TO THE CHAMPIONS
WORK IN PROGRESS
Several months ago, I placed a sign on my front door as a reminder of who I am – an ambassador of Christ as I exit the door to start my day. At first, I looked at it daily and encouraged others to do so as well. As time went by, I forgot that the sign was there, but the consciousness was still there. I often ponder on my activities at the end of the day. Sometimes I find myself falling short of that promise to be a representative of Christ and other times I feel like I’ve been true to that promise. I’ve learnt not to be too hard on myself because I am a work in progress.
The moment you accept Christ, God begins to work in you to develop your character therefore you are not a finished product yet. You are a work in progress .That’s why Jesus encouraged us to abide in Him so that our lives can bear fruits – Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5NLT. So, He brings various situations your way to help you build that character: situations that will build your patience, challenge your tolerance and love for others, test your endurance and so on. When the various situations come our way, we have the desire to act or come out of it better but once we fall short we sometimes give up and stop trying and that’s where the enemy wants us to be. Philippians 2:13(NLT) says God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. The desire and the power go hand in hand. Once you have the desire, the power is readily available so tap into it. The growth will not be instantaneous because we are work in progress but continuous effort is required. I had a very challenging week trying to be a representative of Christ as I prepared this article. I encountered situations where I just wanted to speak my mind and let it all loose, but I knew it will affect my testimony as a Christian. I was deeply hurt but I prayed for God’s help, forgave and moved on. A friend told me, “Ask yourself, what is God teaching you at this moment”? Honestly, I didn’t feel like being taught at those moments, but a silent prayer of surrender helped me through.
Friends, we are all at different levels regarding spiritual maturity but one constant factor that must be present in all the levels is growth. Keep growing. We have been called to live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people (Philippians 2:15b). We are also called to be representative of the Lord Jesus in whatever we do or say (Colossians 3:17).
Let’s start to pray Colossians 1:10 over our lives: That the way you live will always honor and please the Lord and your life will produce every kind of good fruit.
Continue to be a work-in-progress. Never stop progressing.
Shalom
SPEAK IT!
Have you ever gotten so familiar with a story that no matter how eloquent the orator is, you don’t get thrilled by the story anymore? It happens to all of us at one point or the other. Newsflash, the word of God is different. Always new! Let us journey through the book of Ezekiel 37: 1-16(NLT) as we reiterate the importance of our spoken words.
We often become what we speak. No wonder King Solomon said “the tongue has the power of life and death. Prov. 18:21. One of my favorite quotes says: Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words,they become your actions; watch your actions,they become your habit; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny – Lao Tzu.
Friends, what are you speaking into existence? Our Father has a plan for us, a designed process and an expected end product; let’s picture Ezekiel at the valley of dry bones.
God’s plan was to make the dead bones at the valley to live again and create an army out of them so He had a designed process in place, but Ezekiel had a part to play for the end product to materialize. His sole job function was the PROCESS which was to speak the plan into manifestation. God instructed Ezekiel to speak and the specific words to say. As he spoke, there was a rattling noise and the formation began.
God’s promises are readily accessible but we have a duty to SPEAK them into existence. Ezekiel did not speak once; he spoke again for breath to come into the bodies that have been formed. He spoke until the end product was achieved. Don’t be tired of speaking! Speak until that trial becomes a testimony. Speak until that dream becomes a reality. Speak until there is a financial breakthrough. Speak until you see changes in that situation. God spoke this whole earth into existence. Throughout the account of creation in Genesis 1:3-31, at each point all God had to do was to say the word and the creation came to being.
Let your confessions align with your prayers and keep speaking until your joy becomes full.
WHAT ARE YOU SPEAKING????
Shalom
#TheJoyofHisPresence#