Just got home from a brief convo with a few friends. I feel like we’re doomed. I know, I should be optimistic but how we think about love, dating, sex, it’s all messed up. Biblically speaking, it’s all wrong. First of all, we can’t love, truly love, selfless love, unconditional love because we don’t know God. How can we love or know love if we don’t know the creator and giver of love. God is love. What we think is love is something else and it pulls us in all kinds of wrong directions. Giving oneself away physically does not mean love.
Many of us are slaves to sex sin and don’t even know it. Slaves meaning it controls us, our relationships, life. We may think it’s normal because everyone says it is. If no one else has told you, let me, it’s not normal. Actually, it may be the societal norm but it shouldn’t be our norm. It complicates thing in present relationships and future ones. Sex before marriage will never satisfy. Why? Because it isn’t the order God intended it to be and it isn’t true intimacy. One can only experience true intimacy after marriage, the way God intended it to be (Hebrews 13:4). You can’t connect with someone physically if you haven’t connected with him/her spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially. As a Christian, if you haven’t entered into the covenant of marriage, there will always be some level of inhibition, lack of openness, comfort or trust.
If I can just keep it real, I didn’t want to post this. I wrote this weeks months and months ago. I feel it’s one of those topics that most people feel, act, validate based on their lifestyle and social norms. Girls Ladies, it doesn’t make you a stronger woman, more free and comfortable with whom you are because you have more partners. And boys men, talking about how many girls you’ve been with doesn’t make you more manly. Who is man enough, strong enough, bold enough to change that narrative? Some things (i.e. abstaining) may never be the cool thing to do, but are you cool enough to make it cool to talk about how many girls you’ve abstained from in your circle of friends?
As a Christian, any man or woman who isn’t willing to wait until marriage isn’t ready for marriage. There’s a selflessness, obedience and honor to God that should come first. For the ladies and the men, let me say, you are worth the wait and for anyone who says or acts differently #deuces.
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:34-36)
If you are a Christ believer, you are no longer slave to sin. You are a son of the family of Christ, of light, righteousness, life. You are free. You have a right to be free. Free to overcome EVERYTHING you believe you cannot overcome. Everything you’ve given up on overcoming. Who is ruling? You can overcome whatever it is, depend on God to do it in and through you.
I know this is a topic that may make us uncomfortable. It doesn’t fit our lifestyles anymore so we tend to find ways around it. We start calling the Bible outdated, irrelevant, etc to justify or validate our sin as ok. If you’re a Christian, let’s acknowledge God’s truth in all things instead of disputing it because it’s difficult to accept or convicts us to the core.
I know some of you are reading this like, oh well I’m satisfied with where I am and what you believe or what you have might be good, but it’s not for everyone. Remember Christ. Jesus paid the price on the cross for us. For you and your intimacy, that you may know true love. He made a covenant with God just for you so you could be free.
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” This. Because so many of us are in bondage to people. We dress, we work, we act, we do for others. What will so and so think, how many likes can I get, can I get promoted for this? It’s easy to let perception, influence, recognition run us.
Naturally we want to please our family, friends, baes, boos, bosses, fans, people in general, but reality is we’ll never be good enough for everyone. We can’t please or find favor with everyone. But God. The one who matters will be well pleased with us if we trust in and follow Him over man. Sounds easy, but it’s not. Actually think about it, how often do you make decisions based on what someone will think of you vs what you really want to do or feel led to do? From the little day to day things to the “bigger” life things… be honest 🙂
Let’s talk about this “proving ourselves” thing a little bit more. It’s such a part of our culture that it seems to be a natural, normal thing. Truth is we should only be concerned with what God thinks of us, “well done my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) And please don’t take this out of context… I’m not saying to neglect responsibility or don’t do things that are expected of us. I’m talking about our tendency to put people before God. Something I believe comes from a desire within to prove ourselves. At some point in life, a seed was planted that we aren’t good enough or that we don’t and never will measure up. Maybe it was something someone directly or indirectly said to us, a teacher, family, friends, society, circumstance or our own selves… missed expectations? Maybe it was something we’ve just internalized over time making us feel lesser than. It could be anything that’s led us to this point of believing we have to do whatever it takes to make it, to prove ourselves.
