Empowerment from God

How much can we rely on the Holy Spirit? Do we know that the power of God is for us to claim. How much are we tapping on the strength of God. I like how King David wrote it in Psalm 18.........

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me a shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn."

Psalm 18:32-36

There is so much that God can assist us with, do we realise that? Or are we still trying to fiddle here and there and trying to work it out on our own. Of course to balance it, it is not just expecting that God is going to do everything for us. God requires us to work with Him. But when we learn to trust in the power of God and His empowerment, there is more and greater things that can be done through us. No longer do we need to live in our own fears of whether we can do it, but it is God that can empower what we have, to do His work. And it will be His promises that come to pass, and not just our dreams and goals.

Sometimes our dreams and goals are limited by our own thinking capacity. We look at what we have, and what we can do, or have done, and set goals that are within our reach. But if we learn and discipline our minds and hearts to see that it is God's power that can move through us, to fulfill His promises, we'll learn to think BIG.

I've been recently challenged when I saw the movie "Amazing Grace" and how William Wilburforce pursued the will of God for 18 years. Wow, it's not just sheer perseverence, but it's conviction and he knew that it's God's call for him that His will be fulfilled through him (William). I then thought about how much William has sacrificed because of his faith and belief in God's power. He did let go of it for a season, but yet it still burnt deeply in his heart to see the slave trade abolished. It is truly only God's grace that has enabled William to see the will of God fulfilled. And that brought me to realise that it is by God's grace that we can receive such power and empowerment from our heavenly Father.

Wow........it just inspired me to want to do more. I've got big dreams that I have never declared, not being able to see how those dreams could come to pass with me. But when I see God in me, I start to see what God can possibly do, or even what God has started within me. I am determined to pursue those dreams, but more so, to pursue the will of God for my life until I see it come to pass. And knowing that it is only the power and grace of God that can bring me there.

Press on, my brothers and sisters, don't give up on the Grace of God upon your life, He has freely given His Grace into your life, not for you to freely waste it away, but for you to claim it and live out the "freedom" He has promised. Start dreaming those big dreams for Him, and let Him speak into your heart.

Thank you God, It's over

Sounds like a funny title, but that's how I felt. Yesterday, I resigned from my current job, and amazingly a weight seems to be lifted from my shoulders, and I felt relieved. I never realised how much burden I've been carrying in this job, and it made me realised that God has a purpose for this weight to be there, and for it to be lifted. It has been 6 months of trying to find a new job, and like i've shared before, it's amazing that God has not opened all the doors that I thought was good, because God has the best for me. But I just want to take this opportunity to thank God for many things over the 6 months, despite it being one of the most challenging times in my life.

I remember sharing with my sheep during shepherding, about my experience so far, I came to realise that God has done so much, that I haven't had time to sit and reflect, and thank God sincerely. I have learnt so much in growing in my leadership, and have allowed God to stretch me in my leadership. More so as well, to learn so much about what is integrity, and what is not, and even to come to see someone who demonstrates integrity is "detested" by others. It is like a battle between the righteous and unrighteous, and how much God allows the battle to happen, so as to strengthen the righteous, and cause the righteous not to be moved, but to stand firm on their grounds of integrity. As well, been involved in senior management at work has also open my eyes to the ugliness of poor managment of politics. I have been looking and observing and thinking, wherever there is people, there will be politics, and the challenge for a leader is how they will manage those politics, and how they can lead others to be there with them as well. It was appalling when I was exposed to the cruelty of human beings when they mixed professionalism and personal boundaries. This just lead to the downfall of management, and the outcome is poor management of politics, and of course people become hurt, angry and frustrated. It was even more heart breaking when you realise that the poor professionalism of a manager is hindered by unforgiveness in their personal life. This just made me wake up and be reminded that one cannot have unforgiveness, it will grow to become bitterness, and bitterness when not dealt with causes one to sin.

