My Pathway to Contentment

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything.  I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.  For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

One day I voiced to my friend “I don’t know what happened or where time went, but I feel like I’m behind in life.”  There was so much that I had planned on doing by the close of my late twenties that had yet to be accomplished.  My friend and I talked through things and she was confident in the fact that I could complete everything that I had placed on my timeline.  A few weeks later I had the joy of having a conversation with someone I consider to be a big brother and my pastor.  He began to list the things that I HAD accomplished and the things God had protected me from.  I left his office and got to the car I began to cry.  I wasn’t sad for myself, but upset with myself.  That was the first time that I had REALLY looked at my circumstances.  You see in the grand scheme of things God has given me amazing opportunities and guarded me from making some of the WORST mistakes of my life.  Even in the mistakes that I made He was right there waiting for me to decide I was coming back to Him.  

                You see I understand this scripture all too well.  Many times we say that we are in need, when the reality is that there are things that we WANT and have not been granted access to.  Only God can look at the complete story of our life and tell us if that thing we really want is what we need.  Recently I received a reminder about the scripture above.  Many times we focus on the ending of the scripture as we yell and scream praises to God for giving us what we WANT.  In reality, you need the beginning of that scripture because you won’t always get what you want.  There are times that we ask for things that could kill us.  I’ve learned that lesson the hard way, but thankfully God was merciful.  I’m learning as I grow older the goal is not things.  It is to be content.  Now we live in a society that teaches it is not enough to be content, but I believe that we are acting from the wrong definition on content.

·         Content -- satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are

                Our goal should be to have a sense of satisfaction the way things are, however we slip into a state of complacence.  

·         Complacent -- contented to a fault with oneself or one’s actions

Contentment in itself is not the problem.  You can be content in your current situation and working towards the next thing God has given you.  The issues appear when you become complacent and believe that you in a place because of something you have done.  It is in those moments that you are so comfortable with where you are and what you are doing that you no longer want to move forward.  You stop in your tracks!  This comfort can come in having little or much!  It has been said that there are people that live amongst us that have a “poverty mindset”.  They have never been shown another way to live and therefore feel that it is the only way.  But can you imagine the fear that a person feels in moving from poverty to wealth.  The change could bring the person into avenues and situations they have never seen or imagined.  There are people amongst us that are self-made millionaires and billionaires that grew up with nothing.  Imagine not having anything.  Could you be content in that?  And then imagine over time you’ve earned your first hundred thousand dollars, and then half a million, and then a million, and then a billion.  Now for those millionaires and billionaires it could have been easy to remain at the first hundred thousand because it was the most they ever had.  How much courage and strength did it take to keep moving forward into new territory to get to that half a million, million, and billion? 

        You see God trusts those that can be content, and not complacent, in little.  That shows Him that He can trust you with much.  The goal is to move through each realm that God takes you to without taking your focus away from His voice.  He will give you things when He knows He can trust you to keep moving with His plan.  In the ten years that I have been on my own I have never NEEDED anything!  My needs have always been met, and so have many of my wants.  Was I content in every situation? NO!  Have I learned over the years to be content? ABSOLUTELY!  My contentment is a sign to God that I completely trust Him and believe what His word says.  He takes care of us whether we are living in His will or not because He is full of grace and mercy that flows freely to those that will accept it.

 

        In the end I want you to sit back and think about your current situation.  Are you content or complacent?  In the past, have you rested in contentment or complacency?  If you find that you have been or are currently in a place of complacency, then shift your eyes to the C-clause of the scripture.  You can’t get to contentment on your own.  In our own flesh we will fall short EVER time, but God is gracious enough to share his strength.  And as we all know, we can do any and everything through His strength!  So I charge you today to stop acting in your own strength (will) and use the strength He is offering you.  Step out of complacency and onto the pathway to contentment.  Oh and when you get to the path know that God will be there to walk with you.  Even if you can’t feel Him, He’s always there.