Why is thinking this way faulty? Because f r e e d o m. When we’re living to please others over God, we lack freedom and we’re bound to man. Freedom starts with an inner contentment with who we are in Christ. It means to desire what God has for you first and foremost, the willingness and ability to allow God to be in control of your life versus being influenced or controlled by our desire to be accepted by man over God. We can’t be free AND be subject to man. Isaiah 2:22 says, “stop trusting in mere humans who have but a breath in their nostrils.Why hold them in esteem?”
Putting God first makes everything easy. Really. The challenge is that we often times are not putting God first. The demands of the world are too much and they aren’t for us to carry. The world enslaves us, causes us to live in bondage rather than freedom. We can easily get consumed with pleasing people, robbing ourselves of the joy that life should give us. When you’re feeling super pressured to deliver, as many of us do all the time, remember, the only one that really matters is God.
As a Christian, you aren’t meant to fit in with the world, doing the things the world does in the world’s way. Your life shouldn’t look like anyone else’s life. And as long as your life does or you fit in with the world doing worldly things, you’ll be unhappy, unfulfilled even because God has so much more for you. So, if you feel like a loner, or like no one gets you or that you don’t fit in, that’s awesome. It’s time to ask God where it is that He wants to take you. There’s a reason He’s unsettled you. Cheers to walking in a freedom that only God could give. I promise you, you’ll be happier than ever 🙂
As long as we’re living for him and trusting Him and letting Him be God in our lives, God will be well pleased with us. Keep things in order, God first for real, and everything else will be alright.
God doesn’t forget you. How many of y’all have been there, feeling distant, lost, hopeless? Where are/were you in my struggle, pain, hurt, heartbreak, God, remember me? I believe we often times pray this out of desperation because, the truth is, God has never forgotten you and never will. God is always present even when we don’t ask (or want Him to be lol). It’s never God forgetting us. It’s us not seeing where He is working in our lives or even allowing Him to be present and work in our lives. It’s a matter of us never letting go of Him.
This morning I asked myself what would it take for me to go to sleep every night knowing that I lived my day to the fullest, knowing that I walked every step as God wanted me to, went as He lead, spoke to those He wanted me to speak to, kept my attitude in check, went right and not left even when I didn’t want to. Honestly, I’m not really sure, but I know I can start by scripture and keeping my mind/thoughts on God. Every morning I’ll give my day to God, ask Him to take it over. This is the only way I see me walking in His will daily. If I do that, then I’m sure I’ll accomplish all that He desires of me. I won’t have to worry about a to do list, burdening myself with things I shouldn’t be focused on. There’s a reason there are only 24 hours in a day. (I’m not saying don’t have a to do list, I just mean be flexible as God leads.)
Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 1:5 both talk about how God knew us before we were even formed in the womb. If God took time to know us then, don’t you think he still knows us? “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:7) This scripture is an example of how God cares about the littlest to the biggest things in life. If we do our part and walk in faith, I believe we’ll see how and where God is working in our lives and we’ll find ourselves saying, “God, remember me?” far less. The finished work is God’s job and God always does His part.
Instead of God, remember me? Let our prayer be God, help me not to forget you. He’ll use us in magnificent ways.
“I believe that God has given me purpose and put a calling on my life to create so everything I do has His purpose for me painted on it. Literally. So in order for me to create with purpose, all I have to do is pick up my tools and get to work.”