A part of me felt great injustice about many things that have happened, but i thank God that He has granted me patience and grace to not jump into dealing with injustice, but to leave the vindication to God. I believe that the righteous will stand and the unrighteous (no matter how big and powerful they might be now), they will fall. I have prayed and have clear directions from God that it's no point being stuck in the cycle and allow myself to become bitter about it all. Yes I was and am still hurt but yet I have chosen to forgive, and will not be critical about the whole thing, but rather, to still love. And I think that was what has set me free too, to just feel that sense of relieve, and that sense of "Thank God........I'm so glad I've finished this chapter with you".

Finally as well, I really thank God for the relationships that have been build in the workplace. The support, the network, and the care is something that I will not exchange for. Ministry is truly about people, and these are lives that God has placed in my pathways, and I believe that the relationship build will be one that will continue, so that God's love will continue to flow to them, through me. I pray that these relationships will be presevered, and I pray that God will continue to use me to be a blessing in the lives of others.

Yesterday when I was on my way home, the song that came up kept singing about the faithfulness of God........and indeed, God is faithful, and whether we have the patience to wait for His best timing for us.

** just to let people know too...........the new chapter of my working life will start again in September. That will be another exciting new journey, dealing with the bureaucrats of the government.

Medicine to Stress

What can I say? It has been a month since I blogged. Not that I'm concern how frequent I blog, but I realise that I've bottled so much in me, to want to write, that now, I am writing, I can't get it all out in one nice piece. Anyway, to sum it all up, the last month has been one of the most stressful months of the year so far, and perhaps, maybe in my last couple of years. I couldn't recall ever been at that "maximum stress point" for a long time. But I believe that God was putting me through it to squeeze out all that was not right, and to mold and stretch me to the "perfect" person He is creating in me. Of course I am not perfected yet, but yeah, I can feel God "forcing" me to grow, and stretch to my maximum.

I use to say that sleep is a good way to sleep off the stress, but in this moment of stress, sleep has not helped, but I have found myself to be sleeping even lesser, and lesser, to the point that I am so tired, I can't sleep. Because when I sleep, I do not have peace, and I will wake up even more unsettled.

Anyway, I came to such a stretch point, that I came before God, feeling so broken, and tired, that I asked God to take it away. I lay before God, daily, my worries, my stress, anything I could think of. I put it to God, and ask God to take the "stretch" away from me. But every time, I know in my heart, God is asking me to hang on a bit more, to hold on some more, until He provides the way out of my situation. I was reminded time and time again about my prophecy, of how I would be one that would hold on even when others around me fall away. I "bite my tongue" over and over, to push myself beyond the limit that I see myself able to get to, and kept telling myself that this is of God, and He is with me, and He has called me to this.

What I really want to get to is that ...... whatever that I'm going through, I cannot do it by my own. I realise that going through all these made me rely on God even more, to come into His presence even more, to seek Him even more. There was no stopping of me to think that I can get it through by my own. But there was a great hope within my heart that only God can help me through this time. I have felt God so close many times when I seek Him, that I can only cry, feeling His breathe upon my face...........that warmth just brings me to know that He has a plan for all of these. In my flesh, I wanted to give up, but in my heart and spirit, I struggled to rise over my flesh, and chose to stand firm in God's way.

When time and time again, when triggers arise, and my stress gets out of hand, one thing that helped me to keep my focus is to turn to find God, and choose to stand on His promises and His ways. This brought forth much peace that I can't imagine. Of course, not to say that it is all sorted out, but very much, it helps me to see God in all of the situation, and how He can bring victory into all of it.

God is our shelter, our refuge, our strong tower of strength. His walls that cover over us, will never fall because of the foundation of His love for us. His love is undeniable, and is everlasting. There is no condemnation, and there is nothing that can separate us from the love that Christ has given unto us. Let's turn to Him for that spiritual medicine when we are going through our moments of crisis.