Go Get Your Blessing!
I don't know about anyone else, but I cannot believe the year 2012 has basically come and gone so quickly. Where did all the time go? As we ushered in the New Year, I embraced a winning attitude that proclaimed, "It SHALL be well in 2012." As such, I believed God for restoration and prosperity in every way. Now that the year is almost gone, I think now is an appropriate time to see how close we are to making the mark. Has this year been all that you wanted it to be? Did you receive your big breakthrough? Did things get better at all or are you still going in circles, facing the same problems that were there before?
As for me, I'm grateful. I've experienced some highs in my personal, professional and spiritual lives. Each has proven equally rewarding. Yet, there are still a few manifestations I'd like to see come forth. Am I upset about what has not yet come to pass? Absolutely not. Instead, I've resolved to go get my blessing, and I encourage you to do the same. I'd like to share a few practical steps that I believe will help give you and me that extra push to walk into the destiny that God has ordained for us for such a time as this.
1. Begin each day with a spirit of gratefulness and expectation - Attitude is everything. I often say that it's not what we go through but how we go through it. God cannot lie. Whatever He promised, He will do. Every day should begin with gratefulness. We should be grateful to God for what He has done, for what He is doing and for what He shall yet do. When we praise God, we show Him that we appreciate Him and His goodness. Be grateful and expect something good to happen. And even if it doesn't happen in the timing that we are expecting, always remember that God is faithful. When the time is right and if it's His will, He will move on our behalf.
2. Make sure you're doing your part - We all know that faith without works is dead. It's not enough to merely expect God to move without using the gifts and abilities He's given us to help make it happen. That's as absurd as saying we need a job but have yet to prepare a resume or complete an application. Perhaps you need to expand your network. Or, it could be that extra efforts should be made to promote who you are and what you do. After all, no one will know unless you make it known. Some people have challenges with this because they say it makes them feel braggadocios. But there's a time and a place for everything. At some point, you will have to feel a level of comfort in introducing yourself to others and letting them know what you have to offer. And guess what? It's a poor dog that won't wag its own tail at least sometimes.
3. Don't wait on others to affirm you - Many won't take a leap of faith because they are waiting on affirmation from others to tell them it's okay for them to walk in the calling God has placed on them. If that's you, I challenge you to let today be the last day that happens in your life. God gave you all the affirmation you could possibly need when He died for you at Calvary. You are a child of the Most High God, a chosen generation, a peculiar people. You are more than a conquerer and you can do all things through Christ because He strengthens you. Need I go on?
4. Create your own opportunities - Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap." In other words, if you have to wait for the perfect situation, the perfect opportunity, you may never take the first steps to getting where you're supposed to be heading. There are some things that may require you taking the first step to making it happen; sometimes you've got to create your own opportunity. There's no need to be afraid because God has not given you the spirit of fear.
5. Plan your work then work your plan - I learned years ago that success comes when preparation meets opportunity. Because you expect God to move and because you are committed to using the gifts God has given you, and because you are determined to win, success is inevitable. Therefore, take the time to write your plan and then execute it. Of course, the essentials of prayer, faith and action will be crucial. But winners are well aware of these necessities and always assure that they are ready to be used.
My most earnest prayer is that you feel more invigorated to go get your blessing. God wants nothing but the best for you. That's why He's equipped you with the power of the Holy Ghost to overcome any obstacle and fulfill the purpose that He ordained for you from the beginning of time. There's no time like the present. Here's wishing you all the best. Now go on...go get your blessing!