Because I Chose You!!! How Do You Measure Success?

Just recently, I was pondering all of the challenges that I have faced and still sometimes face in my life. I know a lot of us probably feel that way sometimes - especially if we are truly allowing God to take us through the perfecting process - a breaking from self-motivations - so that we can be more fully used by God. 

Sometimes the challenge is the attacks by others. Seems like for no particular reason people choose not to be kind to us, choosing instead to give us a difficult time. Some will even put in extra effort attempting to goad us - trying to get us to act in ways that they think confirm that God is not with us or that we have small faith.

Other times, we are a challenge to ourselves, struggling to find the necessary amount of time to do those things that keep us focused, strengthened and obedient in our walk with Christ. Some of this is because of the energy we may mistakenly be putting into pleasing people. When we forget that no matter how we see others being elevated in the world, how many Facebook posts celebrate people's seeming path to 'fame and fortune," or how many likes we get for our posts, our true value to God has very little to do with the accolades of man. And that only through constant communion with God can we acquire both proper elevation and strength to move correctly within that elevation.   

I am in no way saying that it is not pleasing to be recognized for our personal achievements. I am also not saying that we should not work hard to expand our reach and our territory. But if public response becomes the measure of success or failure to us, we set ourselves up to be people pleasers as opposed to God chasers. Trying to please people can take us through emotional roller coasters where we question our value, our purpose, our action and most importantly, our God-given power and authority. 

But I just dropped in to bless you with what blessed me tonight; a reminder from the Holy Spirit: God chose us!

John 15:16 says; "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you."

I have had many accolades, received many awards and promotions, been blessed to be the "first" in several arenas and worked in both positions of great authority and very little authority. But no position or award will ever compare to the joy of God letting me know that I am pleasing in his site and that He is doing something JUST FOR ME AND JUST BECAUSE. Also, nothing will ever compare to knowing that what you have planted through obedience and love of God, will remain.

It is a full-time job to chase worldly validation outside of God's purpose, leading and positioning.  When we pursue success and make decisions based on our own "brilliance" we can mistakenly be drawn into the bright lights and away from the covering of God. 

God has both validated us and selected us to do His will. In that space lies our ability to recognize the difference between Godly elevation and people pleasing, and to control the amount of emotional energy we waste on those bent on delaying us. Learning when to invest emotionally and when not to can truly bring us the peace that God has promised; along with great increase. God chose us and He's got us!

Rev. Dr. Nina Thompson Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nina.marie.315428

Rose of Sharon Ministries - Making Life Work Project and Yes to God Young Adult Ministry https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=yes%20to%20god

Author's Page: https://www.amazon.com/Rev.-Dr.-Nina-M.-Thompson/e/B07MVJ2THM%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Great Opportunities Often Come Disguised as Threats

   

 

 It is strange, the emotions that we experience and the thoughts that run through the mind when it is faced with situations beyond its control; situations that threaten our very existence like COVID19. 

We live in a land premised on the idea that "hard work always pays off" and "sweat and determination are the ingredients to reaching goals." We live in a land that says our circumstances directly reflect our choices. Where we are - how much money we make, how much power we have or how celebrated we are by the world - is a direct result of poor life choices, good life choices or great life choices. We do the work, we succeed. We do not do the work we fail.  Period!

Most of us probably buy into this way of thinking sometimes. Even when we may outwardly reject the "isms" and all of the other categories that we use to place people in "slots," we can still find ourselves questioning why our lives, our journeys don't look a particular way. We question why things are not turning out the way that we thought and hoped that they would. 

But is it possible that we are making a very huge mistake. That we have allowed those with the most power and influence to lead us to believe that those who they present to us as successful, worthy, happy, and powerful, set the standard for what life should be like and how it should be lived?  

Yes, we do have choices. But all of us often make ones that could potentially hold us back. While hard work can increase the odds of reaching any goals that we have, some of us, because of who we are connected to, simply do not have to suffer the consequences of our choices. Some of us have family friends, aunts, and uncles, whose success protects and propels us. 

If ever there was a time to flush these "privileged" ways of thinking down the toilet, it is NOW! If ever there was an opportunity to examine and re-examine who we are, why we were created and what we would seek to change if the choice is merely based on what brings us joy; it is now. 

Our current situation is only a punishment if we chose to see it that way. We can choose to see it as a chance to slow down and examine our lives so that we alone can choose what we believe, what sustains us, what makes us want to work hard, what empowers us, and what is the "one thing" that we were created to do. It is an opportunity to let go of what you can't truly control, and begin to dig as deep as you need to in order to find your unique value to family, friends and even a blind world that possibly can't see it. 

Then we can step out and focus on fertilizing, growing, and offering to the world in confidence; just that.

