An Encouraging Word!

Well, here I am again and sooner than I thought. Sometimes people just need a good word and so I got back here to hopefully encourage and help somebody.

It’s been a rough two years or so, hasn’t it? I don’t believe that anyone is the same in this whole world, do you? This has been good, bad, and ugly for sure and personally I feel like I’ve been the ball in the pin-ball game of life. How are you my friends and fellow travelers? How are you faring right now? Is this shaking bringing you into a better place overall or worse; or is it just not easy to evaluate at the moment?

One thing I believe this has done for me is to give me other perspectives on life that I never thought of before, how about you? Another is that I now want more “honest” answers to my questions and I’m running to my heavenly Father for those like never before.

I am not content to just suppose, assume or coast in life. I don’t think I can afford to do that in any sense of the word; life is too short to not want those truthful answers. So, as I had some moments to ponder on life in general this is what I began to hear, and I can’t say that I have thought like this before, but this is what I will share…you check it out and see if it makes sense to you and feel free to comment.

The Father says to His beloved; we don’t have to like what everyone else does, don’t have to go where everyone else goes, don’t have to do what everybody else does; our preferences are our own individual preferences, etc. Are everyone’s taste buds even the same? How about fingerprints? We are different and He likes it that way. He wants us free; right now from other’s expectations; what they think we ought to do, be, prefer, etc. He doesn’t want us living like that…this will be a great weight off of our shoulders if we can receive it.

Some of us have been wound up so tight in others perceived expectations that we have not been who we really are and so we are “off” in our own expectations and perceptions and our view of life in general has been skewed. He desires to correct this so we can walk in His truth. There is a certain conformity, but this is His view of it….”to be conformed to the image of His dear Son Jesus.” Be conformed this way and one can’t go wrong. He wants us to “be” who we are in Him. He made us with our individual tastes, preferences, proclivities and personalities, etc. He desires freedom in who He created us to be! For example, I’m one of a kind like everyone else is. There is no equal in how He created me. It’s not a matter of pride but of honor. It’s what is talked about in His word concerning “preferring one another more than oneself.” We don’t become nothing or less-than in Kingdom thinking, but we let one another shine and come forth as he created them; just like us. He has no favorites-man does. His desire is freedom from that old mind set because that’s the old man nature pushing others aside so that we can be the one in the (what we call) the lime-lite. That’s not how the Kingdom works!

He wants us to see that the worlds mindset produces pride, selfishness, envy and jealously and it’s for attention. One can watch this in little children. (His example, not mine) When a mature adult sees it they try to correct it. We call it when we see it and sometimes we say, “You have to learn to share!” The root of it is attention. It’s “look at me, look at what I got!” See it? The bent is there and it has to be curbed. Why? It will bring trouble in one form or another.

He says, “As your Father, I know this. I desire to correct it in My children. Do you see?” If this attitude is not corrected it will bring trouble, and on an adult scale. A child’s scale could be that another child gets wounded; literally and emotionally…depending on the child. That wound could go deep in one while another isn’t that bothered. I look at it all-I see it all. It is not My desire for my children to wound one another as all My children are equal in My eyes and important to Me. I desire all My children to shine as the stars in the heavens do. No one is greater than another in their creation but “positionally” they are or can be placed according to the design I gave them.” The examples are also in what I created. No star is the same and no snowflake-it doesn’t matter…for a star is a star and a snowflake is a snowflake and a snowflake will never be a star and vice-versa; and that’s not all. There are many examples of such creativity and design if one just looks.

“I have a point I’m making as your heavenly Father. I desire unity and harmony in My children but not conformity as the world system defines it. There is no need to walk in pride. For what do you have that I did not supply? No, there is no need to be selfish, envious or jealous of one another. These are attitudes in the world and in the “old man” of the flesh. I teach you to put off the old man and put on the new, so that you My children will not be wounded by one another anymore than you have been. My heart wants you healed and whole and walking free from the old mindsets. In the new man that I have made you to be through My Son’s sacrifice; you can! He has made it possible for you to walk in love and in the honor of the “new creation” man. You really can because I have given My Holy Spirit to help you. He has the fruit, all you have to be is willing to carry it and give it out in His power.”

Can you see that this is the better way to walk? Wow! It frees us up from guilt and feeling inferior or superior to someone else, right? What a relief that is! He was showing me that there really is no comparison because each of us are really different and unique and have value in His eyes, even identical twins. He went on to show me that His word says not to compare ourselves with one another because it’s not wise. I can see why, can’t you? And He also showed me that He has room in His heart and Kingdom for all. He said; “We do not compare.” Can you imagine that? No comparison, no judgement, no unhealthy measuring…I have a hard time imagining that, really.

Now I know this but it’s good to be reminded, that Jesus died for all mankind. And He said, “Do you fit that description?” Of course! “Well then, if you do, you qualify for all of Our love and attention!” How about that? No one is left out of the picture or out in the cold! He went on to say that His Holy Spirit is given to all who believe in His Son Jesus as Savior. There is equal access for all who would receive it; it is a choice. There is opportunity to grow in grace and in faith in His word and Spirit. What a conversation we had! He just kept talking and it was from His heart…I can still feel this as I write! And He said…

“I know how to bring My children along. Thus all of you are in different stages of growth and in this knowledge learn to walk. Let the fruit of the Holy Spirit manifest in you, not the old works of the flesh. Can you see how this leads to peace–and yes, even a unity in spirit and truth?”

So then He ended this lovely time with Him this way; this is what He is after. He desires to see this and in abundance…right now and in this world. For us to walk in love and in unity of the faith, and we will have such peace, harmony and fruitfulness-and the world will see it and will know that His Son Jesus really came and by His presence and glory within us, that He came for their salvation too. He said to live the word and live in the word and They (talking about the God-head) will be glorified. Wow, wow, wow!!! What beautiful words of truth; it encourages me to really be “me” and appreciate the way He designed me to be. That just lifts my spirit, soul and body!!!

Well, I really hope that this really encouraged you and in some way you feel better about who “you” are in Christ and we are in this journey together even if we are in separate lanes. So let me find the appropriate picture here or maybe two; I just like to do that…till next post…there is plenty of scripture hiding in this word, see if you can find it.