As we end a month of celebrating the contributions of women throughout history, we are reminded how powerful our voices are when we choose to use them. I encourage you to use your voice regardless of gender. Dare to come to the table, stand on your mountain, take the platform… show up for the game.
Although it is said that Nelson Mandela did not say this as many of us were told, it is still a powerful reminder that your voice must be heard. We must not remain slaves to our fears.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are weak. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world … As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Your presence speaks! Use your voice!
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]. 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP
2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet [fit] for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Amid our current soc-economic environment, even what was mundane seems foreign.We wear masks to the grocery store and stand in a long line waiting to use a machine to check out our groceries because retailers discovered that automation streamlines their processes and reduces operating costs. God has left us in a foreign land, not of our choosing but His. Please make no mistake the creator of the universe is not surprised or overwhelmed by our challenges. In fact, Jesus is interceding for us to run our race with strength and power. He has given us everything we need to run fearless, intentional, transformed lives according to the grace and power He has given us.
Opportunities and new adventures fill our chaotic world. Yes, our circumstances may result from loss, pain, and trauma; however, during our most difficult times throughout humanity’s existence, humankind interjected our most significant infusion of creativity. Until the end of time, time will continue. What are we going to do with the opportunity given in this time and space? Some might see this as an opportunity to reinvent themselves, while others might feel overwhelmed with the changes needed to live in a world that has changed so drastically in a short time span. Although we live in the most technologically advanced era of human existence, few reap the benefit of taking advantage due to lack of training and confidence.
Because of technology such as laptops, cell phones, tablets, and smart televisions, along with social media, we have access to a global community. How do you utilize time, talents, and treasures to optimize the opportunity of having the world at your fingertips? Whether your call is to the church, the educational system, science, medicine, or the marketplace, exploration of possibilities is limitless. You can create an environment to accomplish God’s riches and highest best for your life and those in your sphere of influence. Taking advantage of opportunities requires living fearlessly with intentionality. This process will bring about a transformation that will empower you as you utilize the resources available to accomplish your intended purpose
2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet [fit] for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Amid our current soc-economic environment, even what was mundane seems foreign.We wear masks to the grocery store and stand in a long line waiting to use a machine to check out our groceries because retailers discovered that automation streamlines their processes and reduces operating costs. God has left us in a foreign land, not of our choosing but His. Please make no mistake the creator of the universe is not surprised or overwhelmed by our challenges. In fact, Jesus is interceding for us to run our race with strength and power. He has given us everything we need to run fearless, intentional, transformed lives according to the grace and power He has given us.
Opportunities and new adventures fill our chaotic world. Yes, our circumstances may result from loss, pain, and trauma; however, during our most difficult times throughout humanity’s existence, humankind interjected our most significant infusion of creativity. Until the end of time, time will continue. What are we going to do with the opportunity given in this time and space? Some might see this as an opportunity to reinvent themselves, while others might feel overwhelmed with the changes needed to live in a world that has changed so drastically in a short time span. Although we live in the most technologically advanced era of human existence, few reap the benefit of taking advantage due to lack of training and confidence.
Because of technology such as laptops, cell phones, tablets, and smart televisions, along with social media, we have access to a global community. How do you utilize time, talents, and treasures to optimize the opportunity of having the world at your fingertips? Whether your call is to the church, the educational system, science, medicine, or the marketplace, exploration of possibilities is limitless. You can create an environment to accomplish God’s riches and highest best for your life and those in your sphere of influence. Taking advantage of opportunities requires living fearlessly with intentionality. This process will bring about a transformation that will empower you as you utilize the resources available to accomplish your intended purpose
Gen 8:22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
When it is time for a change, God sends a prophet such as John the Baptist. The scriptures expressed the mission of John the Baptist in John 4:23 “John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.'” In our modern-day, we have heard the voices of those God appointed to herald the shift in the Kingdom agenda. One such person was Dr. Martin Luther King. In his speech, I Have a Dream; Martin Luther King heralded the proclamation that “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood,” which if adhered our nation could have avoided our current painful situation.
God is a God of cycles, seasons, and patterns. According to Genesis 8:22, God promised humankind that while the earth remains, so would the seasons (cycles) of seedtime and harvest. Genesis 8:22 promises that “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer, and winter, day and night shall never cease.” It is important to note that all of God’s creation voices the opinion that cycles of change and transitions are part of God’s nature. There are minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months that compose the cycles we experience each year. It is a pleasant reminder that change is part of the human process.
