Trusting God in the Workplace: But Lord, I Had an Excuse to be Mean!!!!!!!

Ever felt like you had an excuse to cut up or treat someone bad? Maybe, someone treated you badly? Maybe things didn't go your way or maybe you feel like you had a RIGHT to be upset. 

I have felt the SAME way. Let me share my story.. 

I was working with a customer service firm and I felt like the service was TERRIBLE. I tried to talk to staff, yet everyone ignored and said oh crap,human beings won’t ever change, they are same everywhere, all stubborn and won’t listen. And I heard in my heart the same grace that I give you daily.. I need you to give it to them. 

Wait, WHAT LORD? I don't like how they do business! As I fussed at Him, tears came to my eyes.Why is it that I am so hard on others (even if they are wrong) but at the same time I forget that I need the same grace from the Lord daily?! I'm reminded of this story in Matthew 18: 24-33:

I'm reminded of this because I am the person that owes a tiny bit. When I messed up in the past, I begged God to forgive me! As I repent daily for any known or unknown sin, I'm humbled by His grace & desperately need Him! Everything is great. THEN, I get tested with the person who is trying to WORK my nerves out.. AND I want him to know that I think you're trying to get over on me and I don't like bad business! 

SO, because God forgave ME, I'm going to trust His word when He says .. "A gentle answer turns away wrath." Instead of fussing with whoever, I'm going to really let God fight my battles. I'm going to trust His timing and His ways and know that I don't have to be this all-powerful-superwoman-business woman. I need to be a servant of the Lord and trust that HE has my back.. And I think it's ok to have standards and be a good business woman BUT if we are being mean, rude and just plain emotional, that aint biblical.  So, please, don't take this that you have to be some wimp

Lets ponder this: HOW are we any different than the world if we fight like them? Bicker like them? Argue like them? Romans 12:2 says "And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

along the way I may work with unbelievers. I may work with people that are trying to ruffle my feathers & are being used by the enemy! If the enemy knows what drives me nuts, he's gonna send people my way to distract me in that very area. BUT God will use it to mature me if I pass the test. 

So, are you giving into the bait of that co-worker.. that family member... that friend.. that boss that is DRIVING you up the wall? This is your chance to grow! You've been asking God to use you and then when the test came, you ran! You responded like you used to when you were  in the world! The proof is in your pudding honey and at times we can be so emotional that we don't even give the Lord a chance to FIGHT on our behalf. 

So, who is fighting your battles?

You?

Or the Lord?

It MAY be hard to grasp this concept of truly resting and trusting the Lord because we are in a society that screams, "MOVE, take ACTION, STAND UP FOR YOURSELF!" But at the same time, the Lord may be speaking into your heart to rest. With a whisper He is trying to show you your own heart. That you move & take action and you don't wait for his response. You move based on your high emotions. You move based on how you feel that day. You move based on what you saw on TV. You move based on what mama & whoever said. God sent you to that place to be an example but.. you haven't started because you're too busy arguing with spirits. We have to remember that this fight is not PHYSICAL but spiritual! 

WHY hasn't it happened for me?????

Why is it that I have been believing God for my new job for a year and haven't got it, Why don't I have a man is something wrong with me? WHY have I been dating' this guy ' for some  years now  and he STILL hasn't proposed to me, why does it seem like he or she  always gets everything, why am I in debt still?.. Why..why..why.

I have recently been dealing with the evil voice asking me why…..now a question came and I heard it clearly Freda why are you so focused on everything you don’t have???????????????? Do you know that you opened the door and let discontentment come right in and dine in your heart/home?? You can't even enjoy the journey because you are so HEAVY with all of these thoughts weighing you down! 

When you focus on what you don't have, it begins to amplify. It consumes your mind and you try to do everything you know how do & its still not happening ‘oh well God have tried but I wont give up’***********smiles.

You begin to question God and there's nothing you would say out rightly but your lack of trust for Him is evident in your conversation, worry and lack of faith.hmm 

Did you know that God promises not to be a day overdue concerning your life (Habakkuk 2:3)??! So everything you need will be there when it’s supposed to. If it aint there, it aint supposed to be. If you are blaming yourself for falling into sin over and over again—repent, keep it moving, get a new thought & it’ll be there when it’s supposed to. Stop looking at those around you that talk crazy, party all night, gossip, backbite, lie and then be in church praising the Lord hoping and praying for their breakthrough. And then you are thinking’.. well, they are Christians and I don’t see it working in their life. THEY are NOT your example. You got 66 books in the bible of people that passed the test. Some failed, but they got back up again and so can you.John 7:38 He that believeth in me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.I hope this makes you smile....... This scripture tells me that something can “dame” up the flow of God in your life. What’s the living water? That’s the Holy Spirit—your helper, comforter and the One that will guide you through life! What is taking up the flow of God in your life??  A serious energy-sucking friend, that relationship, a mother who nags and stresses you out all day, your job that keeps you working extra hours a day to the point where you are worn out, tired & drained??Anything you have to have besides God to be satisfied is something satan can use against you. What I'm sayin' is-- what do you think you need? A man--ok, just because you are so consumed with this idea, and God knows you aint ready for a relationship because you aint even submitting to God and you aren't whole in him-- some FOOL comes and wins your heart via your emotions. You get so tied up in that person that you begin to push God out of your box and idolize your mate. Yes, folks aren't outrightly bowin' to a gold statue named Buddha, but they are bowing to their bosses, men, women and whoever else will give them the value they think they need. Or it can be that job you think you need--you get the job, working all day and night and then the co-workers go out for drinks and then you feel all pressured to drink so then you compromise and get all caught up. Do you see the pattern?Hey dear ones……..Your VALUE comes from GOD……………NOT anybody or ANYTHING else. Decide to be content, right now. Right where you are. STOP comparing. Spend time with God and learn his personality so you can learn to trust Him. Get so consumed in God that you don’t even realize what you don’t have and then one day you will look up and you’ll have ALL those things you wanted & so much more. It starts with a daily decision. It's not deep. DECIDE to be HAPPY.