Jamel Robinson. A little back story so y’all know how cool he is. Our first convo was about his grill (the mouthpiece not a food grill). We were both chillin at the Soho House, started talking about grills, art and a bunch of other stuff. (Everyone always thinks I’m playing, but I really want one. I’ve been saying I am getting one for way too long… coming soon :D)
Back to why you’re reading this, Jamel! He is a seasoned poet turned artist with an awesome perspective on art and life in general. Born and raised in Harlem. He creates in Harlem, but he’s all around the city. Some of your favorite celebrities collect his art. Check out my q&a with him below!
What made you transition from poetry to art?
Jamel: I am a poet turned self-taught painter. After years of writing and performing, a friend asked me to paint a poem on a canvas and be a part of a group exhibition that he was curating. That’s what officially got me into painting back in November of 2011. A month later, after getting word that someone close to me had passed away, I went back to the art supply store I had gone to for supplies, came home and began a journey that I’ve been on every day since, finding and developing the “visual language” that I now use to express myself.
What influences your style?
Jamel: One of my favorite Basquiat quotes is “you’ve got to realize that influence is not influence. It’s simply someone’s idea going through my new mind.”
Being an artist can be really tough since everyone is a critic of your work and you’re pretty much at the mercy of public opinion. How do you stay confident and motivated?
Jamel: I think I’ve gotten as far as I have by being fearless. I try not to think about what anyone else is thinking about my work. Also, in order for me to show something publicly, it has to meet my approval and since I don’t put anyone’s opinion above my own, once I think it’s good, it’s good enough for everyone else. I was the same way when I used to write; you wouldn’t read or hear a poem unless it met my approval. Any thoughts to the contrary that come up, I acknowledge and dismiss.
How does faith play a role in your artistry?
Jamel: Because I’m fortunate enough to make a living off of my artwork, I constantly have to have faith that God will provide for me as long as I show up and do my part, which is simply to create and then show my work to the world however I can. God has always taken care of the rest. But even before that, when it’s just me and the canvas or a piece of paper or wood – or whatever I’m expressing myself on, I have to have faith that God is working through me and that I’ll make something that people can connect to in some way.
What has been the biggest challenge of your career and how did you overcome it?
Jamel: The biggest challenge for me is always not to give up, not to give in and not to let go. Not to give up on this dream I never had yet find myself living, not to give in to the fears that are constantly calling for attention and not to let go of everything I’ve built so far along this journey or what God has planned for me if I just stick with it.
How do you find time to keep God first on a daily basis?
Jamel: I start my day with prayer, reading the Bible, SOAPing, which is a style of writing on the Bible, meditating and making art. These are all exercises in gratitude. If I can be grateful, I can put God first and hopefully keep him first in all of my affairs.
Creating with purpose can also mean standing out, which is not always easy, especially for young people. Do you have any words of wisdom for your fellow young folk on not compromising their beliefs and staying true to God throughout their careers and life?
Jamel: I think that if you put God first, before your wants and the world’s desires, everything else will fall into place. You can’t think about what you’ll lose if you don’t conform to the world, you have to have faith in what you’ll gain from honoring God. When you feel pressure to bend in the opposite direction of your faith, break away into the arms of God and know that you’ll be carried and cared for.
What’s next for you?
Jamel: I’m currently developing a one act play and, as usual, thinking about where and when to have my next solo exhibitions (I have three that are just about ready to show), but there are a few other things you’ll just have to keep up with me on Instagram or get on my mailing list to get wind of.
Y’all heard him 🙂 Check him out on Instagram @jrcreativeink or follow his Tumblr to keep up with his work and how he’s creating with purpose. Looking forward to the one act play Jamel!
Heyy y’all. I am super excited to kick off The Chai Series with Justin Gilzene aka Club-Bum. I got the idea for this series a couple of months ago and here goes my first feature! I can’t think of anyone better than Justin to be my first interview. Justin is a super dope, young artist from the Bronx, NY. I had the privilege of chatting with him about how he got into painting, what influences him and what keeps him going. Check it out below!
