YOU'RE WORTH MORE THAN LESS

“I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. Job (42:2 NKJV)

As I was talking to a friend of mine about life, we began to talk about being single and waiting on God. One of the things that stuck out in mind that she said was, "I would have to lower my standard if I ever wanted to get married again".  Really? Now, this disturbed me on so many levels because often that's what people will tell you.  Not because they are trying to down-grade you, but because so many women have the mentality that because there aren't as many options for Godly women as there are for men that our needs, desires, and purpose have to take a back seat just to enjoy the privilege of marriage.

It is true that men have a greater pool of "good women" to pull from.  They have more options.  But the bottom line becomes do you want options or do you want the one purposed for you? I could definitely say the same thing for men. That is why they are so patient and not willing to accept just anything. Along with the fact they have more options so it gives them the ability to wait for “THE ONE” to come along. They know they don’t have to settle. While, we struggle with this because we know “good” men are limited.  While this is true, we should still desire to have “THE ONE” and not just ANYONE. 

I began to think about the reality of what she said to me.  This is the reality...do I want to except less than what was promised and compromise who I am again for someone I shouldn't be connected to? The answer for me is definitely not! I certainly don't have an issue with being single spending more quality time in prayer and serving God right here, right now where I am. I would rather remain single and please God than to connect with someone who doesn't have a clue, understanding, or revelation about me, my God, and purpose. When someone aligns with you - your purpose and theirs is intertwined.  But when you connect with someone who doesn't have a clue it is a continued battle and struggle to be all God has purposed you to be.  So, I say again, I'm not struggling with the possibility of singledom, though I know that I will marry again.

The Lord knows who you are and what you need. It is not a struggle for him to provide it for you.  It's a matter of whether we are willing to wait on him to give us what we need, rather than looking into every face of every man trying to make him a husband.  I heard the man of God say on last week that every preacher that you see is NOT your husband.  Let's just get that revelation right there. It is a sad state that some women can't come to church to enjoy the word of God because their minds are so consumed with finding a man. The only reason why some women show up to the service is because of who is preaching and it's not because they want the word.  Come on somebody! Let's just keep it 100 today. Our focus should be turned to God.  If we cannot turn off the man-dar long enough to get a word from heaven then we need to spend more time on the altar and less idle time doing nothing. The absence of prayer is the normal culprit for when our mind wants to run amuck.

Of course, you know I did not receive that word that I was given about lower my standard, amen.  I will NOT allow my standard to fall down below what God has said.  Why should I be willing to accept less than God's plan for my life? If the Lord said it, he's going to surely bring it to past.  Then why would I be willing to dismiss everything God said just so I can lay next to thighs every night? Do not allow negative people to infiltrate your spirit and cloud your mind with words that are not God influenced.  Do not allow other people's insecurity to direct your life, decisions, or purpose. I want to encourage you today and speak loudly into your spirit, “Do not allow people to speak foolishness into your spirit.” 

Whoever you are and whatever purpose you have on your life, your mate will compliment that. You do not have to alter who you are to accommodate someone.  If you have to alter yourself, downgrade yourself in such a way that who you are is compromised I would question whether this is the will of God concerning you.  God does not align us with individuals who do not compliment who we are. He aligns us with individuals who can walk with us stride for stride. It will be someone who is the ying to your yang. It will be someone who is salt to your pepper. It will be someone who is Abraham to your Sarah. We want who God wants for us, not less than.  You, we are worth more and too much to take less than what was promised.

Your purpose cannot be withheld from you. Your destiny awaits you. It is coming because God said it is.  It is purposed because God said it is. It is his will because he said it is. It doesn’t matter what it looks like right now or what other people are saying. I don’t care if they say you’re too old or you missed God and should have married Billy Bob.  If the Lord said no then it was no and he said wait, then it wait until the appointed time. If he is not here yet, it's because he isn't ready yet. God has to do just a little more work on him to get him ready for you. You do not want the incomplete package do you? You want it when it's really ready for you and it's God's timing for you to have it.

Don't be so eager to jump in and take something that not only isn't ready, but is not even what he said! If he didn't say it, you do not want it! Trust me on that. You want to wait for the promise and don't accept the curse. Whatever isn’t' the promise will surely be a curse to you.  It will hinder you in every area of your life.  It will stifle you, your purpose, your destiny, and everything attached to you. You do not want this? Some of you have fallen behind messing with people who stifled your purpose. You have gotten side-tracked and emotionally damaged fooling with individuals who did not have the capacity to handle the anointing on your life. Don't allow your flesh to dictate your next move. Let your next move be God driven and not flesh driven! Amen.
 

YOU BEEN HOODWINKED!

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jer 29:11)

I know some of y'all are wondering what I'm talking about with this title, but I'm going to explain in a minute.  Some you all ever ordered something online, you know a dress, shoes, or some other item? You wait for it to arrive at the appointed time 3-7 days most of the time depending on your shipping preferences.  Well, when it finally arrives....it's not what you expected. You waited all that time to receive something but when you got it you found out it was not really what you wanted. Hummm, you kind of getting the picture now.

We make these list of preferences in our minds about what we want because we believe that's what we need to have to make us happy.  We have a height requirement, a color requirement, a look requirement, a monetary requirement, a job requirement, etc., so on and so on.  We have so many requirements that nobody could live up to our expectations.  Oh, lawd, do I find myself doing that so, so much!! We look for the wrong in people rather than looking for what's right in them.  I'm guilty again in this! We want them to commit before we've built a relationship because we've romanticized being in a relationship with them based on our lists of requirements.  We do not even know if that person is the person that we've imagined them to be.  We just want what and who we think they are in our heads. It's so funny watching women jump all over every single preacher on facebook and they don't even know these people! But our lists tell us go get yourself a preacher and be a firstlady.  Lol, it's so very sad that we have not realized yet that men do not respond to women who pursue them but those who are more focused and centered on the heart of God.

