I am done waiting for perfect! I have been hindered for far too long. I have had moments of going after it, then fear grips me and I retreat feeling ashamed and scared. NO MORE!
I will speak when you say to speak God. If I did not hear you perfectly then humbly I admit it. I will go and sit in your presence and try again. I won’t remain silent, I will not try to suppress your desire to speak through me. I won’t be afraid!
I am done comparing myself to other bloggers. Waiting for every post to be perfect before I hit publish. Lord I trust that you will take what I have said and minister to those that read it.
No, I don’t have a perfect life, a perfect head of hair, a perfect marriage or children that are always perfectly behaved. But I serve a perfect God who is doing something BIG in me!
I am done
I am done
I am done dancing to the beat of your drum afraid that the beat that God has given me is not perfect enough.
Today I shed the scale of fear clothe in perfection, I stick my head out and I am going after it.
I am going after my purpose with a tenacious grit. No I am not perfect but the one who has called me is; and as I move in obedience, He is perfecting me!
Have you been waiting for perfect? How has it hindered you from doing what God has called you to do?
Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT
Admittedly, I am a person given to extremes. My husband can attest to that. He has had to endure many of my, “I am not going to ever again,” “this is the best thing ever,” “I will always” speeches. God bless his patient soul. If I find something new, I take it and run with it. I mean sprint. I remember when I first learned of all the gross things they are doing to our foods, especially our meats. I made up my mind that I would never again purchase meats that aren’t pasture fed, grass fed, etc. Then the inevitable moments came. I saw our bank account and remembered the power of praying, “Lord bless this food and remove all impurities; antibiotics, hormones & all. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!” Money in the bank, food in my tummy! He did it for Elijah and the poisonous pot of stew in 2 Kings 4:38-41 and I am confident that He will do it for me.
Yes I have had to soften my stance and back down on many of my extreme statements BUT there are some EXTREMES I still hold to.
I am amazed and even disheartened at how compromise has seeped into the church because we avoid being too extreme in our faith. Remind me again, did Jesus not die an extreme death? We don’t want to be considered politically incorrect. We worry too much about offending people so we bite our tongues when we have opportunities to share. We want to fit in. We want to be liked. We have become sophisticated cowards. But let me remind you, the gospel is offensive and it cuts, no way around it.
Do you currently have any areas of compromise in your life? In what ways have you strayed from the extreme truth of the gospel? I encourage you to repent and ask God to give you the grace to WALK IN ALL OF THE TRUTH OF HIS WORD! No matter how Extreme!
Romans 12:2 NLT
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Hebrews 4:12-12 NLT
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
I am expecting great things from God. However, I realize that there are certain restrictions that I have to adhere to in order for me to give birth to these promises. If I am honest (and remember honest is good) some days I struggle with being restricted. There are specific things that I know God has told me not to do. And oh my me, do I struggle with this. These restrictions are not evil or sinful BUT they are off limits to me.
What makes it worst is when I see other Jesus loving people having the freedom to do the very thing that God has told me not do. There are things explicitly stated in scripture for ALL believers to follow. However, there are specific instructions that God gives to the individual. I cannot focus on another’s freedom and deliberately ignore God’s instructions TO ME. James 4:17 says, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” OUCH! God’s word is so straightforward and that sword sometimes hurt. Willful disobedience is SIN…a key ingredient to aborting the promises of God.
This morning I read the story of Samson in Judges Chapters 13-16. Samson’s mother was given specific dietary restrictions by the angel of God. She was also told that Samson should never cut his hair, the source of his strength. God intended to use Samson as a deliver for His people, and Samson’s strength was key. These specific instructions were not given to every Israelite woman. Samson’s mother could have easily ignored these instructions or try to make a case as to why it was not fair that she had to follow such strict rules. But you see she was barren and desperately desired to give birth. Desperation is a great motivator for obedience. As you read on, we see that Samson’s end was tragic, He was not careful to follow all of God’s instructions and the source of His strength was revealed to the enemy. They were eventually able to take Samson captive.
I don’t want to be careless and insult God. I want to fully live out my God intended purpose, so today I pray for grace to do all He has called me to do, no excuses! How about you?
If I am not careful, I can think too much on a situation of concern. I have been guilty of overthinking things which leaves me spiritually and emotionally drained. Someone offends me and I play the offense over in my mind. I said something to someone, and later start to think if I said too much. Did I say it in the wrong way? Has this ever happened to you?