ME: When did you get into painting and what made you pick it up?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Three years ago, February 2012, I was 20 years old in culinary school, miserable, working at Cheesecake Factory and a yardhouse and had to be up at 6AM for school. The dean said you’re failing, what’s going on? He asked me what makes me happy, I showed him my sketchbook and he suggested I go to art school. I had one semester left in culinary school, but I didn’t finish. I quit Cheescake Factory when they asked me to work by myself on Valentine’s Day, I quit the yard house… I was jobless. That’s when my friend Josh who is a painter introduced me to the canvas and encouraged me to start painting.
ME: When did you know painting would be “it” for you?
JUSTIN GILZENE: In 2013, I had my first big art showcase, the Raw Natural Born Artists, 500-600 people came. I received lots of acknowledgement, but no one was buying. We were wrapping up and a guy asked me about my Biggie piece. I gave him my contact info and he said he’d get back to me. I’m thinking, “Yeah, that’s what they all say.” The next day, I was reading to my students when he called and said, “I’m ready to make a payment.”
ME: What keeps you going?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Faith in God and being true to myself. I believe in myself, I know good things are always going to come. Being around my muse keeps me going too. Teaching pre-school in 2012, I was influenced by the students to be an artist. I did art to help them learn a letter, a word, numbers… they quickly adapted. That’s how my style came about, cartoon animation, pop culture figures. I wanted to create art that appeals to both adults and young children. Kids are my number one muses, but everything influences me, life, what I see, hear, know.
“I believe everyone has a cartoon figure that is them. For me, Kermit is my spitting image.”
ME: I’ve seen your style evolve this past year. Can you talk about the evolution of your style from when you first started to now and what makes it unique?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Every painting I do has a deeper meaning than what the eye usually sees. There’s a duality to the character and the persona, they coexist, it’s never random. The concept is always the hardest part.
When I started off, I was doing one-dimensional figures and using plain colors like grey, but this soon evolved to more colors. I had an exhibition in Brooklyn in 2013 (or 2014) and did a theme on bullies from different movies and how they correlated with life, Ms. Trunchbull represented the teacher bully, Deebo the neighborhood bully and the shades of grey represented their sadness and sorrow. After this, I started juxtaposing cartoons with pop culture and celebrity. I did that for about a year. Towards the end of last year, my friend said, “Man, I’m tired of seeing these juxtaposition characters, you need to evolve.” At first, I took it to heart, then I thought, “Yeah, he’s right.” That’s why I keep in my circle; he keeps it real with me.
This new work kind of just happened. I was drawing Mickey to be the Mickey character as you know it. I was dealing with a girl and she made me upset. I took my frustrations out on the painting and it just happened. I thought, “Hmm, let me post this on social media and see what people think.” People were commenting saying they liked it more than my other style. I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not. I was in a weird mood. They liked it, but did I really like it? That that goes to show what expression means to people. I started running with this new style, expressing more, adapting to it. I like it more.
ME: I love the goofy piece you did.
JUSTIN GILZENE: Yeah, I did that with the kids at Harlem Hospital.
ME: That’s awesome. Speaking of kids, they’ve come up a few times. It’s obvious you have a big heart. I know you’ve done quite a bit of charity work and you like giving back where you can. You once said, “I sketch. They paint.” Tell us more about this, what are you doing with the kids and why giving back is so important to you?
JUSTIN GILZENE: I am the Art Coordinator for Harlem Children’s Zone. Part of my job is to do murals on eight or nine walls. It’s fun interacting with them, getting their ideas on what to put on the walls and I get to make it a reality. Their minds are plagued so I want to do as much as possible to affect the negativity in their minds through art.
I’m also working with Harlem Hospital. The Chief of Staff recently commissioned me to update the Pediatrics Center.
ME: Wow, that’s great. Has faith played a role in any of this? How has your faith helped you grow as a painter?
JUSTIN GILZENE: It’s helped me in life in general, not just as a painter. Since I’ve grown up, I’ve seen some friends not doing so well, one friend in prison, some are just continuing that cycle. I look at myself, “What am I doing?” Life is a choice. God blesses us with choice.
