Encouragement for your journey (3)

Success is a journey – not a destination!

 

Hello my journey-friends,

21 days ago, we welcomed in a brand New Year.

21 days ago, we entered into this New Year with a sense of anticipation.

21 days ago, we looked back at the previous year and assessed whether or not we’d experienced a year of achievement, success and victory, or fatigue, failure and frustration.

21 days ago, you and I had a choice—do we enter into the New Year with baggage from the old one, or do we let go of our debilitating fears and weaknesses and face the challenges and opportunities ahead with faith and determination?

How are you doing so far?

Here’s a short motivational video that I trust will encourage you to keep going, despite any doubts, disappointments or discouragement.

Fellow journey-ers, may 2018 be a year of significant breakthrough for you. May 2018 be your year!

  

 

 

Women of Warfare friends and followers, have a blessed week!

With love and best wishes,

 Carol

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Advertisement

New Beginnings…

“As the year comes to a close, it is a time for reflection – a time to release old thoughts and beliefs and forgive old hurts. Whatever has happened in the past year, the New Year brings fresh beginnings. Exciting new experiences and relationships await. Let us be thankful for the blessings of the past and the promise of the future.”
― Peggy Toney Horton

 

For years, decades even, I could not let go of the malicious things people said and did to me. Believe me when I say, I was not being totally paranoid. I had people in my life who’d decided they were going to systematically target me and undermine my self-esteem, my reputation, relationships and career prospects.

Christian or not, when such spiteful and unwarranted behaviour continues from day to day, week to week, month to month, even year to year, it can take its toll on your character, on your relationship with God or others and, on your ability to grow and develop as an individual, as a disciple of Christ.  It can even take its toll on your ability to enjoy every-day life.

As the years clocked by, I allowed these people to get into my head. I allowed bitterness to take root in my heart and I allowed resentment to influence my actions. I became a victim.

It was only when I suddenly woke up to the fact that if God loves me unconditionally, cares about me and has complete control (which I did believe), and that if God is omniscient and therefore aware of my predicament and the actions of those perpetrators (which I had no doubt that He is and was aware), then my Father God must be allowing the circumstances—and if He is allowing it, then it is for a reason.

My choice at that point was to either submit my will to His, or rebel against it. Submitting would demonstrate to both God and Satan that my frequent prayer: “not my will Lord God but Your will be done, in and through my life” was not just an empty platitude.

It took much fretting, agonising and dying to self before I understood that God was not going to respond to my complaints, or cries of outrage, or bargaining, or unhappiness. I finally had to accept that my Father God responds only to faith and obedience.

Now, I’m not saying that I’ve arrived, or that I’m perfect (far from it!). However, I can now confidently declare that I no longer see myself as a victim. I can humbly testify that my predicament gave me ample opportunities to make mature choices, appropriate God’s strength, use his spiritual weapons and learn to walk in life as a victorious overcomer.

I share this post, having been inspired by today’s devotional reading, which focused on the following verse of scripture:

…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal…

(Philippians 3:13 NKJV)

 

Dear fellow-believer,

Dear precious woman of God,

Dear WoW follower or visitor,

We are at the threshold of a brand new year.

And so dear reader, as you enter 2018, where applicable, may I encourage you to leave behind any disappointments, failings, grudges or other victim behaviour from your past?

May I encourage you to enter into this New Year with a godly resolve to be the best person you can be as a new creation in Christ?

May I encourage you dear Child of God to appropriate and live the best life (i.e. the God-quality type of life) that you possibly can, so you may be that bright spiritual light, that sanctified dispenser of salt, that God-glorifying and victorious overcomer, you have been called to be?

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:

Let’s pray for the New Year ahead and the fresh opportunities it brings to walk in a manner that pleases God, to grow in our knowledge of and relationship with him and, to enjoy our every-day lives.

 

PRAYER:

Loving Father God,

I want to praise and thank you for your goodness, mercies and blessings throughout this current year.

