Sunday Message: BGTY & FOCUS

Good Sunday 2 all,

Felt this come on my heart and just had to share this with you guys.

Yesterday started off as yet another Beautiful Spring day in the DMV with nothing out of the ordinary except me not going to the car wash. After sometime I finally left out the house and headed to Wheaton Mall in MoCo. The circus is there so there definitely was a larger crowd than normal. I was with my family so there were times where I was by myself, casually walking thru looking at the various stores without really no purpose or intent to buy. Throughout our visit I found myself suddenly overcome with feelings of sadness, loneliness, and envy; why, you ask? Why on earth on such a beautiful day such as this would I feel suddenly sad, lonely, and envious?

Because I focused on the things around me.

You see, I want some 15’s for Marilyn, My Toyota Yaris- but due to money issues presently I can’t even save for them- so seeing all these people with rims looking so right…I became jealous “Why can’t I have that?” I asked myself.

Throughout the mall I would see couples “boo-ed up” and showing the affection I crave right now and wanted so bad even when I was in a relationship…I was envious. “Why am I alone?” I asked, better yet “why is it so hard for me to find a decent man?” I realized I was walking alone and had no one to hold my hand, hug as it got colder when the rain came, and even to split ice cream with.

 This might sound childish or downright silly to those who read this but at least I’m woman enough to admit I had these feelings. I immediately became so depressed that I ended my night early, got dropped off home and went in the house to mope around.

The night was young so I began to check my emails and listen to “Back to Black”. I came across an email from Rick Warren, a Daily Devotional of his that I subscribe to entitled: Re-Focus on Pleasing God.

In the devotional some points hit a nerve with-in me, I was still mopping around singing that same tired song of mine “ I wish I had this, I wish I had a man” etc. etc. but reading a few of the lines was like a Godly slap in the face that said “Focus on God girl! And get a grip”.

He starts with,

One important antidote to overcoming envy is to refocus on pleasing God. That simply means that we look at life from God's viewpoint and recognize that material things are all temporary; they're not going to last. Instead, we can refocus on things that matter and give attention to things that are going to count and last for eternity — like loving, knowing, and serving God.

Did you know Love last longer than money? Don’t believe me? Then take a look at the victims of Hurricane Katrina, or those whom lost loved ones in 9/11. They lost precious family members, loved ones, and material items that cannot be brought back…but the love is still there.

He continues on,

Instead of living with envy, we can make a choice not to compare ourselves with others and allow it to destroy our lives and relationships. We can focus on what we have and really be content. Every day, we can show our love for others by enjoying their successes. And, most importantly, we can refocus on pleasing God with our lives by recognizing he made us unique and has a special plan for our lives.

How many of us ladies (and men too) live with envy on what she got, what he got, whom she goes home to, or what shoes/clothes he has on? I’m guilty. Focusing on comparing myself with another woman whom may not even be on my level is the downfall; God has me (and you) where we are for a reason and trust me when I tell you that his timing for things in our lives is far better than anything I’ve ever seen. Sure, it’s good to have wants and desires for things…but being upset, depressed, and joyless will not make the situation better. 10 times out of 10 when you finally obtain the thing you wanted so bad or was stressing over you’ll still in our human error find a way to be unsatisfied and want what? More.

He ends the devotional by asking for us as a reader to ask ourselves the following questions,

Ask God to help you see yourself as he sees you and to be all that he created you to be. Look at things from his point of view and realize that material things aren't going to last, but relationships do. As your perspective begins to change, you'll see that it really is possible to have a life without envy.

"God may have a reason why I don't have what I want." How will this truth help you overcome envy?

 One sign of envy is the language you use: "It's not fair" or "Why not me?" or "I work as hard as they do!" What do these phrases say about what you might be thinking? Are these phrases a part of your everyday speech?

Fact: Envy distracts you from your life purpose. Get on with your life!

After reading this I found myself thinking hard about the reasons why God may have me in this space where I’m “isolated” aside from my family. Remember, I just woke up 2 Sunday’s ago blacking out everyone with no real reason- other than this is what God put on my heart. I haven’t reached out but to one person in a moment of weakness but I feel that I need to purposefully and 100% leave behind the people of my past whom weren’t necessarily good for me. To move forward and truly change you have to be thankful for what you have right now. As a parent, would you give your child a new game if they didn’t appreciate your buying them the system in the first place? No. so how is God, going to bless us if we act and behave like we aren’t satisfied or thankful?

How will I be blessed with rims (as noted earlier) if I don’t exhibit thanks to him for having a car period?

How will I be blessed with a decent man if I 1. Deal with fools and 2. Aren’t comfortable in my singleness?

Meditate on "God may have a reason why I don't have what I want."

To view the devotional in full and also subscribe, CLICK HERE

With all this, I encourage you all to strive for continuous growth and to most of all, Be Good to Yourself & FOCUS! Have a Blessed Week.