“I imagine how God must feel if He’s dealing with that for everyone in the whole world.”
ME: What keeps your faith up?
JUSTIN GILZENE: You never know how someone feels until you feel what they have felt. I think about how disappointed I am when I am trying to help someone and they aren’t listening to me, continuing in their own way after I show them. That breaks my heart. This made me open up my heart and soul. I imagine how God must feel if He’s dealing with that for everyone in the whole world. My faith inspires me to do good, to do better. God has blessed me with this passion and love and I want to do as much as I can with it. He blesses me with new ideas all the time for my paintings.
I always pray when I wake up, before I go to sleep, when I eat, when I’m walking home, I pray for creativity.
ME: Prayer is key. Do you have any life defining moments that have shaped you that you’d like to share?
JUSTIN GILZENE: I remember this day in high school, I was angry, not angry angry, it takes a lot for me to get upset. The day started off rough, then, at school, everyone was bothering me. I was talking to one girl and she got upset, her friends were goofing around with me, taking my shoes, holding me. They were playing, but I wasn’t in the mood. So I punched what was near me, a glass window. My whole wrist was cut open, I saw my bones, I cut a tendon. The doctor said I was .5 cm away from cutting my main artery. See what happens when you don’t make the right choices or don’t take the time to think and evaluate the choices? If I would’ve punched a little harder, I could’ve bled to death.
ME: Wow. That’s deep. What about with art, any defining moments you can think of you?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Honestly, it’s all the time. People saying you’re my role model, I believe in you. Even kids saying they look up to me. Whoa, me? I’m just a human being. Comments on Instagram, people saying I commend you, keep up the hard work… I’m grateful for all of that. That fuels me to become who I need to be.
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ME: What does creating with purpose mean to you?
JUSTIN GILZENE: Based on my passion and love, I want to share it to help inspire, to motivate and to help everyone see our own flaws and the flaws in the world. I’m not scared to talk about the injustice in the world, politics, race, white supremacy. I’m not afraid to talk about love and hate against our black people, black on black crime. I want to talk about these things through my art. It’s not about the money. Someone asked me why I do my canvases so big. It’s a reflection of how I was raised. I never had my own space. I always had to share. The big canvas is creative freedom, freedom to express; I’m in my own world. I don’t really like doing things small. My purpose is to get the message out there. I’m putting it in the atmosphere, the universe, into everyone’s world. I want that impact on everyone in the world, to build a legacy based on my art and the love I put into my art, into people. That’s why I’m living.
Thanks again Justin, can’t wait to see all the exciting things you’re working on!
Keep up with Justin’s work, @club_bum on Instagram and keep an eye out for his work in the Harlem Hospital gallery and Pediatric Center later this year. If you’re interested in commissioning or purchasing work, you can reach him at justingilzene@aol.com.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Philippians 2:3-5 NLT).
Your life is for others, not yourself. Think about where you are and all the people that have helped you get to that point. Your parents, siblings, a teacher, pastor, friend, but also maybe a “random” person that you’ve met at some point who just gave you a timely word. If these people weren’t in place throughout your life, would you be where you are? God knew exactly what you would need, when and how you would need it and who He could use to help you. God wants us to know that He’s created us for more than ourselves. He wants us to live for others even though it’s not always the easiest thing to do and sometimes may require sacrifice. I know, the world says differently… do what makes you happy, we teach self expression, individuality, independence, pursuing what you want, living your truth. But, what is your truth if it’s not the truth?
In Matthew, the disciples asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment. Jesus responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind… And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:36-40). If we focused beyond ourselves, wouldn’t the world look a bit different? God also commands us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Not just family and friends, but everyone, even the most annoying, miserable person who gets on your last nerve :).
