Pull up a chair, sista. We gotta talk.
There are a few things that I wanna share.
- Get off the Elevator Ride–NOW. We are submersed in an American culture that tells us that “We have to have more.” Well, guess what? It’s not true. Having more means more responsibility–more lawn to mow, more rooms to clean, and more things to keep track of. We tend to equate more with better. However, I live in one of the wealthiest zip codes in America and I’m going to share a lil’ secret with you: the people living around me aren’t any happier because they have more. In fact, several of them have been let down by the American pipe dream. They thought more would make them happy…only to find out that more ended up being wrong. They now have moved on to trying more drinking, more botox, more exercise and a slew of other alternatives. So, get off the elevator now.
Money is not what you’ve really been looking for.
- Stop comparing yourself with everyone around you. I seriously mean it! I spent years (well, almost a decade) comparing my life to everyone else around me. I’m married to an ER doctor, so when everyone else’s husband worked 9 to 5, I became envious. My hubby worked weekends and holidays. My misery mounted. I started wanting what I did not have. A husband with a normal work schedule. It seriously hit home when a neighbor confessed that they used to think we were drug dealers (seriously ridiculous, right!), because my hubby would come home at 7am. She could not figure out why he was home by day and gone by night. I let that one really have a hey day with me and dug myself a pit of self-pity for a really long, long time.
No one can be You like You
- Live your story because no one else can. No one else is YOU! Praise God for your uniqueness, your circumstances, your realm of influence, your personalized gifts and talents. No one else can be YOU better than YOU!! We can become jealous of what our friend’s have and forget about all the cool stuff that we have. This line of logic looks something like this: “If only I was married to her husband…then I would be able to serve God.” “If only I wasn’t in so much debt, then I would be able to give more.” “If only my kids were smarter…then I would have time to be used by God.” Well, guess what? Satan is messing with you. He wants to make you think that you are not good enough, smart enough and that no one will possibly ever like you. Stop buying into his line of logic.
God wants to use YOU!
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
“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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13
“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way.” Psalm 37:23 ESV
My life was turned upside down when I started believing that God wanted to use ME to accomplish HIS plan. My circumstances are ordained by the Lord. The people I come into contact with are not by accident. Mind boggling, huh? God is purposeful. He is intentional.