Thank you for keeping both me and my loved ones safe from harm, danger and evil. Thank you for supplying my daily needs. I ask that you keep me ever appreciative of your divine presence, protection and provision. May I never take my salvation for granted, or squander the priceless privilege, which you have granted to me as your heir.

Lord God, you already know what 2018 has in store for me. I choose to enter this year with an expectation that whatever I face, you have given me the ability to reign in my circumstances through Christ, who strengthens me. You have given me the spiritual resources to emerge as a victorious overcomer.

I commit my dreams, goals and vision into your hands. Your Word advises me to commit my works to the Lord and to acknowledge you in all my ways, so that you may direct my paths. I therefore do so in faith and with confidence that throughout this new year, you will cause all things (both good and bad), to work together for my advancement and welfare.

Lord Jesus, I want to thank you that you ever live to make intercession for me and I thank you for being a faithful high priest. As I offer my life as a daily sacrifice and in service to my Father God, I ask that you make it acceptable in His sight. I ask that you cause my accomplishments, worship and prayers to rise as sweet incense before God’s presence.

Holy Spirit, I acknowledge my need of you and therefore call upon you. Enable and empower me to walk in agreement with God’s Word and in obedience to His will. Fill me afresh with your anointed presence each new day. Fill me with the peace of God that transcends natural understanding. Fill me with the wisdom of God, so that I know what to do, how and when to do it. Give me ears to hear and understand my Father God’s guidance and direction. Help me to recognise His voice, to differentiate between what He is saying, what the Enemy implies and accuses, or what my selfish instincts dictate.

Father God, thank you for hearing my prayer today. I believe you’ve heard me and because I have asked in faith and have prayed in the name of your Son, Jesus, I am confident that you will grant my request. Amen.

© Carol Hind

*****   *****   *****

 

Sunday’s Supplications

Sunday’s Supplications invites you to not only read the posts but also participate in the prayers. Each fortnight, I hope to introduce a new theme and prayer focus. You are welcome to print off and use each prayer provided, either verbatim or adapted for your particular circumstance. Even better, you can construct your own prayer and share with others by linking to this post. Please note, you do not have to be a blogger to participate.

*****   *****   *****

 

Women of Warfare followers and readers I wish you a successful and triumphant year, filled with God’s abundant blessings and perpetual favour.

Have a wonderful week!

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Quit Mourning and Move On!

 

Are you crying and obsessing over spilt milk?

If so, where has that got you so far?

Just think about this for a moment, will you?

My guess is that whatever has happened to you in the past, whatever injustice you have suffered, whatever unfortunate happening has occurred, if you have spent days, weeks, months, years, obsessing over that situation, it has not changed your circumstance by one iota!

Am I right?

So why do we do this?

Why do we repeat negative thought and behaviour patterns that have proven over time to be non-effective, even perhaps self-destructive?

May I encourage you dear reader? May I suggest something to you that might seem challenging?

Get over it! Move on!

Dear reader, I am not being harsh or unfeeling and I am not being unsympathetic. Believe me, I’m speaking firstly to myself and then to whoever happens to be reading this post, to whom my message may apply.

Move on!

• Quit mourning
• Quit obsessing
• Quit cursing, nursing and rehearsing

 

Quit mourning:

I get it. You feel bereaved.

Someone’s words or actions have left you feeling angry, or bereft, even savaged. And you are hurting over that sense of loss.

• Do you acknowledge what happened? Yes!
• Do you allow it to be your focus, to the point that it immobilises you? No!

 

Quit obsessing:

Stop nursing the hurt or outrage. Stop revisiting the scenario in your mind. Stop allowing it to haunt your waking moments, your get-into-bed routine. Stop examining in minute detail what was said or done, how it made you feel, how you wish you could make that person pay for what they did, or how their words, their actions, have left you feeling used and abused, or rendered you bottom-of-the-barrel in the estimation of others.

• Are you not permitted to be open and transparent about how you feel? Yes!
• Should you begin to manipulate the responses of others toward those who’ve hurt you? No!

