in this case, that says, “I know God hears me when I pray.” It is what the enemy hates when we take a stand and say, ‘no more’ to all of his illusions and suggestions. Boldness is what we need to take back some things we have given away to the enemy.
Hebrews 4:16 says in the Amplified, “Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].” The Lord wants us to come to Him with confidence in what we ask Him for. I’m convinced that coming to Him without confidence is coming to Him with doubt. And when we have doubt we have a tendency to ask amiss. The Lord is not intimidated of our requests. He wants us to trust Him. The thing is, if we don’t know His Word we won’t know what’s in His will to ask. We cannot allow any excuses to keep us from seeking and hungering after the Word of God. Many distractions will come in the form of anxiety and restlessness during service or the excuse of not understanding the Bible when we read it. It’s not a misunderstanding of it all the time; it’s a lack of desire to understand it. Even at home, we must allocate and set aside the time necessary to meet God intentionally. The Holy Spirit will teach us if we desire to be taught. Beloved, I’m convinced that some things the devil didn’t take; we just gave it away because we stopped believing that God can and He will. Get back in the Word and make it your priority. Give no place to the devil and his lies. He comes to distract you from the Word because he knows that if you get in the Word and obey what God says your life will change immediately! Every answer to every situation you will face is in the Word of God. The Word defeated hell, so it is tried and true and has a proven track record to manifest life. Use His Word, and you will prosper! In Matthew 6:33, a very familiar verse, the Word tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be added to us. The key word in this verse is “first.” Many times the reason why things are out of sync in our lives is because we don’t always put the Lord first.
In an age where there are so many convenient opportunities to distract us from seeking the Lord it has to be an intentional desire for the Lord to be our priority and not our option. Over time we found ourselves making so many excuses as to why we don’t seek the Lord first when waking up in the mornings, seek Him first before making decisions, serve Him first in our finances, and in so many other areas. Often times we found ourselves consulting after the counsel of our emotions rather than the counsel of God. Countless mechanisms are used to keep us out of balance. For instance, it seems to be easy to spend two hours in a mall or watching a TV show or game, but those same two hours can become frustrating while in service. Why is that the case? Could it be because our priorities are out of order? Why does it seem easier to spend $50 on clothes and shoes we may not need but find it hard to give to the work of the Lord in that same amount without complaining or even saying ‘all the church wants is our money’? I heard and received a Word of teaching through a wise man a couple of weeks ago, and the Lord used him to say, “Whatever you serve determines what you worship, and what you do first has authority over your life.” Anything or anyone we put before God has the potential to be our idol, even if it’s ourselves. So what keeps us from prioritizing effectively? Let’s ponder on a couple of reasons. The first one is fear. We get nervous when it comes to responsibility, and that, many times, is the reason why we tend to view God as only an option. We’ve recognized that we are responsible for the Truth we hear and read, so to ignore the responsibility altogether, we isolate ourselves from the Truth. Another one is because of a lack of commitment. Priorities are an indicator of what is important to us, from greatest to least. What we do first becomes what we are passionate about, and what we do last is what can wait later. Although our commitment is not as consistent as it should we must aim to stick and stay regardless. It’s unfair to put God first when we’re going through a storm and put Him last when all seems to be going quite well. Commitment is not a seasonal thing; it’s a trust thing. Can you see any areas in your life where you’ve put God on the backburner, where you’ve given Him your leftovers or pushed for Him only when it was convenient? Let’s make a decision that we will put God first again, back where He belongs in our lives. Selah. How many times have we been in a place where we have only skimmed the surface of what God has called us to do in that particular place or area? Have you experienced times where you were not exhausting all of who you were supposed to be? God desires for us to be maximized.
To be maximized is to reach our fullest potential in an area, to max out, to learn all we can learn and do all we can do. The key to being maximized is that it must be done before we move to something else or some place else. Many of us have made the mistake of going from place to place when we should allow God to maximize us where we are first before moving forward. Much of this is done mainly because, for many of us, we get bored with discipline, but discipline is necessary for growth. Being maximized must take place in three key areas: the mind, the heart and conversation. The mind is the steering wheel of our lives. What we allow in our minds will eventually come out of our mouths (conversation). And our heart must have a greater capacity and passion to stick and stay so progression in our current place will be accessed. There are three enemies of being maximized: being average, being comfortable and being insecure. Being average is the norm, but in order to be effective, it requires us to go above and beyond what is naturally expected. This, in turn, pushes us outside of our comfort zones and helps us tap into our potential. We are stretched beyond comfort, and we reach a new peak. Think about it this way. When we set a goal and you reach it, it’s time to set new ones. When a person works out in the gym and they have conquered the goal of running a half a mile on the treadmill in 5 minutes or less, it’s time to pursue a new goal. When we place our value in other things and people instead of God we risk the lifestyle of being insecure. It will be very hard to handle having a strong and positive Godly influence when we are afraid of what others may think about us. Fear holds us stagnant from what God desires to do within us and through us. So know that God has called you to be maximized right where you are. Don’t give in to the temptation to move hastily without allowing the Holy Spirit to make you effective in your current place. Selah. |
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