Success & Struggle

Success made me liked by people.

Struggle made me compassionate towards people.

Success gave me a voice.

Struggle gave my voice a heart.

Today, I'm thankful for Success & Struggle...it is always teaching me.

One key to personal growth, I've discovered, is having spiritual fathers in my life who have taught me how to handle both. The wisdom of Proverbs 15:22 rings in my ear ... "Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success."

I've learned, in my life short walk with God, that spiritual advice is needed far more than natural advice. Natural advice from people (i.e., business, education, science, industry, etc.) have been extremely helpful to me...but there is nothing like spiritual direction from my spiritual covering (i.e., pastor, apostle, etc.,)...it's a game changer & an affirmer.

It took many years for me to understand this. Now that I know it...it's a non-negotiable in my life & a cherished foundation for everything I aspire.

I speak "ordered" success into your life this week!

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I Found STRENGTH through my STRUGGLE!

From Now On!

Perhaps you've thought about reasons to STOP because you can't think of a reason to CONTINUE.  My advice...you must think of a reason to START OVER!

There's a difference in GIVING up and STARTING over.  Your new beginning has to begin with the words "FROM NOW ON..."

• FROM NOW ON ... Choose to let the things you cannot control GO!
  Honestly, most of things in your life today are there because you keep thinking about them.  To get the POSITIVE...often you have to distance yourself from the NEGATIVE.  Stop clinging to the memory of what HURTS and make room for what HEALS.  Refuse to let what is out of your control interfere with all the things you can control.
  
  
• FROM NOW ON ... Choose to REJOICE rather than REGRET! Whatever has happened was FOR you not TO you. I believe that God is working ALL THINGS for your good. God is working these things at His SCHEDULE and I've learned that He is seldom early but never late. Friend, for everything you LOSE, you GAIN something else.
  
  
• FROM NOW ON ... Choose to REST and REJOICE!
  Jesus chose to retreat to the mountain after He learned of the death of John the Baptist. Strength isn't about bearing a cross of grief it's about choosing your path and learning from the experience. Friend, regardless of the MESS that people may try to put you through...continue to do your BEST!  The good news is that the experience has taught you WHAT NOT TO DO as well as what to do.
  
  
• FROM NOW ON ... Choose to take RISKS!
  Changes aren't easy and can sometimes be scary. But do you know what's even scarier? REGRET. I've learned that most of your fears are bigger in your mind than they are in reality.  Friend, don't let fear stop you! Face it and move on! Live your life so that you never have to regret the chances you never took, the love you never let in, and the gifts you never gave out!
  
  
• FROM NOW ON ... Choose to keep CLIMBING!
  How do you get to the top of a mountain? One step at a time!  Good things come to those who WORK for them!  You gain confidence and strength with every experience in which you truly PUSH yourself to do something you didn't think you could do! As long you're standing in the place of "in-between", unable to or unwilling to move forward, you'll never see the VIEW from the top!
  
  
• FROM NOW ON ... Choose to SMILE through the STRUGGLE!
  Nothing is more beautiful and powerful than a smile that has struggled through the tears!  Don't regret your TIME, even the moments that were filled with HURT!  Choose to SMILE because you have learned from it and gained the strength to rise ABOVE it. In the end, it's not what you have been through that defines who you are...it's how you GOT THROUGH IT that has made you the person you are today, and the person you are capable of being tomorrow!

Believe me...you are STRONGER because of the STRUGGLE!  What you went through PREPARED you for the PROMOTION you're now enjoying.  

The LIDS of LIMITATION are removed when you CLIMB over the CEILING of COMPLACENCY, CONSPIRACY and CROSSFIRE!

Your Struggle Will Be Your Success! (Part 2)

SUCCESS is birthed out of STRUGGLE!  Your journey began at the moment of your spiritual birth and will end when you are TRANSFORMED from corruptible to incorruptible. (1 Corinthians 15:53-54)  Until you reach Heaven, you'll have to keep "fighting the good fight" and learn how "to endure hardship as a good solider of Jesus Christ!"

On your journey upward, you will gain and lose some relationships.  Honestly, as long as you're in your small beginnings, folks will accept you.  However, when you begin to accelerate into new levels, some folks won't be able to get a handle on your growth.

It's like the old story of Cain and Able.  Cain became very angry when God received Ables' offering and not his.  God addressed Cain and said, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door..." (Genesis 4:6-7)

Some people carry the SPIRIT OF CAIN in their uncrucified flesh.  When they attempt to get close to you, its for the purpose of looking for a kink in your armor so they can criticize your journey and ultimately try to discredit you.  

How do you defend yourself from this kind of spirit?  Do you fight it?  Do you defend yourself? Honestly, if you consume your time trying to reason with this spirit, you'll stay locked up in the prison of explanation all the days of your life.  Sometimes, the people closest to you will be your foes.  Jesus said, "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matthew 10:36).  Your enemies are too far away to wound you but it's the people who sit at your table who can hurt you the most.

