Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

5 Ways to Chase Your Dreams

CHICK DREAM

  1. Get God’s approval

1 Samuel 30:8 ~ And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

Pursuing a dream is in many ways like going to battle, especially in American where we have so many options to dream about. Young people today have choices galore to wade through and determine the right choice for them. Even with a little age, we have choices. So how do we know the right direction? David “enquired at the Lord,” whether or not to pursue the enemy. Times and options may change, but the methods of the Lord have never changed. Before pursuing the enemy, or a career, time in prayer should be at hand, and even that may be a battle. For five years I’ve known the direction God wanted me to go, but circumstances and indecision has kept me from pursuing it to the degree I believe is God’s design.

A friend once said, pray and make a decision, if you have peace, it’s right; if not, pray again and listen more intently. For five years I’ve ever only had peace doing two things, writing and speaking, and yet I’ve continued to attempt every other avenue. Crazy right?

  1. Family First

Genesis 14:14 ~ And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

God had blessed Abraham, Genesis 13:2 says that “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” He was living the life. God had given him more than he’d ever imagined. He had given Lot far more than a fair share as well; but Lot’s dream turned into a nightmare when he ended up in the Bible’s version of Vegas and held captive by the enemy. Abraham would have been within his rights to tell Lot “You got yourself into that mess, get yourself out.” But he did not. He gathered an army and went and went on a rescue mission. Abraham put family first.

Even in the will of God it’s easy to get caught up in the dream and leave a line of casualties of war at the house; especially if you’re a success driven person. Only to realize later that success cost far too much, and those that mattered most suffered greatly in your absence or at your hand. Family is too high a price to pay for success, and it will never be God’s will.

  1. Expect opposition

Exodus 14:8

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

It was certainly the will of God for Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt. He had the signs and a “high hand” leading the way! But that didn’t stop the opposition. To think that the will of God is smooth sailing is to set yourself up for an unprepared attack. Moses kept going, never looking back with a desire for Egypt, and keeping an ear to God’s guidance, trusting that each step had been planned by God in advance for success.

Psalm 37:23 says that “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”  God’s plan is in action, we just need to follow it. The enemy is there, but God has a plan for him too: 1 Samuel 25:29 ~ Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

  1. Keep your eye on the Prize

Proverbs 28:1

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

When you’ve discovered the will of God for your life, and He’s set that desire deep within your heart, don’t fear. Someone out of the will of God will be in constant fear that someone or something is going to take away what they’ve worked for (or perhaps haven’t worked for.)  But in the will of God, when you know that the Lord is on your side, you can roar with the boldness of a lion knowing that you may not be king of the jungle, but you know Who is. God’s will is a confidence builder, regardless of what anyone else says or believes. God believes in you!

  1. Never Sell Out

Psalm 34:14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

You’ll never have peace in ill-gotten gain and God will never lead you into something immoral which would ruin your testimony. If something like that is before you, you’re definitely going the wrong direction! The world would have you believe that getting there is the goal, regardless of the method. But the goal is n getting there, it’s the mission field along the road. And when you get “there”, there’s still another “there,” that God has intended. He never stops moving you forward with a purpose in life.

At the worst time in Job’s life he shared a wealth of wisdom that the world would be better for. He’d lost his family, and his three friends were battling for the “worst friend of the year award.” But he gave them this advice: Job 13:25  ~ Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

Along your road to success, take care of the weak. Don’t knock them out of your path or break them like a twig to get yourself into a better position. God won’t bless that either. But what He will bless is the testimony of a child of God who has the compassion of Christ all along the journey.

This study did my soul good this morning! I hope it did yours too! Let me know if it did, I’d love to hear from you.

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Posted in Life Inspiration

Our Greatest Ministry

Psalm 34:8a

 O taste and see that the Lord is good:

There have been some events in my life that even the very thought of them causes me to crinkle my nose, roll my eyes and a get queasy in my gut. Times in my life that were just not stellar moments either because of something I had done, or something done to me. They’d left a bad taste in my mouth, much like the water that caused the children to murmur against Moses in Exodus 15:23-24:

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.  And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

The water was not the only thing that was bitter, so were they. Why had God brought them to this place with a promise of prosperity and then sat them before bitter water? That hardly seemed right. He’d called them His chosen, the favored of Heaven, should not they be drinking bottled water from the finest of springs? I just realized that I blogged this passage two days ago, so obviously God has a message in it for us, what is it about that bitter water?

I spent yesterday at a ladies retreat in Lexington, VA in hopes of reviving my soul. I wanted to drink from sweet fountain of Christ and be encouraged, and at days end I was, but throughout the day my heart was broken for the three guest speakers. Each had a brokenness that surpassed anything I could imagine. Yes, I’ve had my days of marah, but they paled in comparison to the loss of a family to sin, the loss of a marriage to abuse, the loss of a child to death. Inside my head I kept hearing myself say “Stop the murmuring Shari, you’re ridiculous, you’ve got nothing compared to them!”

There were several notable quotes throughout the day, I’m sure someday I’ll make them mine and totally take credit for the genius, but I can’t take credit, nor give credit for the one I’m about to write because I didn’t take down who spoke, it was said in passing and it stuck in my mind like gum to the bottom of a summer shoe.

“Our greatest ministry comes out of our greatest hurt.”

Is that deep or what? Not only deep but true. All three of the women from the retreat were not murmuring, but rahter using the bitter waters that they’d had to drink to pour sweetness into the soul of other hurting women. Other women who had stood before the same bitter waters.

I thought about what brought me to this place in my life, where I feel entitled to call myself the Jesus Chick and blog my thoughts thinking them worthy of encouraging people. “Who am I, Lord?” I’ve not got any great tragedy (thank you Jesus), what do I possibly have to give someone? I have a few bad tastes in my mouth, but not real bitterness… But then I hear “you’ve tasted my graciousness.”

1 Peter 2:3-5

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

I’m not the one found strong enough to face the tragedies  and stand before the bitter waters these women of yesterday faced, although I’m fully aware that day may come, I have no clue what tomorrow holds.  But God clearly said to me, “Everyone’s life has heartache and sorrow… so has yours. But you’ve always chosen to drink the bitter water and call Me gracious for the mercy I’ve shown you.”

This morning I’m so humbled to be a part of that spiritual house in Heaven and the holy priesthood on earth. I hope you understand that regardless of where you are or who you are in life, you are special in the site of God and worthy through His blood that was shed for you.

To “taste” is to experience. Savor the blessings of life and share that goodness with everyone you meet.

“Our greatest ministry comes out of our greatest hurt.”