Greetings in the Name of the Lord,
Its August and we are enjoying the last days of summer. God has so richly graced us to navigate through the early months of 2022. We have been blessed mightily with prosperity in our health, wealth and in spirit. We must acknowledge that God is giving us new mercies, refreshing, divine instruction, and strength as we fight the battles that confront us. He has given us great favor throughout these days.
So, let us RE-EVALUATE our path to ensure that we will not lose sight of the assignment that we were given to accomplish this year. We cannot be seduced, we must stay focused, set our faces like flint, that we will stay the course. We know God will not forsake us; He will complete the incredible work He has begun in our lives.
These last few years have been a “pruning season,” clearing away all the unnecessary elements of our lives. Whether we accepted this move willingly, or defiantly, God has granted us grace to endure. Divine protection has overshadowed us at every turn. God’s people are His “glory carriers,” imbued with great grace and strength. We must stand on His faithful word and divine instructions to prevail.
Note this interpretation of the letter that Paul wrote to the Colossians. It is from the Message Bible, and is an unorthodox interpretation of Colossians 3, but it serves as a wake-up call. We cannot fall asleep at the wheel and be consumed by the devices of this world, because they are the distractions of the enemy.
“So, if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.
Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective.
Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile be content with obscurity, like Christ.
That means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God.” (Colossians 3:1-5)(emphasis mine)
The words of Paul are sobering. We, much more than people of that ancient Asian society, are in a world of immense distraction, diversion, and disruption. It has caused us to be self-obsessed. This self-centeredness keeps us hyper-focused on our own lives. We can all attest to the disconnection and alienation that has resulted from the months of isolation. It has desensitized us to the concerns of those who are need around us. As Paul admonishes us, “we are absorbed with the things right in front of us.” Circumstances have worked to keep us amused or irritated so that we neglect the important things in life that God would have us give our attention to.
How do we correct the situation? We must zealously seek to “See things from Christ’s perspective.” When Jesus walked the earth, He sought to heal, to deliver and set free those He encountered that were bound. We cannot be so absorbed by social media and the latest TikToc video that we fail to focus on the suffering of those who are desperately in need of a Savior today.
We must realign our priorities with those of the Kingdom. We must work to stay attuned to the things of the Spirit instead of those of the world. “Christ is our life,” and we should be moved by the things that move His heart.
Let us RE-COMMIT to live out the priorities of the Kingdom. We must strive to stay focused on the assignment we were given for 2022 and stay true to the principles of our faith. We cannot falter, we must remain steady that the plan of God can go forth in the earth.
So let this be an intense season of REEVALUATION AND RECOMMITTMENT.
Remember what it is you were called to at the beginning of this year and continue faithfully in those things. God’s priorities have not changed, He is not surprised by the chaos created by people, society, the world.
When we move away from those priorities set for us by God, the giants creep in and dominate our lives. Who are the giants? Fear, procrastination, addiction, sin to name a few. Just like David, we must kill the giants and complete the assignment we were given that the plan of God will be fulfilled in the earth. David had the five smooth stones, one of which destroyed and killed Goliath. Remember, God has given you smooth stones--your weapons of war--to kill the giants that have taunted your bloodline for years. Pick up your stones, and let's begin!
Amazed by His Grace,
Apostle Danita H. Jones