Blessings,

Divine

Instructions Included

                How many times has God spoken to you about something that He wants you to do?  I am talking about those things that make you think to yourself “He could have picked anyone, but He chose me…WHY!?!”.  We’ve all been there at one time or another.  Along with those lovely assignments you will also receive specific instructions on things that need to be done to ensure that idea or promise comes to fruition.  This can be the most rewarding yet awkward place in a person’s life.  On one hand you feel so privileged to be trusted to carry out the assignment that God has given you.  On the other hand you are terrified that you just might mess this up (or was that just my thinking…LOL)  

                There is a woman in the bible named…well actually her name is never mentioned.  She is only referred to by her affiliation with her husband, Manoah.   **PAUSE** As with any promise, the name of the person carrying the promise is not and should not EVER be the focal point.  IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR NAME! The focus is on the promise.  **PLAY**  Now Manoah’s wife was unable to become pregnant.  She wasn’t even able to hold on to the hope that she had become pregnant and was not able to carry the baby to term.  No, she could not become pregnant at all!  Have you ever been around a group of people and it feels like the Lord is talking directly to them about their purpose (the thing he has placed in them to birth out), and you can’t hear a mumble from the Lord let along a promise from him.  How discouraging is that!?!  I have even asked before “when will it be my turn.”  Selfish, I know, but oh so true.  Sadly to add insult to injury Manoah’s wife appears to have no identity without her husband.  (See Judges 13 as a reference)  Amazingly there is a lesson in this as well!  Our identity should be in line with that of God, so that when someone see’s the promise fulfilled they should only see God and His marvelous craftsmanship through you.   

                Well one fine day Monoah’s wife was granted a visit from an angel of the Lord.  This angel came to her and let her know that despite her past experience, she would become pregnant with a child.  Immediately following this proclamation were specific instructions on what exactly she was suppose to stay away from and what she needed to do after the child’s birth.  Now what I find interesting is that he strongly encourages her to follow the instructions, and later in the chapter reiterates those instructions to Monoah.  He simple tells Monoah “Be sure your wife follows the instructions I gave her. She must not eat grapes or raisins, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food.” (Judges 13:13 NLT)  In the end it is her responsibility to follow these specific instructions to receive what God promised her.  

Now here is where it usually gets tricky for us.  God promised us a thing, and we feel as if He owes it to us no matter what.  (I’m not talking about you though because you would NEVER feel this way :) )  We think that if He said it, then it’s ours no matter what!  We neglect to understand that the instructions we receive are very important pieces to the puzzle.  If they are not followed to a tee the condition of the promise can be altered or null and void all together.  The instructions are not meant to control you, but to give the promise the needed conditions to develop properly and within the time frame that has been set.  Doctors recommend that women do not drink during a pregnancy because alcohol has the ability to delay/stunt a fetus’ growth.  That fetus only has 9 months to develop in the protection of its mother’s uterus.  Any foreign chemical could prevent the fetus from reaching its full potential.  

Not only would she become pregnant, but the angel promised that she would give birth!  He is giving you a guarantee.  All she has to do is trust Him, believe that which was spoken to her, follow the few instructions that she was given, and wait.  She had already waited for YEARS, what was another 9 months? So is that promise that you waited on, or still may be waiting on, worth the time and care needed to make sure it comes to term at its full potential?  Or are you so impatient after this long wait that you would forsake the instructions from the One who created the promise and placed it in you?  There is no doubt about it, the promise is yours!  However, there are instructions included.  You are not forced to follow them, but the Manufacturer suggests that you do so to reap the full intent from the promise.  He’s handed you a manual (your bible).  It gives you every possible instruction on EVERY life situation, conflict, and problem.  The question is will you stop long enough to seek the answer from the manual and the Manufacturer.  If you choose to take the time needed I can guarantee that the time you invest will be the best time you have EVER spent. In the end God chose you to carry this promise because He knew you could!  Don’t think for one moment that He made a mistake!  He’s there for you at every turn during your pregnancy and the birthing process.  Just lean on Him and know He made you for this very moment. 

Love & Blessings!

Divine 

Who are you to me?

Many years ago I remember one of my mother’s friends asking me “when will you marry” and out of the natural response I replied “it’ll happen when God says it will happen”.  Sadly enough I really didn’t believe the words that were coming out of my mouth.  At that point I truly believed that I would never find someone that I could marry.  I had been told by several men, both family members and those who were just friends, that “no man will ever deal with you the way you are”.  As if my personality was just too much.  Over the last few years though I have had the opportunity to observe and get to know some true men of God that let me know that they love me just the way I am.  They never asked me to change!  On the contrary, they celebrated those very things that other saw as weaknesses.  They were able to acknowledge my strength and lovingly walk me through strengthening my weaknesses.  Because of their love and patience I’m a better person today.

