No matter what circumstance you may be facing, on the mountain top or in the valley, there is a secret to TRUE fulfillment👀 Thankfully for us, it is revealed in the Word of God🙌🏻😌 Today’s episode will leave you filled with encouragement & activation no matter what season you find yourself in! ❤
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Often satan will try to point out your “flaws” in hopes you will be so ashamed that you never mention them or see them as so bad that no good can come out of them. He is such a liar!! I was always called and accused of being over-emotional. But when God met me where I was at with his supernatural strength, everything changed. God spoke that my ‘crazy emotions’ when being used for his glory are called passion and compassion. In your weaknesses you are fused with God’s strength, so even the accused flaws are used for the good and glory of God!
Be unashamed of the darkness God has brought you out of. People need your testimony and to see the living power of Jesus Christ.
What is the devil pointing tonas a flaw that God says is actually a strength? Who can you share your testimony with today?
But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. So I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment—when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ—I am made yet stronger. For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 TPT
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Revelation 12:11 NKJV
Over the past week I have talked to several different women who all are pursuing a relationship with God and want his will to be done in their life. God has given each of them a vision of what he wants them to do to benefit the kingdom. Some of them have normal every day jobs that have become their ministry, some of the women are being challenged to leave their job and go somewhere else, and other women God has said their ministry is in a church setting.
What I have come to realize is that each of the women I have talked to have a different purpose. A purpose that is individualized to them personally with their talents and passions woven in. It is really beautiful to think about.
No two people are the same. Each of us have their very own personality, strengths, abilities, and passion to bring to the table. God has made us as individuals with different make-ups to bring together as one to strengthen one another as a whole. There is no one in this world you cannot learn something from. There is no reason to try to fit in when God has called you to stand out.
This is why it is so important to be who God has called you to be, yourself.
He has crafted you to be his masterpiece. No true masterpiece can be duplicated. Be an original. You are needed here, right now, for a much larger reason than you or I can see.
Focus wholeheartedly on Jesus, live your life full of love, and ask for his guidance every day. You are perfectly imperfect and he wants every piece of your heart. He will mold you to be a world changer. Stop trying to fit in with the world when you are meant to change it with his love.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.-Romans 12:3-8 ESV
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.-Ephesians 2:10 NLT
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
I began to toss and turn at 3:30am, trying to make myself calm down enough so there was a chance I may get some rest before I left for Houston in the morning for a marriage retreat. I knew I needed rest. Not only was my body completely and utterly drained, but my mind was racing. Racing in a way it hadn’t raced in 2 years since I have been healed of mental illness. I knew this worry wasn’t from God.
Yes, I had 4 chapters to read, 3 assignments to complete, a 3 hour drive to Houston, and a marriage retreat to complete. Right then at that very moment, I had a restless mind thinking about the things I had to do later on in the week. *Breathe Tanja, breathe*
I casted all my worries of not being able to finish my homework by the deadlines and was STILL tossing and turning. I looked at my phone, now 4:30am.
Alright…
I need to de-stress myself. My best way of doing this is a candle-lit hot bath accompanied by a lavender bath bomb. I laid in the tub…at 4:30 in the morning and just closed my eyes, completely vulnerable in the midst of Abba’s presence and spoke, “Okay God, I know that I either need to pray for someone or I need to listen.”
“Listen…”
*I intently listened to what God had to say*
God: You need to do this more often…take care of yourself. You know that this anxiety and stress you have been feeling isn’t from me. You keep trying to rest in your own way. But the rest that your body and soul needs is found in me. Only me.
Me: But how am I supposed to get through right now? Am I supposed to stop doing all these things? I thought you called me to do them?
God: You know the saying you always say, “You can’t pour from an empty cup?”
Me: *sighs* Yes…
God: I would rather you take one class and give more to the women and youth you are leading. I will give you the strength till next semester. But rest in me, find your strength in me, and know that I am so proud of you.
All my anxiety seemed to dissipate into the heavenly realm as I soaked in God’s presence. I sat in the candle-lit bath surrounded with peace and plans to prosper.
God spoke a couple things to me:
Stop trying to do thing in my own strength
He can make even anxiety at 3:30am turn into something beautiful. (Literally Soaking in his presence)
I need to have more of an ear to listen
Take one class next semester
I can only find true rest, in him
He will give me strength to get through these next couple weeks
He is proud of the seeds I’ve been planting
Trust in him and his plan
I have not dealt with anxiety like that in 2 years. It was not from God, but he did turn it out for the good and used it for intimate time in his presence. We need to lay everything at his feet and trust in him and his plan. Even if it doesn’t line up with our “graduation date”, his plan is perfect. We can sleep 12 hours and still not be restored because the rest we need is found in him. During quiet time, sometimes we actually need to be quiet. God wants to speak into us. Even if we are struggling to get by, if we ask God for strength, he will give it to us. Last but not least, let us not grow weary in doing good. We will reap what we sow.
Even though I did not get much sleep before the marriage retreat, I wouldn’t of traded that time with God for sleep. I literally soaked in his presence & a supernatural peace came over me as I listened to what he had to say. I casted my cares upon him through prayer and he heard me and spoke.
Is there something you need to lay at his feet today? Or maybe you just need to listen and find rest in him. Either way, he is waiting to hear from you.
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”-Galatians 6:9 NLT
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”-1 Peter 5:7 NLT
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”-Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
“Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].”-PHILIPPIANS 4:8 AMP
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”-2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
Holy Spirit was like Tannnnnjaaaaa, girlllllll, will you please focus on where your thoughts are and take them captive if they’re not of me? & I was like ohhhhhhhhhh…that’s what’s been going on. *Ah-Ha!*Sometimes I wonder if God laughs at me or even does a face palm. My flesh can be so stubborn sometimes. Anyone who knows me, knows that I can be stubborn.
I am laying down my old self and focusing on who God has called me to be. The stupid devil absolutely loves to lie to you and remind you of who you used to be. I have felt an overwhelming stress, anxiety, and depression. All of these things are not of Our Loving Father. Sometimes, I have to tell these spirits to go away, multiple times a day. That is just the season I’m in.
Our attitude is everything. We can focus on all the little things that are wrong in our life or we can focus on the promise that God makes everything turn out for the good (Romans 8:28). Even if something huge happens, trust in The Lord that he will turn even the darkest of situations into light.
Pastor Kim shared that she keeps a journal of answered prayers & blessings so she is able to look at them through the different trials and seasons of life. I am so happy that Holy Spirit told me to do just that. Now, in times like these, I’m able to reflect upon all the wonderful blessings God has done in this past year and a half. The Word, prayer, fellowship, and my prayer journal have helped me so much.
Focus on how blessed you are, even when you feel like you’re a mess.