When you realize that your life is about more than you, you might find it easier to make it through the tough times and find joy in everything. God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. And when others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us because we understand (2 Corinthians 1:4). There’s greater purpose to your trials, to your six figures, to your pain, to your happiness.
“You don’t become happy by pursuing happiness, you become happy by living a life that means something to someone else. The happiest people are not always the richest or most powerful ones, but rather the ones that are kind to others, have peace, love, etc. Happiness is a byproduct of purpose. The more you busy yourself in your God calling, serving others, loving others, praying and being a blessing to others, you find your happiness, your blessing.”
Life is about more than “me”. Live for yourself, but live for others!
I think we can all agree that no one wants to be weak or even to be seen or thought of as weak. Whether we are talking physically, spiritually or mentally, no one wants to be weak. We try to eat right, work out, study, read the word so that we can be strong. Check out 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 though, whenever I read this scripture, I want to be weak. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Sometimes, we have to come to this place of utter weakness and dependency so we can learn what it means to really trust in God and let Him be God. No back up plans, no doubt, just pure faith. We are weak without God because only He can give us the strength we need. When we are broken, done trying to do stuff on our own, then we are most useful to God. He has all the space in the world to show Himself as strong and mighty, to show his power through our lives… and we will know it was Him who came through. We have no choice but to exercise faith in Him.This faith and lack ofhope in ourselves and anyone or anything else is how we bring glory to His name.
If we know we are working for and with God then why should we let anything come against us? When something is yours, nothing and no one can stop you. No failed meeting, bad grade, bad interview, lack of experience, broken relationships, no negative people should be able to make us stop believing that God is faithful.
So take this seriously. The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work. “Every part of this plan,” David told Solomon, “was given to me in writing from the hand of the LORD. ” Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly. (1 Chronicles 28:10, 19-20 NLT)
I lovee this passage. Sometimes I think we forget how the characters in the bible are no different than us. I’m sure Solomon looked at that plan like whaaat!? That’s why David had to remind Him who he’s working for and with and where those plans came from. God has chosen us not expecting us to know it all, but wanting us to completely depend on Him and seek Him wholeheartedly to accomplish what He has called us to do. We are not meant to to do anything on our own. Isn’t that cool!? That makes me happy 🙂
God gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31) God will always be found and He will give us clear instruction as we seek Him. If we first let God give us His plans and instruction and we give God our plans, only then will we be successful. Proverbs 16:3 says to commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.
He has already prepared us in advance for the job He has for us and He’s equipped us with everything good for doing His will (Ephesians 2:10 and Hebrews 13:21). Wherever He has called you, you are already equipped with what it takes. He’s just asking you to trust and depend on HIM to get you there, not yourself.
Pray and ask God to bring you to a place of weakness. If there’s something you can’t let go, you know it’s just not in you to let it go, you may need to be weak so that God can show you His power. It may not be easy for you, but God can do it. I believe what He will do in your life will be so powerful that your testimony will glorify God in a big way and be a huge blessing to others.
Keeping it real as you can tell with my title lol. Ever since I really gave my career over to God, it’s been a roller coaster. At least that’s what it feels like, tons of uncertainty, doubt, ups and downs. Sometimes I question why I quit my job, where would I be if I didn’t quit my job and start my own company? I heard a sermon last month,A Temporary God Appointed Wilderness, that really put some things in perspective. (Must listen if you feel like you’re in a wilderness… crazy how direct this sermon was for me!)
When our circumstances don’t look like what we want them to be, we began focusing on our situation and ourselves. We take our eyes off of eternity, which is what God wants us to focus on. We start thinking “maybe God has forgotten about me”, questioning why He doesn’t hear us or why we aren’t hearing from Him in our most helpless place. We start focusing on the wrong things, success defined by wordly standards, our job or lack thereof, our failed relationships, loss of a friend or family member, our empty bank accounts or whatever it might that’s troubling us. What we forget is that in all of these things is that God is still with us, he hears us, he has answered us. There is purpose in our struggle (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5).
