Have you ever prayed for something so hard and God blessed you with it? It's one of the most reassuring feelings ever. All you can think of is how good He is to you. Now, have you ever prayed for something really hard, received it and grew tired of the blessing you really wanted? It makes you feel ungrateful. Constantly guilt tripping yourself to believe you're undeserving of the favor God shows you. We always talk about all of the good that He provides, but never about how you come to outgrow where you've been placed. It's similar to how we outgrow people, they serve their purpose and we learn from it to apply in new relationships and friendships. Well, life placements can be outgrown too.
To be completely transparent, I've prayed for something and then God placed me there— I was so excited about the new chapter. Then it seemed once I reached the point I wanted to go in, I started getting hungry for more. I was upset at myself because I felt like I was never satisfied. How dare I have the audacity to ask for something and not want to continue moving forth with it. I thought to myself, you just got this..you just got here, why are you asking for more? However, I soon learned that it wasn't me that was asking for myself, it was God. He was making me uncomfortable and outgrowing my situation, directing me. He was teaching me that just because I wanted this, didn't mean he planned to keep me there. Every stage of our life isn't meant to be fulfilled long term. I think that's what messes us up and throws us off course. God uses stages to prepare us for the next place he wants to put us in. So, I began to look at it as God not allowing me to get too comfortable and complacent because there's more to come and it's much bigger. He places the desire in the heart to fire us up. I know that my purpose is meant for much more than where I currently stand in life, but most importantly, that each stage is necessary for educational purposes.
I've found myself irritated for being in certain jobs, that didn't seem to have a cause or any relation to what I want to do. I was complaining, expressing how much I disliked it, feeling like I wasn't going in the right directions or obtaining the correct experience. The whole nine. Yet, I found myself questioning and asking for him to show me the reasoning in where I'm at.
God's not going to put you anywhere just cause.
After I asked him why I gradually started getting little signs that related to my end goal. The first time it happened I just took it as an oh, that may be a sign kind of thing and it grew into complete reassurance. More and more signs were popping up and I knew it was no longer a coincidence. That's when I started to look at things as steps and stages. I'm one who gets anxious when it comes to going after what I want. I want to move, move, move and get things started but going about it that way can cause destruction rather than taking the time to build a solid base for the foundation of your goals and plans.
That's where steps and stages come into play.
Take in everything and find the little nuggets you can use in the core of your foundation. If you are in a time of uncertainty pay attention to signs that align with your passions. The more you notice them, the more fired up you will get to continue pursuing them. If you don't like your job or don't understand exactly why God placed you there, use it as a knowledge base. No matter what position you may be in or what the functions may be, there are qualities that you are using on a daily basis that you can use towards your end goal. You weren't placed there randomly. Really think of your day to day work and tasks, then correlate some key attributes that you will need in the line of work you truly want to do; whether it be at a higher corporate level or entrepreneurship. Dig in to really find the gold nuggets you overlook at work because you're too caught up feeling or expressing what you don't like.
Another point to consider, it's normal to feel like you are going backward rather than forward, but preparation comes before promotion. The way up may go down or feel unaligned for awhile at first. It's not unusual for progress to feel like stagnation but the embedded lesson within that is the experience you're getting where you are, that will help you rule in the long run. It's a lot easier to become impatient with God's timeline than understanding why God is not prospering and promoting us like we think we should be. It's okay to outgrow your current placement, but God is trying to teach you something that will be valuable for a bigger mission.
Prepare your work outside;
get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.
Proverbs 24:27
Ash!
ReplyDeleteYou hit it right on the nail! And I swear you and I go through the same thing at the same dang time!
This post was something I needed to read. Your honesty, transparency and wisdom was something I needed in this current season in my life. Sometimes we pray for things, get them then are eager for whats next instaed of embracing where we are and enjoying the answered prayer. This was soooo good!
I love you!
We seriously do go through the same thing in perfect timing, I guess that make sit easier to lift one another up when things get tough. Thank you so much for your kind words, as well as reading. I may not be as consistent as I used to be, but God is providing the message through personal experiences in divine timing.
DeleteLove you more!
Girl, this post is it. You’ve officially snatched my heart out my chest and put it back in. God himself was with you while you write this, it’s so powerful. Very relatable too. Wow. It’s lije you wrote this for me! I loved this part “God uses stages to prepare us for the next place he wants to put us in.“ so so true! The power of prayer is marvelous. Thank you for the assurance in this post.
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MJ, love, thank you for reading. I'm glad that this could speak to you, because I honestly thought this was just a case of "me" season. You soon find out, that you aren't the only one going through things at all.
DeleteWow wow wow if this isn’t right on time lol.. your a blessing that can’t be disguised 💙
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!!
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