If you look back over your life, you will notice that you have experienced summers, springs, winters, and falls – cycles of change. Our summers are the hot intense cycles of our lives where we live passionately in pursuit of desires. It is a cycle full of vitality and energy. We often associate young adulthood with summer; however, it is not limited to a specific age but reflects the process where life possesses that which satisfies hunger. Fruit and vegetables are plentiful, and the bountifulness of God’s grace seems apparent.
Often following a cycle of promise and pursuit comes the fall season. Fall represents a season where we count the blessings of seasons past. We harvest the overflow canning and preserving as much as possible. What was heated and passionate begins to wind-down and fall away.
After the earth has released its bounty, it needs to rest. Unlike nature, we have a choice. Cultural expectations often cause us to miss our season of rest and reflection. We must choose to accept the cycle of rest and not allow circumstances to steal from us a season meant to bring healing to our hearts and minds. During this season, it appears that life has diminished within us, but instead, roots are growing deep. We must remain prayerful in the winter seasons, or we will miss its blessing. We must not waste our opportunity to reflect, refurbish, and be revived. What we have gathered in prior seasons must last us until the next spring.
Unless we are in our last winter, spring is going to come. We sense the budding of new beginnings, new opportunities, and new adventures. It is a time that life springs forth, and renewal takes place. There is a sense of hopefulness and anticipation. The springs of our lives might involve a rebirth of a past passion or a fresh new start.
These seasonal cycles in our lives may not show the consistently and rhythmically as we see in nature. However, in observing nature, we learn that God is a God of seasons and cycles. Our summers may last years, followed by a brief falling away and dying out and replenished by months of spring after a winter that seemed to have lasted forever. The pattern of cycles within our lives is complex and replete with life circumstances and human error that impact our existence. We can be sure that Holy Spirit is consistent and present with us as we look to Him during times of transition.
In Due Season:
There is a season that is referred to in the Bible call due season. With each cycle, there is an anticipation for the shift or change. It feels like a waiting period after one cycle ends and another begins. However, even during waiting periods and cycles of winters of rest, God has promised us a “due season.” For example, In Leviticus 26:4, God promises to give “rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” Deuteronomy 11:14 echoes the same promise for purposes of abundance, “That I [God] will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. God has promised us results if we will trust him in our periods of waiting in our “due seasons.”
What is a due season? It is the appropriate time. God encourages our hearts not to faint as we move through the cycles of our lives. According to Matthew 24:45 and Luke 12:42, a faithful servant and wise servant is responsible for ruling over the master’s household to provide meat in due season. We must be wise stewards and wait on God’s timing. We are not to be hasty in our decisions nor abandon our assignments too soon. Part of an intelligent servant is to understand and trust God’s times and seasons.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us that there is a due season for everything. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
What are we to do while waiting in our due season? May, I suggest that we are to do the word of God. We are to be faithful to do the “little things.” We are to live our daily lives in willful love and integrity. We are to work, pray, and worship while trusting and believing in His promises. Waiting is part of living; we wait in lines, we wait for babies to be born, and we wait to become old enough to live as an adult. We wait for God’s timing in our due season.
In the Fullness of Time:
Jesus came in the fullness of time. During the era Christ lived, the master gave tutors and governors a charge to oversee his estate. A tutor had command of a specific person while the governors had the responsibility of managing the estate. A steward was to maintain control of the estate until the designated time by legality; the authorities would turn over the estate to the heir. We read this in the fourth chapter of Galatians verses 1-7:
Now I say that the heir, if he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.Even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, [b] “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir [c]of God [d]through Christ.
There are times our blessings come in the fullness of time after a due length of time has elapsed. The Holy Spirit, acting as our tutor and our steward, oversees us and our inheritance brings us into an ever-increasing revelation of the Father and counsels us in our maturation according to John 14:16-17:
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [c]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.
We must wait for cycles to shift to bring forth His plan, whether in due season or in the fullness of time. According to Isaiah 1:19, if ye be willing andobedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. When God has made us a promise either through His word or in our hearts, it requires a willing and obedient heart to see God’s will prevails in our lives. According to John 1:16, God has appointed each of us a share in his grace and spiritual blessings. For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share, and we were all supplied with] one grace after another {and} spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing {and} even favor upon favor {and} gift [heaped] upon gift (John 1:16 AMP).