I lovee this passage that I read in Isaiah: Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:18-21) If you’re like me, you might be frustrated, you might want to give up. Reread these scriptures and think about how powerful these words are, especially vs 19, “As soon as he hears, he will answer you.”
Our difficulties, our trials are much bigger than us. They are for eternity. Think of it as a growth period, sometimes short and sometimes so long that it feels like an eternity to us lol. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” The unseen is eternal. Eternity is being obedient to God in the now. Success to God is being obedient to Him. God is most concerned with eternity, which is why He takes us through the wilderness. He is preparing us for His eternal work through our lives. Sometimes, there is no easy way out.
So, keep praying, keep waiting, keep believing. In the midst of waiting, He’s breaking our trust issues with Him. He is dealing with our faith, our character, our spiritual maturity. In all honesty, we actually have no reason to be frustrated with God. God’s word says He is waiting to show us His mercy, His grace (Isaiah 30:18), His favor. He wants to give us every good and perfect gift. He know the plans He has for us… we just have to believe and endure as He has called us to.
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for you (Psalm 138:8). He who started a good work in you will finish it (Philippians 1:6). It’s His promise!
Trusting God’s timing is not always easy. It can get frustrating actually… God, do you even hear me? Even though I know everything happens for a reason and the season (good or challenging) I’m in is making me learn and grow in whatever way God wants me to, it’s kind of easy to stop giving thanks despite the outlook and to start getting discouraged.
Shouldn’t this be simple though? There’s ALWAYS a reason to give thanks. God is faithful, He gives us His best, He promises us good things. God doesn’t lie and He isn’t a God that changes His mind (Numbers 23:19). He’s planned out every second of our lives, including our tests and trials. If we keep our focus on Him, won’t we always find victory?
“God has set a time to deliver and send His favor upon us—and it usually comes in our worst hour of trial. That’s the time when we’re no longer struggling to do things on our own. Instead, we admit, ‘Lord, I can’t do it—it’s a mess. I give it all over to you.'” I heard this and it made me think how much God wants us to truly understand dependence, how dependent we should be on Him, to have faith in Him and what He is doing and wants to do through us. Once we reach that place of total surrender, then God can really move.
I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! (John 14:12-14 NLT)
God is always faithful. We are the ones that neglect Him, lose focus and direction, especially in our tough times when we start looking to everyone and everything to give us an answer. We forget that through our struggles, trials or tests, we still have purpose. We start taking care of ourselves and focusing on ‘self’ instead of letting God take care of us. If we take care of God’s ‘house’ first in our lives, then our ‘house’ will be in order (Haggai 1:7-11). Don’t lose focus. God has us where we are for a reason, so why give up? Everyday, we are being molded, changed and pruned for something greater than we can see. Someone needs you to push through, someone needs to hear your story, to see your victory.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). Trust God 🙂 Continue to seek Him and spend time with Him daily… read the word! Think of it as food lol. It will give you strength and sustenance for your journey. Remember that God loves you so soo much and will never forget about you.
So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised (Hebrews 10:35-36).
That’s a quote from a sermon I heard last year. Promising right? There’s something here in life that only you can do. You’re special. So live like you are.
Be salty. I love this scripture, Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”Don’t do the ordinary, do the extraordinary. Don’t be average, be above average. Don’t live how everyone else is living, live differently. Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Don’t want what everyone else wants, want better. If you are walking with the Holy Spirit, your desires should be those that come from the Holy Spirit. ‘Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.’ (Romans 8:5, check out Galatians 5:16-17 too)
You are called to be set apart. ‘Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.’ (Leviticus 20:26)
Be bold. Only God will give you the direction, the wisdom (James 1:5) and strength you need. ‘A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.’ (Proverbs 16:9)
How are you walking, in His will or your own? You’ll only be as great as you think you are or can be if you follow yourself. Follow God and he’ll make you greater, more successful and everything else than you would ever dream of.
Moti Laine 