Baffled by Christ: Real talk/ The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

I’m always baffled at the stories that my mother tells me about what I was like as a child. From her point of view, I was a mini adult/ care giver. At the age of two I made her sandwiches and I knew the medicine that she needed to take when she was sick. I even remember packing her bags when she had to go into the hospital. I knew everything that she would need or want. I packed her pretty pajamas, tooth paste, bible and other things I don’t remember. Today, at 28, I don’t like to perform such responsibilities because it is nothing that you can ever get used to, but I would still do them. The baffling aspect is that God has been using me since I was a 2 year old to be a sensitive help mate.

When I write, my desire is to tell the truth. I don’t mind sharing certain aspects of my life because I see God in them and my hope is that others can see how God is moving in their lives also. My desire is to ignite the passion of Christ in his people. So many of us are stuck. So many people have no idea who they are or who God has created them to be. The truth is that I’m a confused mess trying to find my place in the world. The written word is how I believe God uses me the most, but it’s the other ways that he desires to use me that I resist.

In God we are master pieces. We are an intricate work of art with patterns and curves that only he can explain to us. God has placed so many things in us but we have to have the faith to step out and believe that he has placed those things in us.

It is a true statement that we have to be transformed by the renewing our minds. The things that I have come to recognize about God is that he likes to pull us out of our comfort zone. I say this because it will blow your mind when you find out the things that he has planned for your life. God may use you to go on missions trips even though you have never even been out of your own city. God can give you dreams and visions, he will give you friends from different nations and he will use you to transform a generation. I know what you’re thinking, who me? I’m here to tell you that God wants to use you and me to be the answer to a problem, but first we must burn our comfort box and trust him at his word. I love Abraham because he was a man that was faithful to the things that God told him would come to pass. Sure, he messed up and got another woman pregnant that was not a part of the promise, but God is so graceful. He did not change his mind because his son had a detour.

I always tell my friend that I’m afraid of missing God. I want to be more than a church seat filler. I want to be a star in the eyes of God. Now, I can be the queen of feeling ignored and out of place, but we are not here to please people. We are here for a mission. The bible says that we are aliens. I desire to have the faith of Abraham, the wisdom of Solomon, the boldness of Paul, and the love of Christ. The thing that I love about Paul is that he went hard for God. He was an intelligent man who was dedicated to the Law of Moses, but he transferred that same dedication to loving and living for Jesus.

We have to have a passion to go. I understand procrastination, I know what it’s like to have an intuitive feeling that you should be moving, but you either feel stuck, don't know how /where to move, or you just choose to stay still.

Know your gifts and don’t take them for granted. My desire is to reach those who feel lost and misunderstood. In so many ways I understand what it is like to wonder what is next in my Christian walk. If you feel misunderstood, know that you are called to be the one to understand others who are like yourself. You are a fire starter. Remember that Moses had to travel through the desert before he could lead the Isrealites through it. We have to know that God loves us as we are. When people talk about us, God loves us. Don’t be stagnate or allow your praise and worship to be hindered because of your insecurities. Don’t miss your destiny because you feel as if you can’t do it. The truth is that you can’t do it, but through Christ all things are possible.

I read an article by TD Jakes that speaks about the importance of destiny helpers. We can have a dream, but as the dream grows, we have to trust the people that God sends to help us carry the dream to a greater level. Yes, you can write, but are you a good editor and illustrator? Do you have publishing connections? This is what destiny helpers are for. You, yourself may even be a destiny helper.

Stop feeling like you have to do everything on your own. God got me one day through a sermon by Bishop Jakes. I have a habit of feeling alone and as if I don’t have friends, but the man of God said, “If you want friends, show yourself to be friendly.”

The beautiful thing about so many Christians that I know is that they are people. Just because you have a calling, that does not mean that you should not laugh and enjoy life. It also does not mean that you will never come up short or feel insecure. In Christ we never arrive. We will always have something new to learn and some new challenge to overcome.

I encourage you to see how God has always operated in and through you throughout your life. You may be surprised at the things that he has used you to accomplish even when you did not realize it. You are not a mistake and you have a purpose. The harder the devil fights you should be an indication of your value to the kingdom of God. I pray that God shows you that you have had angelic escorts your whole life. You have a purpose and a destiny. Don’t allow your past to fool you, allow it to move you into your destiny.

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JaNina B.

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