 

Quit cursing, nursing and rehearsing:

Refrain from rueing the day you ever got involved with so-and-so. Stop wishing God will take vengeance—on your terms! Stop vowing to never speak to that person again, or deciding I will never, ever allow myself to be hurt in that way again.

And definitely, absolutely, stop talking about it in negative terms to other people. Stop filling the ears of friends and loved ones with “tales of the un-respected”. Stop inviting others to share your biased view point.

Stop being a victim!

 

A change is as good as a rest!

So what should we do if we consider ourselves to be a victim of someone’s malicious gossip, spite, or unwarranted attack?

In the natural realm, whenever we’ve sustained wounds, whenever we experience a debilitating or potentially harmful condition, we take appropriate action. We seek expert advice and assistance.

And, if we’ve applied corrective measures, if we’ve been operated upon, we require recuperation. We allow time for a full recovery.

Now during this period, how well do you think we’d recover, if we kept removing the bandages, or undid our stitches and began poking around in our wounds?

How do you think we’d be received, if we invited everyone we knew to look at our sores, or examine our scars, again and again?

Woman of God, what if you should find yourself in need of surgery, or some other form of medical intervention? Would you think or believe that you will never recover, regain strength, return to your normal self? Of course not!

You trust the surgeon. You believe the prescribed medication will do its job. You know if you adjust your lifestyle and obey the expert’s directions, you will eventually bounce back.

In fact, dear woman of God, if in the natural, you did sustain a sore or serious wound, would you not apply salve, or seek appropriate assistance in order to alleviate pain and encourage healing? Would you not consider it irresponsible to allow it to fester unattended?

So why not apply this same way of thinking when it comes to your emotional hurts and wounds?

 

Women of God – Apply that Spiritual Salve!

Biblical truth reveals:

…he (Jesus) was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed!

(Isaiah 53:5 The Living Bible)

So who is the expert when it comes to inner hurts?

Jesus!

Who can and has prescribed the correct spiritual remedy for your specific ailment?

Our Father-God!

Who can assist you in your recovery programme?

The Holy Spirit!

 

Do you believe this? Then may I encourage you dear reader to accept the opportunity for inner healing that Jesus’ blood has purchased for you? May I encourage you to take advantage of the wonderful and FREE spiritual resources that have been made available to us as children of God?

What are those resources?

• Prayer.
• The Word of God.
• The person of the Holy Spirit.

Dear women of warfare, I am not only seeking to encourage you to increase your prayer life, pray fervently and effectively, I am also wanting to encourage those to whom it is appropriate, to adopt better behavioural patterns, so that we are not stumbling through life as walking wounded women (victims) but living as authentic, spiritual overcomers (victors).

I am seeking to inspire you to imitate Jesus, trust your Father-God and co-operate with the Holy Spirit.

As women of God, let’s rise up to the level of thinking and acting that enables us to experience abundant life—the life for which Christ so cruelly suffered, in order that we might freely enjoy.

Are you with me?

Then let’s start by making a personal pact with ourselves. Let’s quit mourning about what cannot be undone. Let’s stop obsessing over the whys and the wherefores… the he said this and she did that… the if only… blah blah blah.

After all, if it’s not changing the situation, if it’s only entrenching us in ungodly and self-harming paradigms, leading us into self-sabotaging re-actions—is it not foolish to continue engaging with such pernicious ways of thinking and behaving?

Women of Warfare followers and visitors – arise and shine! Let’s make a quality decision to allow the love and power of God to become our focus, so that his glory can be seen upon us and can be manifested both within and through our lives.

From now on, let’s make a decision to quit mourning and moaning about the past and move on.

Let those in agreement, say aye or Amen!

 

SELF-SCRUTINY

Do I enjoy playing the victim, or am I willing to change?

 

*****       *****       *****

If you know anyone to whom this message may be timely, please don’t hesitate to share it. Have you found this post helpful? Let me know what aspects resonated with you, or what your response is to my message. Thank you for your time.

 

CREDIT: the above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com