We are so busy chasing lists and not God chasers that we miss it so often and scare the men of God away.  Instead of laying on our faces as single women should and giving attention and time to the Lord we are so focused on finding a husband.  Hello somebody, I know I'm talking to somebody out there! I said we are chasing after this list of requirements we have in our head and not giving attention to prayer before the Lord.  Give your preferences to Jesus in prayer and stop probing trying to find every single guy out there in the church that's available. I believe the phrase they use in the world is "thirsty". We have evolved into women who once loved God more than anything to women who are willing to do just about anything to have a man in her life.  I've read status updates of women saying how lonely they are and all sort of madness.  Well, you just put yourself out there for the pimps and predators to run you down.  You do not want to do that. Stop it!!

Until you become satisfied with being God's firstlady you will never be anyone elses' first lady.  You must have your oil ready for the bridegroom when he comes.  You cannot do this if your focus is all over the place.  You are totally under prepared for what he has for you because you've already decided that his best is not what you want. You want what's on your list and your list may fall short of what God's best is for you.  The Lord knows and understands what you desire.  He said if you delight yourself in him he will give you the desires of your heart (Ps 37:4).  You can ask him what you will in the name of Jesus and he said he would give it to you (Jn 14:13-14).  However, when we ask, we must ask according to his will.  Well, what is his will concerning us, how about you ask him. If the Lord has specifically spoken things over your life and given your specific instructions then why do you plot out things that are against his will for your life? We chase things in life because of our own desires and not God's will for us. We have these preconceived ideals about what we want, what we need, and what we deserve.  How about having a revelation of what God wants, what God feels you need, and what God has said you deserve.

Sometimes, we sell ourselves short even in these lists that we've developed in our heads of what we think we want.  Oh, sure 6'4", 220 with a six pack, that prays all day, worshipper after God's own heart, handsome, with a million dollars is ideal for most women.  But what if God's plan is different than the picture you have in your head? What if God's plan for your life involves you doing foreign mission for 10 years, establishing a non-profit, saving children from captivity in a third world country? Then after all that he sends him.  The problem with so many of us is we are so centered on it happening right now rather than being ministry minded or God centered that we delay the hand of God concerning us. We delay his desire to fulfill the desires of our hearts.  The Lord knows what he has planned for your life.  Trust me, it's not something that you are going to have a problem with.  You are not going to mad at God for what he has in store for you. God doesn't want you to be unhappy, lonely, and depressed.  It doesn't want to put you with somebody who you're not attracted to or could never love. His plans for you are not to harm you or bring you down.  So, stop trying to invent your own outcome! Allow God to do this thing.  You're going to mess it up trying to put it together yourself.

We have been hoodwinked into thinking that what we think something looks like is what we need rather than waiting on God's instruction and timing. What you think you see may not be exactly what it is you need or want.  What you believe you need may not be what you actually need. When you open the package what you thought was in there may not be what you expected.  But we chase after things so often because of what it looks like.  It looks like a good place for me to be.  This looks like the person for me.  This looks like the life I wanna be in.  Everybody does not have the grace to walk in certain places in life.  That's why the bible tells us the poor will be with us always (Matt 26:11).  This means that everybody is not going to be rich.  Everybody is not going to sit in the high places.  There are some people who will sit in the pulpit and some who will stand at the door. Don't be so eager to put yourself up in places that God never told you you should be.  If you do not have the grace to walk in these areas then you do the kingdom of God a great disservice by trying to sit in a seat designed for someone else to sit in.

I'm trying to be as gentle as I can this morning, but I want to be clear today. Our desires have to line up with God's will and plan for us.  It is not to our benefit to desire things that are out of the will of God. I know the things that the Lord has told me concerning my life and understand who I am. Everybody needs to have that understanding.  This information will help you in life. To understand God's will for you you have to know who you are in the kingdom.  It behoves you not to intrude in areas that you do not have the grace or anointing to walk in. Align yourself with the will of God for your life and pursue the face of God.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things will added unto you (Matt 6:33).  I'm not saying hiding in your house, not by any means. What I'm saying to you is know and understand who you are, seek the wisdom of the Lord concerning you, stop seeking things that do not align with God's will for your life, and let the Lord be the central focus of your life.

When we realize our lists that we've created in our head do not align with God's will we must let them go and pursue the will of God for our lives. One thing that I desire of the Lord and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life and inquire in his holy temple (Ps 27:4)! My lists is aligned with that word! That is my desire. We have got to love God more than what he can give us.  Abandon all of our preconceived thoughts and objectives and allow the voice of God to be our guide. There are so many things God wants to say and do in us but we limit his ability to perform those things when take him out of the loop in our lives.  Let's be eager to please him and go into prayer with a clean slate and allow God to speak some things to us concerning his plan.  How about we do that this week?

I expect that some things will be revealed that the Lord had desired to say prior to now.  Our inability to be open limits him to speaking things that he desires to say. So, let's go into prayer with our hearts open to receive from the Lord rather than with an agenda of our own. Yes, it's okay to tell God what you want, absolutely, but how about you allow God to tell you some things so you can be clear about what God wants to do in your life. Have a blessed day and week women of God! Let us press us on with patience and wait upon the Lord till his will is clear! Amen.