 

 

 

Eyes Wide Open

    Sometimes when we commit to walking in the higher values of life modeled after Jesus Christ, we can grow weary. I salute those who spend much time in ministry but proclaim that they never grow tired. Even the trusted disciples who left everything to follow Jesus grew weary. Most of the people that  I know have at least brief moments when they need to refocus on God and life purpose or reach out to a trusted companion for spiritual uplift to be reminded how grateful they are for the call on their lives. 

    We are admonished not to grow weary, but indeed we do. Usually it is because we have failed to care for ourselves as we care for others. But it also happens when we fail to understand that NOTHING can or does happen without God ordaining or allowing it. 

    That may be a tough truth to follow for some. Many folks insist that God is not "in the details" of our lives; that God is only interested in the big stuff. But I know for a fact - meaning that it has consistently happened with me - that God is indeed interested and actively engaged in as much as we allow God to be.

    That's a challenging truth because when painful things happen, we hate to think that God allows them, but it is futility to try to place our human understanding into the realm of God's thoughts and mind. God's ways are not our ways, and God's thoughts are not our thoughts. That is where FAITH comes in.

    In Philippians 4:6 we are told to be anxious for nothing and through prayer, petition and with a thankful spirit, make our requests known to God. In Luke 12:7 we learn that God has numbered the hairs of our head and Romans 8:28 reminds us that everything in our lives works together for good if we love God and are committed to living out God's purposes. 

    

   But when we grow weary and lack understanding, life challenges can sometimes make us temporarily grow lax in focusing on God. We focus on our own mind and flesh. Our eyes have shifted in their view, and we must adjust them to get back on point and on purpose.  

   We need to see clearly in order to track and trace God's movement. We have to remember that God is working for our good, if we are committed believes and followers.  We must look past the dark, limited eyesight to track God's movement; acknowledge it, journal it, before we end up going deeper into the darkness. The strongest remedy for a weary heart is to: 

                    Open Our Eyes Wide and Look for God. 

Isa 26:3 - Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.

Matt 6:22-23 - The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So, if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness.

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Is there a Jonah in us?

I have always thought of Jonah as a very foolish individual. How dumb would you have to be to run from God, right?

But over the past couple of months, I have begun to understand him just a little better, even in his foolishness. While any purpose assignment from God is both an honor and a blessing, as I move deeper into purpose, obedience, and full submission, I too am sometimes immobilized as I consider the daunting tasks that I am called to complete.

As everyone knows, Jonah is the unfortunate prophet of the Bible who was sent by God to render a prophetic word to an entire city. He not only chose not to do it, he chose to run toward another destination. 

Operating as a prophet is, and probably always has been, a very challenging endeavor. While many of those you are sent to will embrace your words, others think it absurd that you claim to know something about them that they haven't shared with you or anyone else. They interrupt throughout the delivery to smile and say "that's confirmation," to suggest that you know nothing that they don't already know. Or they argue with you when it is a word of correction, later calling you back and thanking you for it. All that aside, the pressure can be even more challenging when the Word that you are charged with sharing is a prophecy of disaster in the face of disobedience, as Jonah's was!

Of course it is the ultimate honor when we are on assignment for God but still, sometimes there are fleeting moments when we look at ourselves in the mirror and get a little nervous. Even while people are constantly telling you the truth you spoke, you sometimes can still feel insecure. If I am honest, and I am most of the time, while I know that it is truly God speaking through me, there are a few moments when I am prideful enough to think I can honestly mess up God's plans. I have never met anyone who did not have their share of insecurities and moments of pridefulness in doing work for God; even if they had yet to realize and admit that they carried them.

Jonah must have had some of those thoughts as he chose to defiantly disobey God. He must have thought over and over again about what the people might say. Would they even listen to him? Would he be able to remember what God gave him correctly, or mess it all up? Sometimes in the small space between receiving the assignment and moving forward to execute it, there is the enemy of doubt and a failure to completely rely on God. Fortunately the more often you obey, the easier it gets.

Have no doubt though, surrender in service to God is no small feat. The walk in purpose is a heavy mantle. You strive to be that servant all day, all night, every day, every night. It becomes the very foundation of your life. How challenging it can be to not only experience your own hurts and pains, but to experience that of others as well.

The truth is, most of us are no better than Jonah. He chose to run and hide, we choose to postpone, reword, avoid, reason away and a host of other things that in the end, are the same as running away.

As the Spirit of the Lord once shared with me: You did not choose me. I chose you. So it is with all of us, and while it is indeed an honor to be chosen to do ANYTHING for God, there also is nothing in life that demands this level of discipline and obedience than spirit-led purpose.  So, let's give Jonah a break!!!

Rev. Dr. Nina Thompson focuses on helping people, especially young adults understand who they are, why they exist and what they were meant to accomplish. She is a business owner, a minister and Public Relations practitioner, and a published author.
All four books can be purchased on Amazon.com at: https://www.amazon.com/Rev-Dr-Nina-M-Thompson/e/B07MVJ2THM/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

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