Where Are You?

After yesterday’s amazing declaration by Dionne The Radical Midwife, I felt like the Lord wanted me to talk about some of the granular things that take place to get us where we are.  When I went to Purpose yesterday the sermon was awesome but when he started to talk about the chain of events in his life that led to his call to the ministry and where he is today, I figured I would find another topic because several PFBCers are on “the Call” and I didn’t want to sound redundant.  During my meditation time and asking the Lord what he wanted you all to hear he gave me a gentle nudge in the spirit and he reminded me of something that I just said on Friday. I took a step back and realized I wouldn’t be redundant at all and that this topic is not an accident, it is one of those “purposeful moments.”

So what did I say last Friday that was relevant enough for me to actually remember saying it, because that my dear is rare?  Well I said several things after Marcus Dyson’s incredible Declaration, This Is For The Birds (http://marcusdyson.blogspot.com/) but the point I’m referring to is that when God says or lays something on your heart multiple times, especially when it’s back to back, he is clearly trying to get your attention.  Similar to Joshua 1:6-9 when he tells Joshua three times in those four verses to “be strong and courageous”. 

Today’s declaration is going to include several “Selah” moments.  The word “Selah” is found in two books of the Bible, but is most prevalent in the Psalms, where it appears 71 times. It also appears three times in the third chapter of Habakkuk. What does Selah mean?  There is no one agreed upon answer, so the best way to describe it is to list the three suggested meanings.  1) The Amplified Bible adds “pause and calmly think about that” to each verse where “Selah” appears. 2) When we see the word in a Psalm or in Habakkuk 3, we should pause to carefully weigh the meaning of what we have just read or heard (aka Meditate); 3) Lift up our hearts in praise to God for His great truths.  Ask him what he is saying, what he wants you to know.   “All the earth shall bow down to You and sing [praises] to You; they shall praise Your name in song. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that.  Psalm 66:4 (AMP).  Let’s go deeper.  

Tania Not Tanya Nugget:  I can almost guarantee you that each time you embrace the Selah, it will feel uncomfortable, but I challenge you to do it and at the end of the blog, evaluate your experience.  We did this exercise live this morning and it was enriching for those who fully participated.  Ready?  OK, let's go.

Where are you?  I mean physically, where are you right now?  If you are at work (own business) how did you get the job/business?  If you survived the economic downturn a few years ago or have any longevity past three years, how did you get there?  Is it your skill, charismatic personality, the lie you told, the idea you stole or was it the favor of God?  Is it what you know or who you know?   Selah (12 seconds)

·       If you’re at work, how many times have you arrived without realizing how you really got there (it was a blur)?  Is your routine so predictable that you complete it subconsciously -- fully awake, going through the motions?  You give it such little regard that you: text, apply make-up, shave; read hard copy items, eat with a spoon, respond to email.  Selah (7 seconds)

·       If you are at work (your business) how did you get there?  Do you complain about the job/business you fasted, prayed, cried, snotted and asked others to pray for?  Do you complain about your boss/employees, salary, type of work, commuting, type of transportation, etc.

If you are at home getting ready for … you fill in the blank.  How did you get there?  How did I get where?  Your living quarters whatever that looks like for you?  Selah (12 seconds)

• Is it the place you prayed for?  Granted it may not be a custom designed home, but again, is it the place you prayed for?  Do you honor God by keeping the interior clean?  Do you represent your Daddy well to the neighbors by keeping the exterior clean to the best of your ability (clutter and/or debris free;)? Monitoring your noise level? Doing your part to live in peace with your neighbors? 

Or;

• Do you complain about the location, size, age, the plumbing, electricity, etc.?  Do you compare your space to that of those around you, secretly envying (coveting) what they have?  Selah (7 seconds)

If you are married how did you get there?  Did you find, steal or are you borrowing him/her?  How is it that your marriage is good, bad or ugly?  Did you purposely work at it to keep it strong?  Did you find creative ways to make it bad (e.g. over spending, never listening, not loving enough, not submissive, etc.)?  Did you sabotage the marriage by complaining alllllllll the time, shutting your spouse down/out or did you find a complete replacement making it all bad?  Are you mean, hateful and selfish? If you are not happy, satisfied, fulfilled, how did you get there?  Selah (12 seconds)

As I prepare to end this blog, I'd like to invite you to consider this all important point, you are where you are for a reason, nothing just happens.  While you are there, may I offer a simple but powerful solution?  Are you sure?  OK, here goes:  Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (The Message) Wait, wait, don’t stop reading because you think I’m being insensitive to your “special” case.  I absolutely am not.  Don’t shoot the messenger, I am simply sharing what the Lord gave me.

If you are in a challenging situation the scripture above is not saying you have to like it,"be" happy or excited about it (the challenge).  On the contrary you can: 

• Make a choice to be “cheerful”, not about it, but "in spite" of it (the challenge), or 
• Make the choice to "be" mad, angry, depressed no matter what; never pray; curse God for whatever happens.  This way you are sure not to go where God wants you to be and having rejected him and his peace it will ensure that you will not live the way Christ Jesus wants you to live.   This doesn't take any effort at all, we are all experts of some sort of complaining, blaming and denying ourselves the opportunity to embrace the pain of where we are because it is simply easier to do so.  Why not do something different?

I'm Just Sayin....

I’m out of time, we’ll pick it up tomorrow.

In His New and Excellent Service

Tania Not Tanya