How is your love walk? For God so loved the world that he gave. Giving is a part of God’s divine nature. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His glory and excellence (2 Peter 1:3). How does this impact us in our daily responsibilities in our homes, communities, and the marketplace?
Even His creation declares his love for us. When we bask in the sun, each ray of light testifies to his goodness and his love. We see the beauty of flowers and the bounty of our gardens, and it reminds us of his graciousness – his bountiful love. Have you noticed that the earth keeps attempting to do regenerate itself despite our abuse? God designed it to be resilient because of his merciful love. Even when we destroy and misuse the earth, there is still plenty for all of us (if we would share). What God did for us in the creation of the world reflects His love; God gave.
Since God gave, giving is a proper response to his graciousness. We demonstrate that we love him and appreciate his goodness when we share love in return. He looks to us to be His arms of compassion, his face of hope, and his wellspring of forgiveness. He is not color blind; He does not need to be. We are all created in his image regardless of the color of our skin or our socioeconomic position. He made every nation, kindred, and tongue. He loves us in our uniqueness. According to 1 John 4:19, we love him because he first loved us. We show that we love him when we love one another. It is not necessary to color blind. We should appreciate the colors and rhythms found in ethnicity and the bountiful creativity available to all humanity. We all should share in one another as a family because we are all one blood.
Science has proven that there was only one Royal Family from which all humanity sprang. Research led by Mark Stoeckle and David Thaler from the University of Basel in Switzerland concluded that based on mitochondrial DNA, which consists of our genetic barcodes, 90% of all species exist today from the same parents. According to Stoeckle and Thaler, although culture and life experience make people different, our basic biology remains the same, and our genetic differences reflect a low diversity level. The book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible and Stoeckle and Thaler’s scientific research substantiates what God has already said in Genesis the second chapter. According to Genesis 2:7:
…Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
This man name Adam, meaning from the ground from which God then reached into and removed what was already inside of Adam and created the female, Eve. According to Genesis 2:21-22,
…the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man (NIV).
God created one woman Eve and coupled her with the man Adam. The first human beings were the parents from which all other humans, made in God’s image, would descend.
Since we are come from the same family, seeing differences is not the issue, the problem is what we do towards those differences the impact how we treat one another. Some do not live their full potential because entitlement gives place to hidden prejudices. Even when it appears, we are successful, when success comes as byproduct of disenfranchising others, we are living beneath your privileges.
God gives two examples of people who did not reflect His love and can become spots in our love walk. Jude verses 11 and 12 read:
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Do we operate in justice and equity to all people? We might have a bias that might blind us from another person’s human potential. Are we listening to our hearts, Holy Spirit, or other people? God warns us in the Book of Jude verse 21, in the New Testament Bible, that some walk in the way of Cain, who killed his brother out of anger, jealousy, and resentment. There were those that, like Balaam, care about possessions than people. God said that these people would be spots in our love feast. Are you one of those people who appear to be fair have areas that blind you and others to the conditions of your heart? What is the root cause of your biases? If you seek God, He will reveal the actual state of your heart and empower you to change.
Living our potential is the ultimate result of loving our neighbor without condition. God warns the steward that buried his talent, given to him by his master. According to Matthew 25:14-26
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
The wicked servant, as called by the master, could not see the potential of investing what the master had given him. Are you suppressing your potential by avoiding risks, failing to complete projects, missing deadlines, making excuses on why you cannot take necessary steps toward fulfilling your human potential? It is time to step into our destiny with bold confidence. When we do not present our absolute best to a situation, we deprive others of our potential and the gift God has graced us with to give the world. However, our objective is to love unconditionally and embrace cultural and external differences. God hid these differences within Adam and Eve’s DNA and populated the earth’s uttermost parts with beautifully diverse people groups. Are you willing to give or let go of hidden biases and prejudices to walk in love? All we need is love.
Water is an essential ingredient for our survival. It makes up about 70% of our body weight. It keeps us hydrated, allowing for increased bodily functions. It cleanses us both internally and externally. To maintain the correct body temperature, we must have water; it seems that water keeps us “cool, calm, and collected.” It protects our nervous system, which includes our brainand spinal cord. Fluidity in a person’s movement is aided by water and it keeps our joints cushioned. Necessary for internal cleansing, it helps us get rid of toxins and waste. We see from this that water is essential for our existence.
In His infinite wisdom, God drew correlations between that which is natural with that which is Spiritual. Just as natural water is necessary for the human body to function correctly, spiritual water, the Word, is essential for the born-again believer to function correctly. Jesus said in John 7:37b-38 states that if any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in Me [whocleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, from his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water (Amplified Bible).
