In life we will not ALWAYS be treated fairly. There will come moments when even your good intentions and good heart/nature will not matter. There will be moment when your so called good friends disappear, and your words, though non-malice will be used against you. Your good intentions will not always be well received. Some will lie on you, talk about you, try to destroy your character, make you look bad to others, and cast you into a dark abyss. Fret not. One thing that God has taught me is that He can deal with people far better than we can. So, we as His children must maintain integrity, honestly, forgiveness, and humility.
To be a Child of God (popular to belief, we ALL are not) is a challenge within itself. You will face much opposition as your faith develops and grows. Testing is ahead for those who genuinely love God. And through that testing, trusting God through the process will ALWAYS lead to victory. It does not mean that it will not hurt or be easy, but it does mean that you have such a protector in Christ that He will hide you under the shadow of his wings. He is the safety in the eye of the storm. While the sea is rocking, the boat remains steady.
Adversity may come from people and things whom you treasure the most. Your family, your dearest friends, your beloved job, or anything or one you give the highest esteem to. You must remember that what the enemy plans for your doom, God arranges for your victory! No-one can throw you in the sight of lions, locked in a den that God cannot get you out of! Ask Daniel!
Even to those who try to play victim. Understand that many who despise you will not always do it openly. Some will be as snakes moving ever so slightly through the grass. Some will pretend that when you confront them, they have no idea where it came from or what you mean. Even these, let God deal with their impure hearts.
At the end of it all, those who have harmed us or tried to serve us up for someone’s meal, must face God. In return we must remain wise, humbled, prayerful, kind, gentle, and keep our eyes on GOD. It is He who has the last say so in these matters if we trust Him to handle our affairs. So, let the Lord deal with the heart of those who do you wrong and then try to play victim, while you maintain your igtegrity and love for Christ.
Please realize that fear is about control, (Unless you are speaking about the Fear of the Lord, this type of fear is speaking on reverence, not torment.) Any time fear (torment) becomes bigger than your faith you have been ensnared in a trap set by the enemy. He can use that fear to shape the way you think, how you act, and how you respond. Fear is bondage on a deeper level. To be paralyzed by fear is to give it complete control.
So, what exactly does it mean to be paralyzed by something? You are unable to move! Fear can cause you to become numb or lose feeling of excitement over the obedience of God! it is a sneaky tactic the enemy uses to attack your spiritual nerves. When spiritual nerves are attacked, your faith shuts down, so those things that once excited you about God are incased in fear, and you will lose the faith and trust in God that kept you going thus, kept you moving! Fear is a stealer of dreams, hope and faith, forgiveness and love, and even patience.
How?
DREAMS: If you see yourself fulfilling the dreams that you know God has given you (because they will bring Glory to His Name) and then at one point fear creeps in and you allow it to grow and fester, you will began to doubt what God has told you, shown you, and birthed in you. You will lose the nerve to be obedient to the vision that He specifically designed, formed, and created in and for you! Understand that what He gives you is a part of your purpose!
Scripture to combat this fear:Isaiah 41:13 – 14 For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”
HOPE AND FAITH: We all have things that we are hoping for. It could be a better job, new house, deeper connection to God, better health, greater faith, and many things that we desire but have yet to see, (Hebrews 11:1). You need faith to keep believing that what you have hoped, prayed, and labored for will come to pass. If we allow the enemy to paralyze us with the fear that these hopes and this faith is unrealistic then God is unable to move on our behalf. Without faith it is impossible to please God… (Hebrews 11:6)
Scriptures to combat this fear:Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present you request to God.
FORGIVENESS AND LOVE: Did you know that forgiveness and love go hand and hand? How? 1 Corinthians 13:4 – 5 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONG. Do you see? HAND AND HAND! Did you also know that unforgiveness can be a tactic of fear created by the enemy? Again, how? Many people refuse to forgive because they have been hurt and or rejected by someone. Sometimes so deeply that they become too fearful to open themselves back up again. That type of fear is crippling, damaging, and extremely hard to break through. Fear like this will make you afraid of relationship, friendship, and marriage. Even to the point of rejecting those whom God Himself has sent into your life. We can miss so much by being afraid. Afraid to love, afraid to forgive.
Scriptures to combat this fear: Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation – who shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Psalm 118: 6 – 7 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; He is my helper.
Proverbs 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
NOT HAVING PATIENCE: At times patience will require us to wait on God. Sometimes, for exceptionally long extended periods of times! The Old Testaments are riddled with accounts of God’s people needing to wait on God for years! Abraham, Joseph, Jesus, (33 years from life to death for His prophecy to be fulfilled!) Even I had to wait 5 years for my marriage to be restored, which brings me to my next point.
In my personal case I fully and humbly understand that because I refused for a long time to not wait and trust in God, I unintentionally hindered the move of God in my life. I derailed God’s plan for 5 years longer than what was probably necessarily. Why? Fear! I was afraid that God was not moving fast enough. I was afraid that if I allowed God to fix my marriage His way (the right way) I would end up divorced. The enemy had my mind so trapped in fear that for years that I wavered in my faith. I wavered in doubt. I wavered in the promise that was spoken to me about my marriage, and my relationship with God. Once I decided to stop fearing and fighting against God, and chose to trust in God, that’s exactly when the chains of the enemy were broken and both of our hearts were mended, so no divorce ever happened. Today we have been married for 16 years and these last 6 years have been years of restoration, pure love, forgiveness, and peace.
That fear from the enemy was broken.
Scriptures to combat that fear: Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 34:4 I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears.
Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psalm 94:19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me: your rod and staff, they comfort me.
Do not allow fear or the enemy to stop you from fulfilling your purpose or even to stop you from trusting in God! Be aware of the enemy and his tactics and fight against him with faith and the Word of God!
I appreciate your time and I hope, pray, and have faith that this has helped someone. Feel free to leave a comment or drop an email at Deeplyanchored@gmail.com
Please research more scriptures on fear to help you fight against the enemy who is forever trying to destroy your walk with God!
Also feel free to look over more of my blog posting. Most were hidden jewels from Lord who dropped them in my spirit.
Fear – An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
Fear – To be afraid of (something or someone)
In both the natural and spiritual realm fear is a force that can cause serious stagnation. In the natural, it can be a helpful emotion, making you aware of present danger; that feeling you get when something just does not feel right. The tingling in your bones, or unnerving feeling in the pit of your stomach are ways that fear can be more helpful than harmful. Yet even in the natural it can cause you to stop dead in your tracks if you allow it. It can stop you from chasing your dreams and fulfilling your goals. It can handicap you should you keep feeding into it. But let us move away from the natural sense for a moment and into the spiritual.
In the spiritual sense it is never helpful. After all, we deal with a real enemy who is hell bent on keeping you fear bound, and it’s time that you become aware of the tactics and strategies the enemy uses to keep you from drawing closer to God, from pursuing God, from moving higher in God, and from completely surrendering to God.
Our Godly spiritual sense tells us not to fear, yet we do it anyway.
Isaiah 43:1 …Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
God spoke to His children then the same words that He speaks to us today. You have no need to fear because you have been redeemed! You have been given a name, a son and daughter-ship! God says that you belong to Him! He even goes on to let us know that we are under his protection, and that He is with us! But for some reason when it is time to put that faith and knowledge to work, the voice of the enemy becomes louder than your spirit crying out.
The enemy uses fear to cause you to compromise your faith, your belief, and what you know to be the truth of the Word of God. If he can get you to fear, there is very little chance that you will move up higher in God, thus becoming stagnant in a position or place that you were meant to overcome and break free from. Fear stops growth in the things of God. Fear will compromise your integrity. It will rip your belief system apart. It will have you doubting what you KNOW to be true. Fear will take you around in circles when you should be moving forward. It is a dangerously negative emotion that the enemy feeds off in order to stunt your growth in God. Give it much lead way and it will lead the way.
In my time with God, I have been afraid, I have cowered down, I have walked in fear until I realized that fear is a trap of the enemy that comes and goes in many different forms. Stay tuned and I will break some down for you that you may have not realized you were operating in.
Whenever I’m hospitalized for more than I day, the Lord visits me on such a personal level. He makes His voice known to me rather in song, scripture or word. This becomes such an intimate time with The Father. I often feel like me being in the hospital is no accident, and it’s God’s way of saying me, “Slow down so you can hear and obey me.” Or “You’re allowing too many distractions to choke My voice.” So, although being in a hospital bed is no fun, it allows The Holy Spirit and I a chance to commune in spiritual silence, where it is just He and I. While in the hospital this particular time, God began to stir my spirit. While I was on YouTube listening to Todd White, I began to see the simplicity of God and faith. I began to understand that Christ, The Father, The Holy Spirit are easy to digest when our hearts are willing to receive and are open to Him and even easier when we walk by faith. God’s love is easy to swallow. It’s soothing and warm as it goes down. Eating it (taking it in daily through meditation, prayer, reading and worship) will you keep you both full and satisfied. But fear and doubt are ‘foods’ that don’t go down easy. These are the foods that are not only hard to digest, but they choke you on the way down. These foods sit in your spirit, turn sour, and cause heaviness. Your gag reflex kicks in because your spirit doesn’t agree with what you just consumed. So, although digestion is part of our natural physical process, it is also apart of our spirit process. Your spirit-man yearns for the goodness of God. We crave His sweet nature, His soothing Spirit, His easy flow as He begins to fill us up. His nature is so easy to digest. Eat of Him daily and you will be satisfied. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Psalm 34:8
What is accountability and why is it important? Accountability
is a shift from a person who blames others and circumstances for their short
comings, to a person who takes responsibility for their own actions. I truly
believe that accountability stiffens the cowardness in us when we are prone to
place blame on everything and everyone but ourselves. Accountability holds our unsettling
behavior hostage and will not let go until we admit truth because it requires us
to become liable for our own actions. Accountability is a measure of integrity.
It is a measure of the heart. Without it we reject what is right, and honest.
Without it, shame can become a close knitted friend. Without it, we are no more
than liars walking in human form. Without it, apologies are rendered useless.
Without it, we lay at the mercies of defeat.
So, how do we become accountable,
honest, and integral human beings? We take full responsibility for our actions.
We not only offer apologies when we are wrong, or caused damage to another
human being, but we also change the behavior that caused the damage in the
first place. Accountability is the tool we use to set ourselves free. It
demands honest. It takes on the form of reliability. Can we be relied on as a
person who admits their mistakes and faults? Accountability is not only a state
of mind, but also a motive that requires action and sometimes submission. The submission
I’m speaking represents a form of humility. It means we admit our selfish,
unkind, unruly, and dishonest behavior, so that change can swoop in and save
the day!
Accountability is a constant choice that we must make. It is
the narrow road that many will not follow. It is the path to honesty, right
stand, humility, honesty, and righteousness before man and God. It is truth
that we tend to try and hide. Yet, when man cannot discern the true heart, God
pierces through the deception and desires us to be accountable so that we may grow
and change. So, wrap accountability around your heart. Guard it has a precious
jewel. Live for it, and let it live in
you. Much love.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit
with in me. Psalm 51:10
Devotion: The Biggest D (Especially for my Christian Family)
Lately I’ve been asking the question: What are we devoted
to? When I should have been asking, WHO are we devoted to? That question can be
applied to many answers. We can say: Me, or God, A person, some entity (rather
real or not), an idol we have given a name to. But the truth is, in terms of
Our heavenly Father, there is really just two answers: Him or the enemy.
We must understand that God doesn’t engage in a battle of
“Only the strong survive.” He doesn’t have to survive anything. Others must
survive Him! He is THE STRONG! So, we must have an understanding where we truly
stand (devotion), because God doesn’t except lukewarm Christians, Revelation
3:15-16, Isaiah 29:13. He doesn’t except people between two oppositions,
perhaps looking to see who comes out on top. He doesn’t except people who
straddle the fence. Either we are devoted to God or not, it’s really that
simple if you are honest about the answer. And if we are devoted to Him, we are
living by His word, His character, His attributes, His heart, because anything
less than that is not God. Now, let me be clear, I am not speaking to those who
sincerely want to be free from their “Thorn in the Flesh” and are doing what is
necessary in obedience to God while walking in His sustainable grace. I’m
speaking those who are honest with themselves no matter the truth.
God is looking at the heart, always and forever, Jeremiah
17:10, 1 Chronicles 28:9 Which means that absolutely nothing escapes His eye,
not lies, motives, intentions, or deceit. Because all of that is matters of the
heart, which HE IS ALWAYS LOOKING AT.
We are the ones who need to figure out where we truly stand.
And sometimes He will test US to show us just that. Peter’s denial, Sahara’s
doubt, Abraham’s obedience, and all others whom God has revealed our own
heart’s to. Rather righteous or
unrighteous, we now know where we stand rather, we are honest or not.
So, I will leave you with the scripture meant for all of us.
Those whose heart are truly devoted to God, and those who are trying to get
their hearts completely devoted to God, those who are willing to devote their
hearts to God, even the ones who want absolutely nothing to do with God.
2 Chronicles 16:9 CSB
For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show
Himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him….
It is something that many of us seek after. Some of us seek
it from our parents, teachers, friends, authority figures, love ones, spouses, or
any other person who’s opinion we highly respect. The problem with seeking
validation is that when we seek if from people, we will never be satisfied.
Why? Because validation can go one of two ways: Either you will get it, and it
will cause you to want it more, or you will NOT get it and it will cause you to
want it more. Do you see what I’m getting at?
Why is it so important for us to obtain the praise or
approval from people? Well, that is a question you may have to look deep with
in yourself to figure out. Needing to be praised for a job well done may stem
from a personal insecurity. Perhaps not receiving love from the person(s) you
required it from the most. Maybe it comes from your own thoughts of feeling
like you have failed in some area of your life. Maybe you are a people pleaser,
and the thought of letting someone down is a hard thing to stomach.
Whatever the reason is, you need to know that seeking
validation and approval can become a “drug” that is hard to kick. If you go so
long without that one solace and it causes you to seek even harder for it. That
may be a major problem you need to address within yourself.
I am a Christian woman. Christ has helped me to stop looking
for validation and approval in others. I find my validation in Him and only
Him. And, when I forget, He gentle tugs on my heart to remind me where my
validation comes from. But not all the people who follow me or read my blog are
Christians. Some of them may not even believe in God. So, I will leave you all
with this, rather saved or not, Christian or not: if you find that you need
approval or validation from people too often, if validation is a “drug” that
you seek continually and you can’t go without it, you may need to search hard
for the root of your problem. Speak to someone who can help you find ways to be
completely satisfied with who you are as long as you are giving the best of
yourself to all the things you put your hand and mind too.
I have come to realize that most people listen with the
intent to respond, but not the intent to understand. When we are engaged in
heated conversation, the focus then shifts from hearing one another out to
trying to prove our own points. This causes the conversation to become bias to
our own agenda. In deep and heated conversation, we should be focused on trying
to understand the other person’s point of view, not trying to get them to
conform or reason with our thinking.
What we don’t comprehend
is that understanding another point of view doesn’t mean we have to agree with
it. And what is meant by understanding, is seeing why a person feels the way
they do, if there are things in their past that causes them to feel the way
they do, and making sure we don’t judge them based on how they feel and what
they believe. This is how we can gain
understanding and either agree or agree to disagree.
