ARE OUR CONSTRAINTS IN LIFE OUR GREATEST STRENGTHS IN GOD ?

8/22/2019

HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF THINKING ABOUT ALL THE THINGS YOU WOULD LOVE TO DO AND ACCOMPLISH IF ONLY YOU HAD MORE OF THE “IT” THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO GET STARTED ? IF I HAD MORE TIME I WOULD ….., IF I HAD MORE MONEY I COULD …..IF I HAD MORE KNOWLEDGE I WOULD ……AND IF I HAD THAT KIND OF FAITH I COULD STEP OUT AND …… IF YOU HAVE HAD OR ARE HAVING MOMENTS LIKE THIS, BELIEVE ME, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. SOMETIMES WE ARE OVERWHELMED BY WHAT WE FEEL OUR LIMITATIONS ARE, AND HOW CERTAIN THINGS WE FEEL WE ARE LACKING HOLD US BACK . THEY JUSTIFY US WAITING OR NOT EVEN STARTING ON A PURPOSE OR PASSION. WE ARE TOLD THAT WE MUST DREAM BIG, AND WE MUST STEP OUTSIDE THE BOX. PRESS THE LIMITS AND GO BIG OR GO HOME. THE BIG QUESTION OFTEN IS “WHY HASN’T GOD HEARD ME?”. “I HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE THING I WANT TO DO, AND THE THINGS I NEED JUST DON’T SEEM TO BE COMING IN.” “I KNOW THAT WHAT I WANT TO DO IS A GOOD THING, AND I’VE PRAYED HARD AND I’M READY TO GO.” “WHY ISN’T GOD HELPING ME?”. “ IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE HE IS CONSTRAINING ME !” THEN WE CONTEMPLATE THE THINGS WE MUST DO OR CHANGE TO PREPARE FOR OUR “BIG” DREAM OR TASK. “I WILL PREPARE MORE….I WILL COLLECT MORE MONEY….I WILL GET STILL AND LISTEN HARDER FOR WHAT GOD WANTS IN ME AND FOR CLARITY.” AND SO, WE LET OUR CONSTRAINTS DO THE ONE THING THAT I BELIEVE TRULY MAKES GOD SAD FOR US. WE SIT AND DO NOTHING !

“FOR I KNOW THE PLANS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU”, SAYS THE LORD. “THEY ARE PLANS FOR GOOD AND NOT FOR DISASTER, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE”. Jeremiah 29:11

SO THEN MY DEAR FRIENDS, STAND FIRM AND STEADY. KEEP BUSY ALWAYS IN YOUR WORK FOR THE LORD, SINCE YOU KNOW THAT NOTHING YOU DO IN THE LORD’S SERVICE IS EVER USELESS. 1 Corinthians 15:58

LETS FLIP THIS WHOLE THING OVER. WHAT IF OUR CONSTRAINTS WOULD ACTUALLY ALLOW US TO DO THINGS IN A MANNER THAT JUST MIGHT BE BETTER FOR US, AND GODS KINGDOM ? WHAT IF WE REALLY NEEDED TO THINK SMALLER, AND STAY IN THE BOX FOR THINGS TO HAVE A STARTING PLACE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT IF THE THINGS WE THOUGHT LIMITED US ACTUALLY ALLOWED US TO START OUR DREAM, OUR PURPOSE, OR OUR PASSION ? WHAT IF GOD KNEW ALL ALONG THAT DOING THINGS IN OUR LIVES WITH THE LIMITATIONS WE HAD AND FACED WOULD ACTUALLY BE BETTER FOR US, THOSE AROUND US, AND FOR GODS ULTIMATE GOAL FOR US AND HIS PURPOSE ? COULD THAT REALLY WORK ? HOW ABOUT AN AWESOME STORY THAT MAKES ME SMILE ? :)

EMMANNE MINISTRIES HAD STARTED A MINISTRY IN THERI, AFRICA TO GIVE ORPHANED CHILDREN A PLACE TO LIVE OFF OF THE STREETS, AND BE SAFE, LOVED, AND A CHANCE TO GO TO SCHOOL, BE EDUCATED, AND HAVE A BRIGHTER FUTURE. THE OBVIOUS PATH WAS TO RAISE MONEY, BUILD A SCHOOL, AND GET GOING ! ONLY ONE PROBLEM….IT WOULD TAKE A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY. THAT MEANT WAITING….FOR A LONG TIME. THIS IS WHY I LOVE MATTHEW BACHALLI AND MAWANGI NDEGWA. THEY SOUGHT A SOLUTION FROM GOD. THEY ASKED HIM WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR CONSTRAINTS, AND FOR A WAY TO MOVE FORWARD. SO, THEY WENT TO THE EXISTING AREA SCHOOL, AND ASKED THE ADMINISTRATION IF THEY COULD PARTNER WITH THEM AND SERVE THE KIDS AND COMMUNITY. THEY SET UP A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND PROVIDED ADDITIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES FOR SUCCESS IN A BUILDING, STAFFED WITH TEACHERS, THAT ALREADY EXISTED ! THEY DIDN’T NEED A NEW BUILDING. THEY JUST NEEDED A PLACE TO START ! GOD ALREADY HAD ALL THEY NEEDED IN PLACE. THE EXISTING SCHOOL IS GROWING, KIDS ARE SUCCEEDING, PARENTS ARE BECOMING HOPEFUL, AND THE GOSPEL IS BEING SHARED AND EMBRACED IN TOTAL JOY. EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WHEN YOU SEEK GOD FOR A WAY, AND YOU TRUST HIM TO PROVIDE. EMMANNE MINISTRIES (EMMANNE.ORG) IS DEAR TO MY HEART, AND I HOPE YOU WILL CHECK THEM OUT ON MY PAGE ABOUT MINISTRIES MY FAMILY SUPPORTS.

SO GOD CAN TRULY USE WHAT WE THINK ARE CONSTRAINTS TO GIVE US A PATH TO START ! WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE FAITH, AND TRUST THAT WHERE WE ARE WEAK, HE IS STRONG. WHERE WE SEE LIMITATIONS, HE SEES ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES. WHERE WE THINK THINGS NEED TO BE BIG, HE WORKS MIRACLES IN SMALL THINGS OF IMPORTANCE. TRULY ALL HE WANTS IS A CHANCE TO SHOW YOU WHO HE IS, AND GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO GET YOUR LIFE STARTED !

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ? WAIT FOR THE “BIG THING TO MATERIALIZE ?” I HOPE NOT. LOOK FOR THE SMALL THING YOU COULD START THAT JUST MIGHT IMPACT THE WORLD AND BRING THE HOPE OF JESUS TO ALL MANKIND. ASK GOD. HE IS READY AND WAITING TO TURN YOUR HESITATION AND CONCERN INTO A POWERFUL LIGHT UNTO THE WORLD. HE IS WAITING FOR YOU TO START !!!

BUT I HAVE RAISED YOU UP FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE, THAT I MIGHT SHOW YOU MY POWER AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED IN ALL THE EARTH. Exodus 9:16

"“MANY ARE THE PLANS IN A PERSON’S HEART, BUT IT IS THE LORD’S PURPOSE THAT PREVAILS’” Proverbs 19:21

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME. Philippians 4:13

THANK YOU LORD FOR THE SMALL THINGS THAT YOU CAN MAKE INTO MIRACLES / JA