As I sat back today and realized how far I’ve come I’m so very thankful.  I’m thankful that God has completely replaced the negative group of people with an awesome group of friends.  These friends are also pushing to be the best that they can be.  Being around all of this greatness pushes me to be the best that I can be.  As I sit and look at those around me I wonder “when did this transition happen”, “how did we get here”?  This transition all began with one small (loaded question)…  WHO ARE YOU TO ME?

That question made me ponder people’s purposes in my life.  For the things that I am doing and that I will do in the future God knew I had to have a set group of friends and family members around me that would encourage me when I need it most, correct me in love, and respect that I knew the voice of God when it looked like I was walking on air!  Did you tell God this year “I want to live in the purpose that you have for me.  I want to leave this earth only after I have used every bit of the gift that you have given me.”  Is this you?  Then come closer….closer…closer:

                As you are waiting on your next instruction you may want to look at those that are close to you and ask the question “who are you to me?”  Now know that this is a fatal question.  You may lose some people, you may gain others, but isn’t the loss worth it if you get to live out your purpose?  I mean the things on earth that you would love to wake up to in the morning and fall asleep working on at night!  I’m talking about the things that give you an excitement that has never been seen before.  My purpose is worth so much because it holds the freedom of others.  It holds people that have never heard about Jesus. 

These are the very people that allowed me to change my focus and ask the exact same question.  After God removed all of the people that didn’t need to be my focus, I have seen those that really need someone to hone in on them and ask “who are you to me?”  What is it that I can do for them?  Unknowingly God had not only changed those people that were around me, but He had also given me a servant’s heart!  I sit before you today whole.  Not perfect, but whole.  So to those of you that gave me your ear, I’ll ask again, is this change worth those people or things that you continue to try to hang on to or are you now prepared to let them go?  God will give you awareness, wisdom, and understanding as long as you are ready to receive it.   James 1:5 states:

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

When you ask for wisdom and understanding of who a person is to you and what your purpose is in their life your vision will become clear and focused.  I thank God daily for bring those Godly men I spoke of earlier into my life at the very moment that I needed them.  They were only available because their hearts were that of a servant.  Their vision was clear and focused.  Because of their small yes, they were sent to help me, and I in turn have been changed for the better to reach out to others.  This question of “who are you to me” is a catalyst of sorts.    It is the question that initiates a change, foster’s that same change in another individual, and then repeats itself over and over again.  Take the time today to be the change agent in someone else’s life.  You never know what a person sitting next to you needs to hear that could change the course of their lives.  You never know what a few kind and honest words will ignite. 

Exchanging My Skin

During a devotional reading this week I came across the following scripture:

“¹⁷And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17 NLT

Now, you know I’m all about context so let me give you bit of background.  Jesus finally stepped on the scene, and John told everyone that this was the dude that He was telling them about.  This was the Messiah that they kept trying to say he was.  Quick pause for the cause:'

                John does something that many of us fail to do.  People came to him with a title that he knew he could not fulfill and was not called to!  I wish that more believers would stop taking on titles and roles just because someone told you that’s what you were suppose to do/be!  You have to know who you are in God and your purpose on this earth so you do not try to take on a cause they you have not been called to.  Think about it, if John had taken on that role, he wouldn’t have had the resources to perform all of the miracles Jesus performed AND he quite possibly would have removed himself from the cross before my sins and yours were covered.  Stay in your lane!  You were fearfully and wonderfully made with a specific purpose in mind.  Fulfill that purpose and edify the kingdom with that purpose. Push Play

So Jesus begins working miracles and teaching as he travels through the land.  He taught those in the city, but most importantly he was teaching the disciples.  It was like a lengthy study abroad for those who chose to leave their lives behind and follow Jesus.  Well in this passage, one of John’s disciples decides to question why Jesus’ disciples are not fasting!  Now we know as believers that fasting and praying bring forth the ability to cast out spirits and gives immense power in different situations.  Upon reading this, I will admit, I was upset that this disciple was bold enough to question Jesus about what His disciples were doing.  But as I continued to read I realized that this was what I like to call a “teachable moment”.  Jesus was indeed a teacher and one of the lessons He taught that day was to cherish people and moments as they are with you in the present. 

