Saturday, May 22, 2010

EMBRACE THE TIME IN GOD'S WAITING ROOM

Have you ever made a trip to a local hospital's emergency room? Maybe you needed care or assisted someone who sought immediate medical attention. Emergency waiting rooms can be long and quite uncomfortable. Well, God's waiting room is similar to that of a hospital. In God's waiting room you may be "sitting" for an uncomfortable, extended period of time.

When God wants to do something in your life, you will usually enter into a season of waiting. Yes, the dreaded waiting room. God's waiting room is often uncomfortable because one never knows how long the wait will be, there is no sight into what is going on, there is a lack of understanding for the wait, and one loses complete control during this time. At this point, you must simply throw your hands up and say, "God, I cannot control anything. I cannot make things happen, so I have to trust You. I know You want the best for me." At least this is what I said to Him. Once I threw up my hands and accepted that I have been placed in the waiting room, I have experienced many changes and breakthroughs in my life. All of these things did not take place overnight or all at once, but they did happen. I am still waiting on some things, but the wait is not as difficult as it was at the beginning. I now know it is not about my timing, but His.

I think it is important to understand that God is at work in your life, even when your natural eyes do not show His hand at work. You may never know the reason for your season in the waiting room, but do not assume it is because you are not holy or something is spiritually wrong with you. This may be the case for some, but not necessarily true in all cases. During the wait, you cannot control what will happen, when things will happen, or how things will happen. This is good because now you must trust God. You now have to totally depend upon Him. It is easy to become worried or filled with anxiety in God's waiting room, but this means your trust is not in Him. You do not believe He is able to do what He said He will do for you.

Again, I will say the waiting room is not a comfortable place to be, but it is during this time that you are often worked on, so you can be worked through, and so that He can do what He needs to do. While you are in God's waiting room, take time to pray to Him. Stay close to Him. Trust Him. Another important thing to remember is to be still and keep waiting. Embrace your time in the waiting room. Keep a spirit of expectancy at all times while you wait. After your season of waiting, so many good gifts (spiritual and natural) will be rewarded to you. The wait will surely prepare you to receive the good things God wants to do for you and through you.

"5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning." Psalm 130:5,6 NKJV

Be blessed.

Friday, May 14, 2010

HOT, COLD, OR JUST PLAIN LUKEWARM

Can you recall the day when you asked Jesus to come into your life? Do you remember the feeling you had at the time? I can remember that day and I also remember thinking to myself, "I mean business!" At that time, I was at a low point in my life and I knew the only other way for me to go was up. I also knew the only way I could go up was with Jesus. One of my friends told me during a conversation that she used to be on fire for the Lord. She said some other things and implied the fire I had would soon burn out. Well, I am here today telling you the fire is still present.

I am by no means putting on a judge's robe and judging anyone. I will say each one of us must take a good look at ourselves and the lives we are living. Are you hot, cold, or just plain lukewarm? Some people truly live holy lives. They believe God and Christ exist and respect the fact that God does have a standard of living for us to live by. These people can be described as hot. On the flip side, there are others who reject God. They reject Jesus. They live for themselves. This group of people is described as cold. At least it is obvious where these two groups of people stand when it comes to the things of God. Many people fall into a group called lukewarm. Lukewarm means these people profess that God and Christ exist, but they live a life that is contrary to this. They straddle the fence so to speak. All of these groups can be expanded upon, but for the sake of time and typing space, I will stop here.

Each day we make a decision on how to live out the day. We have three choices. We can choose to be hot, cold, or just plain lukewarm. You are reading this blog, so I believe you can narrow your choice down to two. You can choose to be hot or lukewarm.

"15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." Revelation 3:15, 16 NKJV

Be blessed.

Friday, May 7, 2010

ARE YOU POSITIONED FOR A PROMOTION?

Do you know someone who was overlooked for a promotion because of a negative attitude towards his/her current position? Or maybe there was a lack of loyalty or faithfulness to his/her current position. Are you that someone? I can admit, I have not always had a good attitude about the jobs I held. I was frustrated and aggravated with those jobs and quickly found a way out of by obtaining other positions.

I was later employed by a company for a lengthy period of time. My attitude was not always positive about the job and I tried my usual way of escape which was to change my position within the company or locate other employment. Nothing seemed to happen for me. My dreams for a career and my future were big and they did not include the job I held. My position did not come close to those dreams. As time grew, and as I grew spiritually, I learned to accept where I was placed. I became faithful in my job and where I was in life. More tasks and assignments were given to me and I received acts of favor I never dreamed. I became faithful in my position, which set me up for promotion. Not from man, but from God.

Faithfulness brings promotion. You should not expect to be promoted when you are unfaithful and ungrateful. Respect the authority figures placed over you, even when you do not agree with their decisions. Pray they will make decisions after seeking God first. Make the choice to give your best in your job and to allow your talents to develop in your current jobs. I know your dreams may seem lost when you are not working in your desired career, but you must keep trusting God, keep your dreams alive, and expect God to take you new levels in your life because of your faithfulness.

"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. " Matthew 25:23 NKJV

Be blessed.