Are you having trouble functioning in the body of Christ? Do you find that everything gets on “your nerves,” and you seem to have a short fuse? Are you wearing garments that have been spotted by sin or neglect? Have you had some rough times and find that you are struggling with bitterness, depression, or heartbreak? Do you need to be cleansed on the inside? Be refreshed! The Holy Spirit is that living water that Jesus spoke of, according to John: 39. Believe, receive, and cleave to the person of the Holy Spirit – out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
According to Dr. Henry Wright, every thought we have, whether conscious or unconscious, produces a corresponding chemical, hormone, neurotransmitter, or neuropeptide somewhere in the body in response to that thought to maintain homeostasis. Incredibly, science confirms what God teaches.
In His love for us, God has given us his Word, which leads us to cast down imaginations. Do not harbor fear, bitterness, resentment, and anger. Why? They impact us in body, soul, and spirit. When someone is always anxious and fearful, it causes my body to stay in a fight or flight response. Fear and anxiety produce (dis)ease in my body. What would happen if we chose to remain in peace? Jesus said, “peace, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 KJV
Most diseases have psychosomatic root causes complicated by sin and inequity passed down from prior generations. According to scripture, in the ten commandments, He spoke to Moses, saying: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep mycommandments. Exodus 20:4-6 KJV
Our decisions impact not only our lives but those of future generations. “Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more forever (Exodus 14:13).”
When you fight the enemy, it ensures his defeat in your life. When we choose not to fear and stand in the truth of who He is and who we are in Him, we will see His salvation. The “Egyptians” or demonic forces might be in hot pursuit. As we stand in God’s truth and His provision, they are swallowed up by God’s overflow in our lives.Now, may the God of peace and harmony set you apart, making you completely holy. And may your entire being—spirit, soul, and body—be kept completely flawless in the appearing of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One (1 Thessalonians 5:23 TPT).
Are there situations and circumstances plaguing your mind and causing (dis)ease in your body? Jesus invites you to know him and, through your relationship with him, cast all your cares on him. We can only know the Father’s love and protection through the blood of Jesus and the gift of salvation. However, as we see in the following scripture, He invites us to come to him and find rest. All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.… (Matthew 11:27-29).
I recommend the following process.
Spend time finding the heart of God regarding your situation by reading and studying the Word.
Find a scripture that speaks to your circumstance.
Declare this truth over your life.
Talk to God about your situation and remind him of his commitment to you regarding the matter.
I have found over the years that God has an opinion regarding everything, and he has provided the foundational truth in his Bible, but you must seek out his answer. If, at first, you have trouble with thisprocess, find a trusted friend to help to search out what God has to say about your situation. Be leery of counsel that elevates humanmade opinion above the scriptures.
God’s Word is not as confusing as some would have you to believe, but you must have a hunger to replace your (dis)ease with His peace. God’s peace comes through knowing him and trusting his Word; this is the first step to overcoming (dis)ease.
It is essential to plan, and many spend a good deal of time contemplating their next move. According to Luke 14:28-30, we are to count the cost before we begin any project.
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ (Luke 14:28-30)
Although we are to count the cost to determine if we have what it takes to finish our assignment, we must begin. It is important not to get bogged down and never achieve forward momentum. Jesus worked until He finished His mission on earth. We are to keep stepping forward.
Nothing in the universe operates without work. You must work to fail. Failure requires that you get up each day and choose not to fulfill your purpose. If we do not cooperate with Holy Spirit and the principles needed to achieve our goal, we have resolved ourselves to failure. Cooperation with Holy Spirit requires a work ethic.
Work is a principle of the universe. Each day the sun must work to release energy. If it stops working, we will die because we become devoid of its life releasing forces. A caterpillar must work to become a butterfly, and a woman must work to give birth. Even a small child must work to walk.
Even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. (2 Thessalonians 3:10-15 ESV
If you want the blessings of God, you must work for them. It is easy to slump into a position of lethargy while in transition. We may not live in our dream house. Our financial situations may not be what we want it to be. Our current position may not be pleasant. However, whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going (Ecclesiastes 9:10). God will lead you into your next step, but you must keep stepping and moving forward.
God rewards diligence. No matter the circumstances, it is crucial that we do our tasks as if God himself were watching us. According to Colossians 3:23, whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men. Scripture teaches us that a man that is diligent in his business with come before kings. According to Proverbs 22:29, it says “seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Do not be intimidated by what you see in the world. God is not intimidated by the world, and His word remains steadfast.