The Private War:...... Trusting God through the Silent Seasons

Ever felt like you have gone through seasons where things were moving and shaking? It seems like you were growing in Christ, doors were flying open and life is just so good! You enjoyed your time with the Lord and then... out of now where, you hit a quiet season
The scenario feels like doors don't seem like they are supposed  to be opening, you don't feel like you have clear instructions from God, you almost want to run back to that happy season but even those doors seem closed and it seems like God isn't as close to you as He was before. 

If you have ever felt that way, I want you to know that it's ok & it's NORMAL. You're simply going through a test and you have the option to pass the test & totally rely on God OR, you have the option to go & create a life and open your own doors that will end up in turmoil.

Let’s read this story together:

Genesis 11 New King James Version

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

The whole earth came together and thought that they were going to outsmart God. So, God had to confuse their language and shut down their plans. And in your own life, God has to confuse the language you have with your boss, that boyfriend you shouldn't be with, that church or that friend that is pushing you away from Jesus. It seems like for no reason whatsoever, you guys are no longer on the same page. You don't understand it and it's frustrating but God had to stop the plans that YOU came up with for your life. 

You see, God has great plans for your life and those plans include suffering, trusting Him and letting HIM lead your life. In this private war, you may not even be able to articulate what God is doing in your heart. You have this war of the flesh, this war of trying to be who God called you to be, this war of wanting to quit, this war of resting in God, this war of "when will it be my time God."

Here's the kicker.

There are times where you're going to just have to sit there and not move. I'm not telling you to be lazy, I'm telling you that God may want you to stop building YOUR tower and sit there long enough to hear HIS instructions for YOUR life. And you will have to be honest with yourself, you won't know the next step and that’s OK. If you had ALL the answers for life, why would you need Jesus? HE places those voids in our hearts because we can only be filled by Him and Him alone. He is calling you back to that quiet place with Him. So, be honest with yourself.

1. You don't know where you're going, but God does. 

2. You're sitting and trusting Him until He leads you to the next step.

3. If He isn’t opening the doors then you aren't going to bust open a door. 

4. If He wants to pursue something, He will make it plain to you.

5. Enjoy this season instead of running out of it. You've been running so long and trying to create your plans for so long that God had to get your attention. 

This world screams into our heart, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? What are your plans? What is next for you? Where is your new man? WHY aren't you taking that job? It makes SO much money! But there is this quiet whisper in your heart and the Holy Spirit is telling you to rest. Don't move. Sit there until He leads and instructs. You see, you ain't ready. If you were then you would rest until God opened up the right doors. You would be OK with not knowing the next step because you know that obedience is GREATER than temporary things.  

 Are you focused on eternity or are you focused on building your name on this earth? I don't know about you but I just want God. I want the Holy Spirit to so enjoy living in me that He bursts with joy daily. I want to be so led by the Holy Spirit that I see Gods glory like Moses did. This eternity mindset has nothing to do with the very real tests and trials that will attack you on this earth. What does the bible say about tests? Does it tells us to run? NO! It tells us to ENDURE! To stay faithful to God and to REJOICE. 

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

So, smile the next time that somebody asks, "WHEN are you getting you a man??! WHEN are you doing this? WHEN are you doing that?  Smile because you know that you are trusting God and you aren't going to step outside of HIS will to create some tower of babel. You don't need no tower of a man, tower of some job, tower of something. You need the very presence of the Holy Spirit smashing out anything that isn't like God in your heart. You simply need Him and Him alone. 

Let's fight this thing together. Let's all just sit there until the Lord leads us. Even if we look crazy. Even if the world calls us crazy. We KNOW this truth:

Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

GOD will complete it. God will complete it. I said, GOD WILL COMPLETE it. Even if you're about to get evicted. EVEN if you are lonely. Even IF you don't understand. EVEN if you are sad. Even if things look down. Place your FAITH in Jesus Christ and not this world’s temporary feelings and things. 

But... will you believe that?

Let’s stop building things that He never told us to build and going places He never told us to go. EVEN if that means QUITTING on something YOU started.

XOXO.....................................