A New Beginning

How many of you get excited when you hear about the birth of a newborn baby? 

However, at that precise moment, many of us never relish the thought of all the travail and process it takes just to experience that new life. 

I believe our destiny works the same way.  We start out with the conception of an idea and then the process of pregnancy begins.  For some it may be the feelings of fatigue in your body because of carrying the extra weight from the baby, morning sickness, or not being able to even smell some of your favorite foods without becoming deathly ill. Although for others it may be smooth as silk during the entire pregnancy, and then as soon as the first labor pangs hit; all hell breaks loose.

Honestly, we don't know what type of pregnancy we're going to have, but during that process, there are some things we can do to better prepare ourselves for what's to come.  Anyway, I said all that to say, you cannot bring forth new life without the travail of pregnancy and birth. Which brings me to my next question:

What are you pregnant with, and if so, are you prepared for the time to give birth?

I believe giving birth to our destiny is parallel to our daily living and the choices we make. When God gives you a vision, at that moment you've conceived an idea to do something very powerful and significant.  The very idea that you are pregnant with purpose is exhilarating.  However, like pregnancy and bringing your dreams to pass, there is a timing and a season for that birth.  Whether you feel you're ready, or the timing would be better if its two months down the line...oh well, your labor has begun. 

At this point, its time for you to position yourself to give birth.  A key element is those who are in your life during this process, you are in an extremely vulnerable position, and you are exposed.  It is imperative for you to be mindful of who you are exposing yourself to. You do not want everybody knowing your inward parts, so to speak.

Okay, I can hear you laughing...

During this time, you cannot share everything with everybody, this is a time where you only want FAITH around you. There are those key people in your life who will make the difference and this is the time to let them be a strength for you.  Although it hurts while your giving birth, its only for a while and before you know it, your baby is here.  At that moment, you're not thinking about how bad it hurt or how long it took, your just so happy to see your beautiful new baby. 

In producing God's purpose, there are various seasons we will endure in fulfilling our destiny.  Like giving birth, the good thing is once you're on the other side of that labor, you can now begin the process of building a new life.  From the moment of conception of your dream, the very desire of your heart became a reality and through the process of faith has produced new life.  Now, when you look at your baby, your life is the product of fruitful living by faith, producing God's purpose.        

      

           

            



A Faith That Is Led By Love

Whenever I think about the words love or faith, I'm immediately taken to the thought of: Which comes first the chicken or the egg?

The truth is you cannot have one without the other. Faith and love are synonymous. You simply cannot operate in love without the action of faith. I know it sounds a bit confusing, but let me explain.

How often do people in relationships fall in and out of love because of what the other does or does not do. Well, let me make it real plain, this is not love or faith.  Real love is action (faith) when there is no reason to believe, and when you cannot see beyond where you are at this very moment. Love simply believes anyway and proves itself by doing acts of love according to what it believes; even when everything else opposes those very actions.

Now hold on....I can hear you saying but wait a minute...if someone loves you they will do this...and yes that's true, but however, this brings me to the very point I'm trying to make. Love is not necessarily about responding the way you want.

I believe love has a way of grabbing hold of you and demanding a response. The tricky part is the way in which you respond. You will either draw closer by doing everything you can to obtain the desires of your heart or you will back up even further from where you are. It is absolutely a choice in how you respond to your circumstances. Regardless of however you choose to move, your faith will be reflected in the actions of your love walk.

Faith like love are displayed through the option of choice. Jesus is the perfect example. He made a decision to love us by being crucified for us when He was innocent. Jesus was the answer needed for this dying world so God sent Him. There was absolutely no reason for Jesus to love us the way He demonstrated, "while we were yet sinners Christ died for us".

Like Christ, there are so many needs on this earth that we hold the answers to. God has created us with a purpose to be fulfilled on this earth; and He has placed a strategic plan within us to be the answer to someone else's need.  Which brings me to my next question.

What is it that God requires of you? And better yet, what is your response?

"For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son". I believe love requires you to give something as an act of faith towards what you say you love. My response to God is YES. I know that this is the safest place for me. In spite of whatever things may appear to look like, I know God has my best interests at heart. God is not going to hurt me in any way. I may go through a hard place by the hands of hurtful individuals, but God has already provided a way of escape for me by faith because "all things work together for the good of them who love God and those who are called according to His purpose".

This is the foundation of who I am. I've been founded and built on a firm foundation that will not be moved. Through everything I've endured and overcome, God is producing His purpose in my life through the demonstration of love in my daily living by faith.