God created us for a purpose. We are his handiwork. Ephesian 2:10 For we are His workmanship [His own masterwork, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set] so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. We are his trophies, and he leads us triumphantly as he shows us off to the universe (2 Corinthians 2:14), which reads, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”
If triumph is to become our portion, we must be doers of God’s word and not just listeners or talkers. According to James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
We can be good churchgoers and never fulfill our purpose. We are ambassadors for God’s kingdom. Everything we do should be about building the kingdom of God on earth. The work God calls us should impact our sphere of influence. What is your sphere of influence? What is your assignment? We can be busybodies and not recognize it. Are you living purposefully? According to Jeremiah 29:11, God has a plan for your life.
For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call on Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice], and I will listen to you. Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
Ask him for strategy as you impact your sphere of influence as you keep stepping forward.
Our streets are filled with chaos and confusion. As God’s image bearers, we have a lot of work to do. Jesus said:
See to it that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:4-8)
Many will read this verse and go about their daily lives without the conviction to impact their world with their gifts, time, and talent. The same Jesus said to occupy until he came and to world while it is still day:
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him. 4While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:3-5)
We are God’s image-bearers. We carry His light and love everywhere we go. Our life should be infectious, leaving people with a hunger to want more. We are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Matthew 5:14 KJV
We are God’s change-makers. We present to humanity a choice, a possibility that they may not have considered. Jesus changed His world, and it has not been the same since He came into the world. Jesus knew why He existed and lived to that end. According to John 18:37, Jesus said “…to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” Why did God create you what change are you to bring into the world?
We are God’s light. We lead people to a new Kingdom entrance and into new opportunities that they may not have seen before. The blind sees. The deaf hears. The lame walks. We as His image-bearers must walk then run, gaining momentum as we perceive that destiny awaits our obedience to His call.
We are God’s ambassadors. We are here for all people. Although few will flee in desperation to our Kingdom seeking asylum, we stand as His representatives. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.(2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV)
We are His uncompromisingly righteous. Most will choose compromise and attempt to live in two kingdoms. Some will put on shades and continue to stumble about in the darkness. There will be those who, while running for safety, turn to look back and become stuck. Their hearts never left the Kingdom of their origin and continue to suffer the consequences of a compromised life. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (Matthew 6.24a (ESV).
We are God’s standard-bearers. He leaves us here to show others the way. We are to reflect the characteristics of His Kingdom. Some may ask, “where is your kingdom.” We demonstrate the Kingdom of God. His fruitfulness and faithfulness will be reflected in our daily lives through each act of obedience to Holy Spirit.
We are God’s sent ones. We represent Christ wherever we go. We are to strengthen, encourage, nurture, and train influencers in our sphere of influence. We are not limited to church work. We are to bring His Kingdom to earth by demonstrating our heavenly Father and his principles for transformative living.
We are God’s servant leaders, stewards of a greater God. What we bring to our assignments is His excellency. Martin Luther King Jr said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
As his image-bearers, we need to grab a broom and begin the arduous task of cleaning our streets. He will empower you with his amazing grace. He will empower you with himself.
Does your life reflect his glory? Is it time to get a fresh revelation of your life in light of the glory of God? When we look at the heavens and the earth, we see the glorious revelation of God’s love. Everything exists by him and for his glory. He has invited us to join in his glorious adventure.
Based on Thayer, the word glory is rendered in scripture over 371 times and often means splendor or brightness like the moon, sun, and stars. It refers to something or someone that is magnificence as well as excellence with preeminence filled with dignity, and grace. There is a glory only belonging to our majestic Father. However, he given to us his glory as a reflection of his kingship over our lives. He is King of kings, and his kingly majesty belongs to him as supreme ruler. He is majestic, the absolute perfection of deity, for he is the God of gods (Deuteronomy 10:17) but do not forget we are his children (Romans 8:16). We reflect his glory. As we use our spiritual and natural gifts, we manifest the glory given to us.
Is your gift hidden under a bushel (religious covering or facade)? Where is your light? Is it dimly lit out of fear or false doctrine? Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17, KJV). It is time to take the lid off and show forth his glory.
Colossians 1:16-17 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist
References
Thayer, J. H., Grimm, C. L. W., & Wilke, C. G. (2003). Thayer’s Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Coded with Strong’s concordance numbers. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson
