A Beautiful Exchange

Last week I was slipping on my studying and spending time with God as I had got distracted with cooking recipes, researching healthy foods, and Instagram. I mean I was reading my daily devotional, the verse of the day and reading my bible here and there but it was out of "duty" and not out of a heart of "pursuit". Somehow, I took my eyes off Jesus and put it on the by-product of Jesus such as how well I was cooking and how I can better serve my husband by cooking healthier meals. Not even realizing that the reason I was cooking well was because of the grace of God and as long as I continued to cultivate my relationship with Him, He would give us grace to eat healthier meals as well. But God got my attention real quick as I slipped from His grace and was messing up: my attitude was bad, my sticky buns turned out awful, I was eating bad, I was just pitiful. I crawled back like God what's happening His response: "If I slip from Him, I slip from grace. Grace is only there to avail me to spend more time with Him, not for me to spend my time doing my own thing. And it dawned on me that I wasn't holding up my side of the bargain. And it didn't take long for me to get back with the program neither. 

Now let me explain in more detail: for a person not operating under grace, it would take them months, or even years to learn how to play the keyboard, or get a degree in business, etc. But here's the exchange that we make with God: if we give up all the time and energy we would have put into learning how to play the keyboard or whatever else that's consuming us and pursue Him, He'll give us the grace to play the keyboard or give us the grace and wisdom to run a business without ever being taught. Side bar: don't just give up everything and then expect grace to take over, it has to be initiated by God. God has to be inviting you or pulling at you to give up XYZ to read more, pray more, or whatever and "at that moment" is the exchange presented to you. It's not something you just wake up one day deciding that you're going to quit your job and everything you're doing to seek God. You'll be setting yourself up for failure. That's presumption, not faith and sadly enough I've learnt that through experience. Anywho, back to what I was saying, something that would take us months or years to learn in our own strength, He'll give it to you for free and effortlessly. That's why there are musicians or dancers that are naturally gifted and the ones that learned how to play or move by repetition. So the conclusion of the matter is "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added on to you." Matthew 6:33(KJV) 

I pray that this blesses you. I planted, another may water, but it is God who will give the increase. Stay encouraged!  

"Are you trying to make it happen or are you letting God do what He Pleases?"

It's been two years since I've did a new blog and I must say that I feel disappointed about it because I stopped blogging based on the number of people were or weren't reading the blog. I thought no one cared to read them but there was a huge lesson to be learned with that type of thinking. Was I doing it with the right mindset? Consequently I was not which ultimately lead to me not blogging any more. This leads me to the topic of this blog "Are you trying to make it happen, or are letting God do what He pleases?"

Well the honest truth was I was trying to make it happen. I honestly and truly had a heart for the newly saved believers as I myself was just newly saved and needed some direction and had I had some direction I wouldn't have been so vulnerable to receive information for any ole body. And the purpose of my blog was to help, encourage, and educate the reader on what I've learned along the way in hopes that they wouldn't have to go through some of the things I went through. But here's where I went wrong, I got focused on how many people where reading the blog and the comments. I created a specific Instagram page for this blog and started liking any and everybody and then making posting about my new blogs that I wrote. It got so bad that I was checking to see how many people read my blog daily and when I didn't see the numbers increasing I got discouraged and that's what lead to me not blogging any more. Now I have no idea why I felt like I needed a million viewers in order to feel like I'm "being helpful". The bible says that there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away! Luke 15:7 (NLT) And I ult to be the same way. Sometimes we are so caught up on the masses that we forget to minister or help and encourage the ones that God's placed in our lives. I let my few readers down that were reading my blog all because of being overly ambitions. The scripture says do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerrubbabel's hand. Zec 4:10 (NLT) Wow! That speaks a lot in itself, that the Lord was rejoicing to see the work begin.

To conclude, it took me having to go through some things in life to get to this very place that I'm at right now of recognizing my faults and reprioritizing. That's why I'm so thankful that "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28 (KJV) So see even in our mishaps God turns it into a teachable moment. The moral of this blog is: if you have a passion in your heart to help, regardless if it's 1 or 20,000; just be faithful. God will see that it reaches whomever it's suppose to. So no need on spending all of your time trying to get people to read your blog, or buy your book, or whatever. Just be faithful and keep your focus on Jesus!

Hope this blessings someone!