During this season, we are busy preparing for the biggest day of the year: Baking cookies, stringing lights on the tree, attending Christmas parties, going shopping, and wrapping presents.
Christmas can also be a very depressing and lonely time of the year for many. While family and friends gather together, many are left alone. Others are left without gifts, food, or shelter. Others may have lost a loved one and Christmas is just not the same anymore. It can crush someone’s spirit when they don’t feel joy and cannot celebrate as others do.
Jesus cares. It’s through Him that we share His same spirit to help and assist one another in life. A kind word, a hug, a listening ear, a warm touch, or simply a smile can heal unspoken wounds or silent tears.
Jesus is with you in the most desperate of times. His name, “Emmanuel” means God with us. Yes, we may ignore his presence when everything is going great in our lives, but He never leaves us regardless if we acknowledge him or not. He patiently waits for us to come to Him. He is patient and kind and loves us more than we will ever know.
Through all the exciting festivities, I challenge you to take time out during the holiday season to focus on the reason for the season which is the birth of Christ. The Lord sent His Son for our salvation which is the greatest gift in the world. His presence is forever with us. We are part of His heavenly family once we acknowledge Him and accept Him into our hearts as our Lord and Savior.
I-pads, tablets, iPhones, the latest video games, or flat-screen TVs will never compare. Jesus is the greatest Christmas presence ever known.
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel.”Isaiah 7:14
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”Luke 2:14
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
I Corth 2:9
In this day of economic turmoil, one would question how can I escape the effects of job loss, furloughs and other financial woes? In the natural, it’s a time of lack, stress, heartache and fear. If you haven’t experienced the sense of loss during these five years, you have been spared. But mostly, I speak to those who have suffered loss in some form or another to provide encouragement, hope and inspiration.
Stay Focused
Through tribulation, your eyes must be fixed steadily on the Lord. You can’t look to the left or to the right, but your focus should be on the power of the Lord. God is much greater than our problems. The Kingdom does not lack resources. “The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I (Jesus) have come to give you life more abundantly.” John 10:10
The devil comes to fill us with fear, doubt and lies which steal our faith in times of weakness, temptation and trouble, but you must hold fast to God’s promises over your life. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” I Corth 14:33 Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Phil 4:8
Pick up Your Sword
When you’re in spiritual warfare, you must speak loudly to the storms of life to overcome the wind and the rocky waves. The word of God must be embedded in your spirit. Once the word is rooted in your heart, it will flow easily out of your mouth. “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edge sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”Heb 4:12 “We have the power and authority to walk over serpents and scorpions and not be harmed.”Luke 10:19
Growing in Faith is a Process
“But your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”I Corth 2:5
During the storm, God is developing your character and shaping you on who you will become so you will be able to handle the blessing before it arrives. The Lord must know that He can trust you to be faithful in the gifts that He provides. If the blessings come too soon. You may not be mature enough to handle the blessing. The Lord reigns on the just and the unjust so the Lord’s blessings are not limited to His children only. He is an unlimited God. He works through those who believe and acknowledge him, but He also chases the lost sheep.
Preparation is Essential
It’s a season that should not be rushed. It’s also a call to preparation. “Through patience and obedience, you will inherit the promises of God.” Heb 6:12 Just because you may not see evidence of God working in your life does not mean that He is asleep. “Do not cast away your confidence which has great recompense of reward.”Heb 10:35
It’s also a time to be still. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him, do not fret because of him who prospers in his way because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass. “Psalm 37:7 Developing and nurturing an intimate relationship with the Lord so you can hear his voice, is critical in spiritual warfare. You must be willing to accept His will and follow through in obedience.
Acknowledge God’s Grace of Protection
Some storms in life comes in the form of protection. You may not understand why you may be going through a whirlwind, but the protection of God is holding you under His wing. “He that dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty.” Psalm 91
There is Purpose in Pain
God also allows us to go through the valley so we can relate to others pain and experiences to help them in time of despair. “Who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.”II Corth 1:4. He is shaping us to be more like Him. The Lord may have you in a place which is hard and uncomfortable, but you are placed in a dark place to shine His light. In the wilderness, God will provide manna and protect you from danger. There is a higher purpose for everything that happens to you whether good or bad. This too shall pass. Trouble doesn’t last always. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
Lay Your Burdens Down
In the natural realm, we normally would gravitate to the physical needs which are a prerequisite in our lives. It is real and evident. The problem stares us in the face and is a thorn in our side, however we must be steadfast and cast our cares on the Lord. “Be not afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude for the battle is not yours, but belongs to the Lord.”II Chron 20:15-16.
Faith Leads the Way
The Lord’s direction is like walking through a labyrinth. There are many turns and twist and even dead ends but eventually you will reach your purpose and fulfill God’s will. He will shut certain doors and open doors of opportunities, divine connections and fresh experiences.
Pray for Wisdom, Understanding and Discernment
When I speak of blessings I’m not referring only to physical and material things. There is a greater prosperity in the Kingdom of God. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Col 3:2 He has hidden blessings that you cannot understand or comprehend. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 It’s a time of alignment. It’s important to raise your thoughts and ways to agree with the Lord which will prepare you to receive His blessings.“Call until me and I will answer thee, I will show you great and might things that you do not know of.”Jeremiah 33:3
Praise is Your Weapon
Greater power is coming to His children which will supersede fame and fortune. There are hidden blessings that will be released at an appointed time in our lives. “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of his own will. Ephesians 1: 11. We must remain faithful and seek Him for instruction at all times. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And do not lean unto your own understanding but in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.Prov 3:5-6
“Surely blessing I will bless thee and multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Heb 14-15
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.” I John 2:15-17
As I watched, “The Voice,” on TV, I imagined how it must feel to shine in the spotlight among millions of people after giving a spectacular performance. It must be an exasperating experience. It must feel so good to hear the cheers and screams from so many people.
So many people desire fame and fortune. It is all over the media. We watch celebrity reality shows, dancing and singing competitions and internet sensations. We are consumed with being followed on Twitter, liked on Facebook, and shared on YouTube. We are obsessed with appearance, personalities, talent and style.
We also live in a very competitive world which creates more stress to be the best. Sometimes by striving to be the best, we sometimes lose sight of the deeper connections to ourselves. We start comparing ourselves to others and trying to be better or do better than our neighbor. In the long run, we become dissatisfied or discontented with who’ve we’ve become in the process.
After thinking about things, it just made me realize how many followers we have in this world. Some people will lose themselves just to fit in. It just doesn’t feel good to stand alone in the midst of a crowd. People are easily swayed to go along with the majority or simply ignore conflict to blend in.
Children are constantly bullied in school because they are different. Women are judged for not keeping up their appearance, so they get plastic surgery to be approved by society or to feel better about themselves. Men are criticized for not being the stereotype of what a man should be. Men often cannot show their sensitive side or express the desire to be in a committed relationship.
We all have a role or a mold to fit into to keep others comfortable. It crosses all cultural, ethnic, class and social groups. We have roles in families, we have roles in our workplace and roles in our communities. If we step outside of expectation, we may realize that we’re standing alone which is a very cold place to be. It made me realize that the lack of leaders are slim to none.
What makes a good leader? It takes courage and strength to be a leader. You must not be afraid of the opinion of others. You give direction and guidance, but also know your strengths and weaknesses which allow you to delegate tasks appropriately. You take the blame when things don’t go as planned but know when to apologize when you make a mistake. You walk with integrity and authority and let go of ego and control. It’s a place where you stand in your convictions despite what others may think or say. True leadership is a place of solitude. It’s a place where not only your character is tested and challenged, but also your intentions and motivations.
Great leadership is hard to find. There is only one true leader who was not recognized for his miraculous work. Jesus, led by example and fulfilled the great commission.
However, I also wondered how many followers Jesus would have if He was physically living in the 21st Century? By unpopular vote, He would not agree with the gay right issues and gay marriages being passed, He would not agree with abortion rights or gun laws. He would not agree with women living with men and men living with women without being married or having children outside of marriage. So, He would definitely be a man who stands alone among a few followers just like He did over 2000 years ago.
As a leader, let’s remember that we will not always be praised or honored for the work we accomplish but we should work to please the Father in all that we do.
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”Gen 1:27-28
“But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife. And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”Mark 10:6-9
Writing with Purpose 