Thinking too much opens the door to worry. If I am not careful I can find myself worrying through the pain, instead of praying through it. Worrying allows your emotions to get the best of you. Living in your emotions can be deceptive. Trust me, I can tell you stories on this one. Worrying is an insult to God. It says, “I do not trust you. I do not believe you have my best interest at heart. You do not know what you are doing so let me worry my little finite heart out and come up with a solution.” Worrying makes no sense!
The Lord invites us not to worry about ANYTHING but to pray about EVERYTHING!
Worrying is tragic while praying brings a peace that is out of this world. Prayer says, “Jesus not only do I want you to take the wheel but I want you to pick up this vehicle and carry it.” I cannot even sit in the passenger seat yelling out which way we should turn because I don’t know. Prayer is a liberating experience.
God’s word tells me to mix in thanksgiving with my praying. When I begin to thank Him, I am reminded of all He has done in the past. This builds my faith and creates an expectation for what He will do in the future. Thanksgiving chases worry away and welcomes in the peace of God, one that will guard my heart and mind.
Worry too much? Today I invite you to join me in changing those thoughts to prayer and get ready to be overwhelmed with God’s peace.
Be Blessed,
Anika
As you all know by now, I am expecting…great things from God.
In my first and only birthing class over 12 years ago, I learned that I should not let my emotions get the best of me when the pain from the contractions during delivery came. It was recommended that I use a breathing pattern to help to keep me calm through the contractions. I did not understand why there was such a strong emphasis on staying focused and breathing until that faithful December morning over 11 years ago. I had NEVER felt pain like that before, it was unreal. The temptation was there to scream and totally lose it but I REMEMBERED! I made up my own unorthodox breathing pattern when the excruciating pain from the contractions overwhelmed me. The” breathing instead of screaming like a mad woman” approach did not cause the pain to go away but it helped to put me in a zone. I knew that there was no going back, the baby had to be delivered. The pain was a part of the package for life to come. THE. PAIN. WAS. A. PART. OF. THE. PACKAGE. FOR. LIFE. TO. COME. And so it is with life…
Tyrone and I holding our first baby Naomi in 2003. Our 2nd day as parents, if we only knew what was ahead.
Naomi meeting Joel for the first time in 2005.
Naomi and Joel meeting their new sister Hannah in 2007.
The older three hanging out with their new baby brother Elijah back in 2009.
The older 4 with baby Isaiah in 2011
The older five with our caboose, Faith Serenity in 2013
Many of my revelations come from my experiences as a wife and mother.
God reveals so much to me in what may appear to be mundane. But in my barefoot and pregnant, wiping noses, potty training, nursing, “I said no for the 10th time,” “what do you want for dinner” seasons of life I have come to get a greater revelation of Jesus. Making the mundane magnificent. In life Jesus is teaching me not to get distracted by pain. He is teaching me to keep calm and pray on.
The pain of waiting for an answer to prayer can cause you to lose it.
The pain of uncertainty and the realization that control is an illusion can cause you to lose it.
The pain from a negative diagnosis from the doctor can cause you to lose it.
The pain from too little money and too many bills can cause you to lose it.
The pain from lost dreams and disappointments can cause you to lose it.
The pain of life is inevitable. If you are not careful, you can be distracted by the pain. You can forget that you are in labor and though the pain is great, something beautiful awaits you on the other end. Do not get stuck in the middle of delivery and lose what God has promised. Screaming and letting your emotions get the best of you can prove to be detrimental. Today I encourage you to refocus, breathe in the goodness of God, and stand on His promises. Get in a zone and keep calm and pray on! Prayer indeed birth great things!
“…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 NLT
I am expecting! I know you have questions, so do I? When do I deliver? How far along am I? What am I having? I am not sure of any of the above answers. I don’t know when or specifically what, but I know it is going to be big. It is going to be great. Bigger than what I can do in my own strength.
The pain has been intense, at times unbearable. I have had moments where I thought miscarriage was inevitable and I just needed a hug. I needed reassurance that it was going to be ok.
But today the life within me kicked. I am overflowing with purpose, infused with hope, running on faith.
I will give birth to this thing. I will. I will. I will. In the name of Jesus I WILL. Speaking of will, that is all I want to give birth to, His will. I am pregnant with the promises of God, I want His kindgom to come in my life. I take on the best birthing positon ever…PRAYER! You did not know? Prayer births things. Big things. Great things. Impossible things. Don’t believe me? Ask Elijah, Hannah, and my personal favorites Isaiah and Faith.
Are you expecting as well? I invite you to join me in prayer as you prepare to give birth. Be Blessed!
Anika