What needs to be remembered is that we all walk on different roads. Our struggles may not be the same, but that doesn’t make it less of a struggle. Our pains may come from different situations but that doesn’t make it less painful. So, we must seek to understand, without trying to prove something. It is ok to agree to disagree and still remain in tune with one another. A wise person knows the difference of listening to understand vs listening to respond with intent of conforming another’s beliefs. So how well do you listen?
Agree or agree to disagree, but still listen to understand
Value Yourself, Value Your Body, and Value Your Time
Life is too
short to waste. We all know this, but how many of us really understand how
short our lives really are? We plan to live for decades without certainty of
what each day will bring. Life is fleeting. We must be careful with each day we
get.
The Value of All Women
Value of Self
It is important
for women to value themselves, yet most women I have come across do not see the
value of who they are. They are beat down by circumstances, bad choices, and
uncontrollable events that have rendered them helpless in the eyes of others. So,
they see only the pain and suffering they have endured and consider themselves
to be worthless. Regardless of what has happened in our lives, we still have
value. When others refuse to see it in us, we must continue to see it within
ourselves. Life is too short to continue believing that we have no worth. It is
too fleeting to continue living the events of past circumstances, bad choices,
and the pain that has made us feel less worthy than we actually are.
Value of Your Body
My goodness!
Sex has lost its value. For many it has lost it’s meaning. Once, virginity was
held priceless, something to be treasured. No longer do most see it as such.
The world has taught women that their bodies can be used for pleasure than
tossed away. Men no longer view women has jewels but as tools to satisfy their wants
and needs. I’m not saying that all men feel this way, but there is a great
number who do. This new generation has shown through music, videos, computers,
and other means that sex is about has important as a penny found on a street. A
lot of women are following suite in this line of thinking. Women, our bodies
are not meant to used in such meaningless ways. We are meant to be respected
and valued, not tossed away like yesterday’s trash. Life is too fleeting to
allow others to use your body as they see fit. Life is too short to not see the
value of your body and what a treasure it really is.
Value of Your Time
Time. It is
not given forever. For us it is only borrowed. We must make the most of it. Yet
I have found that many believe they have all the time in the world. Time to procrastinate,
delay, or lay aside all the things that we require our attention. Time is but a
fleeting moment for all of us. We are here one day and gone the next. Make up
mind not to waste anymore of your precious time. Life is too short to waste
time not following your dream. Life is to fleeting not to be following your
heart.
What
happened to finding happiness in one’s own self? Doesn’t it seem like most
people just mimic one other? You remember that old question our parents would
ask: “If your friends jump off a bridge, are you going to jump too?” There
seems to be a lot of jumpers now days. What happened to being happy with who
you are and what you have?
We live in a
time where everyone is trying to keep up with the Jones, but the Jones are
barely holding on themselves because they’re trying to keep up with Jay Z’s and
Beyoncé’s of the world. I get it, we want the finer things in life, because we
feel like that is how you find happiness, so we can’t be content with what we
already have. It simply is just not enough.
Name brands
are all the rage in the fashion world, along with cars, and other empty
possessions. Yet some are frowned up for buying below the market. Honey, the
market is too rich for my blood! Look, I would never say a person could not
have better, but I would warn against vanity vs contentment. There is definitely
a fine line separating the two. We do not have to want what everyone else has,
nor do we have to do what everyone else does.
Learning to
be content with who you are and what you have can lead to better blessing in
your life. Happiness does not come from material belongings or copying others.
If you are not happy with who you are and you find yourself coveting someone
else’s life and things, you may want to address the insecurities within you.
Each person
was made to be their own induvial self. We are not meant to take on the lives
of others. In my experience happiness never came from being like everyone else,
nor from gaining a lot of material things. I found happiness in helping others,
being content in who I am, and being content what I have.
Talks No One Had With Me 