Didn't Jesus encounter the same thing?  At the "Last Supper", He sat with John the Beloved on one side and Judas the Betrayer on the other.  Basically, we have to be able to DISCERN which one is which.  They were both very close...John laid his head on Jesus' bosom and Judas was close enough to betray Him with a kiss.  Ironically, BOTH were used to help Jesus achieve His destiny!  Friends, God can use both in your life to PROMOTE you to His PURPOSE!

With your CALLING comes RESPONSIBILITY.  The more you have...the more you are responsible for.  If you have a car you have a responsibility to keep it maintained with oil, gasoline and lest we forget...INSURANCE.  People who have no car need no gas. :)  It's comical for me to hear ladies talk about how much they have to clean all the nick-nacks in their house, and yet, they asked for all of it.  Friends, everything God gives you requires MAINTENANCE!

I guess that's why Jesus said, "No man builds without counting the cost." (Luke 14:28-30)  So, ask yourself today... 

• "Am I willing to pay the price to get the blessing?"  
• "Am I willing to endure the criticism and the ridicule that comes with success?"  
• "Am I willing to accept the STRUGGLE?"

Not everyone who says they want to be in ministry today can answer those questions with a "yes!"  

• We want the BLESSING but not the BATTLE.
• We want to be USED but not ABUSED.
• We want the OFFERS without sacrificial OFFERINGS.
• We want the TITLE without the TRIAL.
• We want the POSITION without SUBMISSION.
• We want the SUCCESS without the STRUGGLE.
• We want the OPPORTUNITY without the OBSTACLES.
• We want the IMAGE without the IRRITATION.

There are some women who say they want a husband and children but don't want to cook, care or clean.  There are some men who say they want a wife but don't want to love, provide and nourish.  Most people are in love with the IMAGE of success, but they haven't counted the cost of POSSESSING the BLESSING.

It's a good thing that God doesn't give us everything we ask for!  We have a habit of asking for things because they look good in someone else's life.  However, we're not always ready to receive those things and it would probably destroy us if we did receive them because we're not prepared to maintain them.

• You may have a FIERY TESTIMONY but that doesn't mean you're ready to pastor a church.
• You may have a GREAT VOICE but that doesn't mean you're ready to lead a congregation in worship.
• You may have a LIKABLE PERSONALITY but that doesn't mean you're ready to oversee people.

God knows what we can presently handle.  When we learn to master the BASICS then we can be trusted in ADVANCED areas.  For example: If God can trust us with the BASICS of Tithes & Offerings, then He can trust us with ADVANCED areas of financial increase.

Ultimately, I want to hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matthew 25:23)

More to come...

Your Struggle Will Be Your Success!

Everyone I've ever met desires to be SUCCESSFUL!  I don't recall meeting anyone and hearing them say, "I want to be a loser!"  Since success is our GOAL, why do we struggle so much to achieve it?

You only get the CROWN after the battle is over!  Yes...I said BATTLE!  If success were easy, anybody could do it.  However, SUCCESS is only SUCCESS after you've come through the STRUGGLE with victory!  Sure, you may have some wounds from the battle...but SUCCESS is inevitable for the child of God who not only SURVIVES the attack...but THRIVES as well!

How can you have a VICTORY without a CONFLICT?  You can't!  In order to be an OVERCOMER you have to have something to COME OVER!

Anyone who thinks that they'll reach their goal without a STRUGGLE is wishing for something that COSTS nothing.  Anything that COSTS you NOTHING won't have the same VALUE as that which you have PAID for on the BATTLE FIELD!

In department stores, before the surge of electronics, people used to switch price tags on clothing and items in order to lessen the price of the product they wanted. It's no different today!  Many are trying to do the same thing in their SPIRITUAL LIFE!  They want the CHRISTIAN DISCOUNT on the promises of God!  They don't want to have to PAY for anything of VALUE.  Thus, we've birthed a generation of SELF-CENTERED, CHEAP, CHARISMATIC CHRISTIANS who want SOMETHING for NOTHING!

Friends...your PAYMENT helps you appreciate the BLESSINGS when they come because you know the EXPENSE!

With the EXPENSE comes an APPRECIATION for every STRUGGLE you had to endure to make it to where you are today!  Your STRUGGLE actually PUSHES you up!

Don't be surprised by the ATTACK of the enemy when you become to achieve GRACEFUL SUCCESS!  Sadly, there will even be people in the body of Christ who will become offended at your success and seek to discredit anything you do in the name of The Lord.  

You can't concern yourself with those who seek to find fault, criticize you or shun you.  Often, people are offended at what God has done for you and the FAVOR that is upon your life.  They'll never rejoice with you because somehow they feel that your success came at their expense.  Friends...NO DIPLOMACY can calm a jealous heart.

I want to encourage you today to WEAR YOUR COAT of FAVOR!  Man may try to steal it...but when you wear it long enough on the OUTSIDE...your INSIDES will recognize the DESTINY before you!

You are BLESSED and HIGHLY FAVORED!  Your STRUGGLE is preparing you for SUCCESS!

More to come...