At the beginning of this month, I was blessed with the opportunity to speak to a group of high school students here in Chicago. I remember going back and forth in my mind wrestling to figure out what I would speak to the students about. I prayed, asking God to lead me and get the glory out of whatever I ended up speaking about. As I walked into the school still uncertain of what to say to the students, the Dean of Students greeted me in his office and explained how the school was an alternative high school. He informed me that over 95% of the students attending the school had been kicked out of traditional public schools due to their behavior. As soon as the Dean mentioned this to me there were tons of thoughts that began to race my mind and I felt like I needed more time to prepare an eloquent speech.
As I left the Dean's office and stepped into the classroom, I sat down and started talking to the students. The moment I began to speak it was as if God was literally right there feeding me the words to say. When I spoke, I began to feel like everything I had been through had a purpose and in that moment the purpose was to share it with those students. I opened up sharing intimate and personal experiences of my own life with the class and it naturally created a platform for students to begin sharing their own personal experiences. At the end of the period, I felt like there was a possibility that my words may have resonated with a few students but it was not until the teacher approached me asking me to please stay and share my story with two more periods that it hit me, God did it yet again.
There have been many times where I have felt that what I have to offer may not be enough or that I needed more of something to be enough. How many of you out there have ever felt inadequate? That feeling that you needed to have just a little bit more of something to be able to deliver or help someone effectively? (Go check out the first blog I wrote called “When God Calls”) This month I believe that God would like to remind readers that everything you already have is all that you will need. I believe that God wants you to go out and plant yourselves in places where He has called you to help without hesitation and the rest will be taken care of.
There have been many times where I have felt that what I have to offer may not be enough or that I needed more of something to be enough. How many of you out there have ever felt inadequate? That feeling that you needed to have just a little bit more of something to be able to deliver or help someone effectively? (Go check out the first blog I wrote called “When God Calls”) This month I believe that God would like to remind readers that everything you already have is all that you will need. I believe that God wants you to go out and plant yourselves in places where He has called you to help without hesitation and the rest will be taken care of.
Mark 4:26-29 NCV states: “Then Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of God is like someone who plants seed in the ground. Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows, but the person does not know how it grows. By itself the earth produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it, because this is the harvest time.”
This scripture is a simple reminder that God has the ability to create growth and get the victory out of things around us and through us without us being present,understanding how, or even being a part of the process. We have to remember that because we are God's handiwork created in Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do, the Lord will always meet our needs according to the riches of his glory (Ephesians 2:10 NIV & Philippians 4:19 NIV).
This month, when you stumble across an opportunity to help someone in need but do not feel like you have enough or that you are enough to effectively help, remember that God has already blessed you with everything you need and all He wants you to do is plant yourself and allow for Him to take care of the rest. As in my experience at the alternative high school I spoke at, and the parable in Mark 4, God has a tendency of placing us in positions of inadequacy just so we may witness Him show up and cut our grain during its harvesting season.
This scripture is a simple reminder that God has the ability to create growth and get the victory out of things around us and through us without us being present,understanding how, or even being a part of the process. We have to remember that because we are God's handiwork created in Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do, the Lord will always meet our needs according to the riches of his glory (Ephesians 2:10 NIV & Philippians 4:19 NIV).
This month, when you stumble across an opportunity to help someone in need but do not feel like you have enough or that you are enough to effectively help, remember that God has already blessed you with everything you need and all He wants you to do is plant yourself and allow for Him to take care of the rest. As in my experience at the alternative high school I spoke at, and the parable in Mark 4, God has a tendency of placing us in positions of inadequacy just so we may witness Him show up and cut our grain during its harvesting season.
Prayer:
Glory be to you God!
You are victorious, mighty, holy, excellent, wonderful, matchless, merciful, loving, all encompassing, powerful, compassionate, comforting, faithful and graceful. Thank you for being our father, thank you for being our friend, thank you for being the only one that we can always turn to and depend on. We are grateful for your sacrifices and grateful for our daily blessings. You are worthy to be praised so we lift up your holy name giving you honor God. Hallelujah to our King!
We humbly come before you in prayer this month asking that you forgive us for our sins. Begin to flush out our impurities and draw us closer to you Lord. We pray that bitterness, disobedience, lust, temptation, pride, deceit, hatred, and complaining cease within us and that kindness, happiness, unity, peace, compassion, humility and love begin to dwell. Teach us how to love the unloveable and be kind to everyone that we interact with. Bless us with a spirit that resembles you Lord.
Increase our prayer lives, strengthen our faith, and multiply our one on one time spent with you. Use us to get the glory out of the lives of those in need. Ingrain in our minds that you will always meet our needs and therefore we are sufficient. When directed by you Lord, bless us with the courage to step outside of our comfort zones and help those in need even when we may not necessarily understand how to help. Give us the strength to plant ourselves in unfamiliar places and trust that you will take care of the rest God. Because your word says that we may ask you for anything and you will do it (John 14:13-14 & Mark 11:24 NIV), we stand firmly on your word and in Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Glory be to you God!
You are victorious, mighty, holy, excellent, wonderful, matchless, merciful, loving, all encompassing, powerful, compassionate, comforting, faithful and graceful. Thank you for being our father, thank you for being our friend, thank you for being the only one that we can always turn to and depend on. We are grateful for your sacrifices and grateful for our daily blessings. You are worthy to be praised so we lift up your holy name giving you honor God. Hallelujah to our King!
We humbly come before you in prayer this month asking that you forgive us for our sins. Begin to flush out our impurities and draw us closer to you Lord. We pray that bitterness, disobedience, lust, temptation, pride, deceit, hatred, and complaining cease within us and that kindness, happiness, unity, peace, compassion, humility and love begin to dwell. Teach us how to love the unloveable and be kind to everyone that we interact with. Bless us with a spirit that resembles you Lord.
Increase our prayer lives, strengthen our faith, and multiply our one on one time spent with you. Use us to get the glory out of the lives of those in need. Ingrain in our minds that you will always meet our needs and therefore we are sufficient. When directed by you Lord, bless us with the courage to step outside of our comfort zones and help those in need even when we may not necessarily understand how to help. Give us the strength to plant ourselves in unfamiliar places and trust that you will take care of the rest God. Because your word says that we may ask you for anything and you will do it (John 14:13-14 & Mark 11:24 NIV), we stand firmly on your word and in Jesus name we pray, Amen.