Living 101

John 10:10

New King James Version (NKJV)

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

I have read this scripture many times over and never had the level of understanding that I do now that I am finally doing that which I was created to do....write. When I began writing a few years ago I never imagined I'd feel the type of freedom and excitement I now feel when I sit down at the computer and complete a compelling chapter or blog post. I did not remember the young girl I once was that won literary award after literary award based on my writing ability. I forgot all about the applause and praise I received because of my raw ability to create story lines that entertained the reader. Now that the Lord has opened eyes I feel like I am living for the first time. 

The above referenced scripture means more to me than it ever has before. I feel like I finally have life. I've had my relationship with the Lord for years now, so spiritually I was fulfilled. My relationship with Him gives me great peace and freedom, but the natural side of me was lacking something I couldn't quite put my finger on. I had a decent paying career that I was very good at, but it never  made me feel like I was impacting lives to the extent to which I desired. I began to search within myself and question the Lord as to what I was really intended to do.

A few nights later I had a dream. In that dream the characters were having a heated conversation directly in front of me. I wanted to intervene and help through the conversation to come to a resolution. When I tried to intervene I woke up. I remember sitting straight up in the bed and realizing the dream could become a novel if I could dedicate the time it took to write it. I went to my desk in the corner of my bedroom, turned on the lamp and began to write in one of the many journals I store on the desk. That night was when it first hit me. I have the talent, to open up a whole new world with my mind. I can create a space for the reader to escape to when he/she wants to escape life. At that moment I began to live in a new way. My natural fulfillment began to match my spiritual one.

You may be wondering why I am sharing this with you...well, I'm inclined to believe I am not alone in the quest for natural fulfillment. How many times have you gone to work at a job that you hate? How often do you ask yourself what you can do to satisfy the creative side of yourself? If you were able to do anything for the rest of your life would you keep doing what you are doing? Most people are not doing what they love, they do what pays the bills. I submit that is not living life more abundantly. Jesus came that we would not only be forgiven for our sins, but so that we could live the best possible life while we are here on the earth. Often times fear holds us back and prevents us from ever creating the opportunities that will open the doors of our future.

We have the spirit of the creator on the inside of us, that means we should be able to create opportunities that not only provide for us but also provide a little earthly happiness. I urge you to pull on that creative side and create your next opportunity. Begin to live in the destiny you were created for. Shake the fear that prevents you from starting that business, earning your degree, singing your original song, or penning your first novel. You were created with a purpose and ability to be able to create something out of nothing. Have the courage to live in the creative mindset you were born with! Go back to the child you once were and create an opportunity to live the dream life made you believe you could not achieve. As long as you're still alive, there is still time for you to wake up and begin walking in your destined place!

The Naked Place

Genesis 3:6-10 

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord walking in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

Of course in modern day we do not sew together leaves to hide ourselves, but the principle is still alive today. When we do or experience things that we are ashamed of we hide behind our smiles, designer clothes, titles, jobs, etc... Even though we know our God already knows and sees all we still tend to try to "hide" those things we are ashamed of. We are afraid to be naked before our God because being naked means admitting our mistakes, pain, anguish, despair, and failure. We are afraid of the vulnerability our nakedness implies. When someone is naked, everything about their body is exposed. That is how God desires us to appear before Him.  Not physically naked, but emotionally and spiritually bare so that He can get to the root of our issues and heal us from the inside out. 

It's time for us to stop hiding behind our culture, education, money, designer clothing, nice homes, children, spouses, etc... and admit to our God that we are in need of His expert assistance to deal with the issues of our hearts. When we do not allow Him to clean our wounds properly, they do not heal properly. Just as a natural wound becomes infected when it is not properly cleaned, so does your heart. Our hearts have to be purged of every negative word ever spoken over our lives. We have to remain open before our King to allow Him to operate on the broken areas of our life. Our experiences catapult us toward our destiny and purpose when we allow Him access to every part of our being, but when we limit His access by hiding behind stuff, positions, and titles those same experiences begin to hold us captive.

God desires to make everything work together for our good, but He can only use what you allow Him to use. Before He can use it, you have to allow Him access so that He can help you process it properly. Yield to Him. Disrobe before Him (lay aside everything you use to cover your issues). Give Him every part of you so that He may free you and use you for His original intentions. Allow Him to take you back to whole place you were originally created to live in. The shame no longer belongs to you. Jesus took it away when He died on the cross. Give all of your issues over to Him so that you can live in total dominion in every area of your life!