^“15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Matthew 9:15 NLT

The other lesson he taught was of the new wine in and old wineskins.  Now after some research about wineskins I learned that an old wineskin has been stretch and that the ferment from the new wine in an old wineskin could destroy the old wineskin. It does not have the framework or the elasticity that a new wineskin holds.  The new wines strength would destroy it.  If you look at in from a personal standpoint:  What new thing has God placed in you that has thrived only because it was poured into the “new you”?  Would those gifts, talents, blessings, and discoveries about yourself survive in the “old you”?  Probably not!  It wasn’t because there was something wrong with the wine, but it was because the old man was not prepared or positioned to hold that new gift.  

Let’s look at a real world example:  A new corporate CEO comes in and turns everything around at a company.  A few years later things in the company take a drastic turn for the worst.  The CEO, seeing no other way out, takes their life.  There was nothing wrong with the gift of becoming the CEO, but that person in their current “skin” was not equipped to handle the ups and downs of the company.  Since they were not equipped, they perished.

By the end of the scripture I realized that God protects (preserves) our old skins (selves) from destruction.  Had I received some of the revelations and blessings in my old mindset, I would have destroyed things around me and quite possibly myself.  If I had known of my talents in that old season I would not have been able to deal with the responsibility of that gift in my old mind set!  Yes God is concerned about the gift, talent, and blessing being destroyed, but the scripture also talks about the destruction of the bag.  Know that they very thing you are asking God for may be just what He has for you, but it’s not the proper time for you to receive it.  I would rather wait on something to come to me in the right season and use it properly, than to receive it in the wrong season and destroy it, myself, and possibly harm others around me.  So the question is do you want your new wine bad enough to exchange your old skin for your new skin?   Who or what is waiting on you to change out of your old skin and into your new skin?  In the end God will do all He can to preserve you, even if it means withholding something from you.  

The best things I could have EVER done were to: find my passion in life and to give God a clear YES.  With that I received a new mindset and approach.  So what are you waiting on?  You prayed and asked for change, but what are you doing in your mind, body, and spirit to promote that change.  The time has come to put your faith and prayers into action.  You take one step and God will give you two, but you have to put the work behind your faith!  God only wants what’s best for you and if holding on to a wonderful blessing is what He has to do while you change your skin, He will do just that.  So what are you waiting one, get to work on your new skin.  Yes it will be uncomfortable from time to time, but isn’t that discomfort worth what He’s holding for you? 

The Finished Portrait

     In the New Year I’ve decided that I am going to get back to doing things I love!  One of the things that I’ve missed over the years is visiting art galleries and museums.  I love seeing the pieces that artist have taken time and care in creating.  Each color and stroke is purposeful and builds into a wonderful finished portrait.  As I was reading in my bible the other day a common scripture took on new meaning. 

Genesis 1:2 states: “The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”

      God had a blank canvas in which he created a masterpiece that is rivaled by none in six days.  My life, as well as yours, is a masterpiece in progress.  The difference is that God is allowing us the opportunity to act as creative directors in our lives.  He allows us to choose the colors that will be used to create the end product of our lives.  When in line with God’s will we operate just as Adam did in naming the creatures of the earth.  Adam was so connected with God that he spoke the names that God had purposed for each animal.

I choose to make my life vibrant and colorful.  Full of definition and happiness, with as many positive experiences and a life well led as a servant!  You have a new year in front of you!  What will your masterpiece say?  How will God interpret your life when the portrait is complete?  At the end will He step back, look at what you’ve placed on a canvas, and say “Well done my good and faithful servant” or depart because He doesn’t recognize you at all?  All in all He will be searching the end product for His likeness.  Have you lived a life worth the sacrifice of His?  Does He see it? 

The wonderful thing about today is that if your answer is “no” then you have the grace of today to make a step in the right direction.  If your answer is “yes He will find His likeness in my final portrait”, then please take the gift of today to reach out to someone around you that may be working towards that “yes” that you hold so dear.  You are promised today!   God gave you today!  How will you paint this day?  My final question is if this was your last day to add to your canvas, what would you do?  Once you answer that question you have a goal to work towards for the day!  Go out there and conquer 2012!  You have a passion and a purpose to capture!