We have all
heard cliche's like: “you are what you
eat” and/or “garbage in, garbage out”.
These short sentences speak volumes if you listen. I'm not a health food fanatic (not
that I'm opposed to them), I have paid more attention to what I
eat especially over the past few years. My
maternal family’s medical history is a huge indicator that if I am not
proactive with my health, what I eat, exercising, etc. I could end up like many
of them with some of the common diseases that plague many people of color. You matter to the people in your life; so I
encourage you to evaluate what you’re eating and make small healthy changes so
that you don’t feel overwhelmed and quit.
If you eat fast food every day for lunch, try cutting back to three
times per week and gradually reduce the trips.
If you have a sweet tooth like me, try cutting back the number of sweet
things you eat in a day and gradually reduce consumption. Take a walk on your lunch break or take the
stairs instead of the elevator (assuming you are healthy enough to do so). Cut back on sugary drinks.
So, we are
clear that you are what we eat, but did you know “you are what we say”? For example:
·
Thomas
decided to change his lifestyle. He
stopped smoking, started an exercise plan and lost 20 of the 40 pounds he plans
to lose by summer. Losing weight was a
real challenge for him initially, but his loved ones placed positive
affirmations on the fridge, front door, in his car, etc. and he recites them
out loud every time he passes by them.
In these two
examples both parties said something. The difference is that Janay’s affirmations
were negative and Thomas’ were positive, but what’s key is that they came from
the heart.
For as he thinks in his heart, so
is he. Eat and drink!” he says to you, but
his heart is not with you. Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)
The latter
part of the text above “his heart is not with you” is describing an evil person
who is tolerating you long enough to get something from you. An evil stingy manipulative crooked thieving liar
is going to have the same characteristics no matter their ethnicity: African-American,
Latino, Caucasian, etc. How do I know? Just as it is the nature of a snake to bite,
it is the nature of a manipulator to manip.
Yes, people change, however, this would not be a good time to exercise “blind”
faith. Instead you might want to wait
and SEE the Salvation of the Lord and their good works. I’m just sayin’. There is something about the heart of a
man/woman, their soul, who they are at the core. They can only hide their true selves (good or
bad) for so long before the real person begins to emerge.
We can also
use our words to customize our world.
Jesus gives the “how to move a mountain” lesson in the book of Mark,
11:22-24:
So Jesus
answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For
assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast
into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things
he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore
I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive
them, and you will have them. Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV)
Right, I’m
gonna tell a mountain to move out of my way and throw itself in the sea;
really, c’mon? Yes, check this out:
1.
You must have faith (hoping/believing your
request will materialize) even though you don’t know when or how.
Yeah, but a real mountain? Just keep reading …
2.
Stop thinking linearly and think spiritually. Jesus uses the mountain as a metaphor to
represent the challenges, problems, trials, tribulations we face. Just as you tell a dog to go or get out of
here as you point your finger to the door (with authority), you can do the same
with your drama. _______________ (you
fill in the blank) get out of my life, you are not God’s best for me, I command
you to go!
3.
When you give the command you must believe that
you will receive, there is no room for doubt, not even ½ percentage. When the doubt tries to creep in your mind
speak to it: “I command you to go in the name of Jesus”; “I believe God, I
believe God, I believe God….” “I will have it, I will have it,” etc. Do not under any circumstance allow the doubt
to plant its seed. Find scriptures in
the bible on faith so that you can use them as a weapon against the doubt when
it comes. Remember the Word of God is
our Sword
But let him
ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea
driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that
man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a
double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8 (NKJV)
4.
The last part of verse 24 above says: “you
can have whatever you say.” Let’s be
clear, our every wish is not God’s command, however, he will give us the
desires of our heart as long as they line up with his Word of God. It is not enough to have the desire alone, Jesus
specifically says “you shall have what you say.” I don’t know how to make it any plainer than
that.
I do know
that it is human nature to want what we want yesterday and sometimes those
prayers are hindered for what we fail to do.
We have not because we ask not, and/or we give up too soon For example:
·
You asked God for your desires yesterday,
told the mountain to jump in the lake and it’s still there, wassup with
that? Could your motive be a little off? You do realize we are talking about God. The
same God who knows your thoughts before you think them. Is it possible He took into consideration you
were going to doubt after the first day and He is teaching you a lesson of
patience? You probably have genie
syndrome.
·
I asked God for a car and I’m still riding the bus. What kind of car did you as for? Used, new,
Hyundai, Honda, fully loaded, bare basics, you want car notes or no notes? God is like, you ain’t setting me up to make
the choice for you and then you not like it. What do you want???? Come on, what is your desire?
Do your
part, and God will do His.
In His
Humble Excellence
Tan
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