Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Dynamic Dreams: Working The Plan

Philipian 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Good Afternoon,

I hope and pray that we all are one step closer to stepping into our breakthrough! On yesterday we talked about writing our plan. I hope you have positioned yourself to take time out and write your plan. It's time to write out God's vision for your life.

We focused in on some of the characteristics that Joseph possessed. We talked about all the hell Joseph had to go through, in order to get through. We talked about his trials and tribulations. In a sense we compared our journeys with his journey. We also talked about our goals. We brought to the top of our minds our goals for 2010. We examined our goals to create ways to develop our plan.

Today I would like to go a little deeper in Joseph's journey and examine what is written in Phil 3:12-14. In the scripture Paul writes about pressing forward towards your goal. Despite all that Joseph experienced he remained faithful to God and pressed forward towards his goal. As I mentioned on yesterday, he didn't have a written plan, but his plan was in the visions that God had shown him. Daily he took steps necessary at times unknowningly towards his goals.

Joseph was a young man who took steps towards what He believed and when situations along the way turned for the worst He pressed forward with God. He didn't allow being locked away to stop his faith. He didn't allow being sold into slavery to hinder his belief. He didn't allow false accusations to make him forget who His God was to him. He didn't allow going to prison to cause him to become bitter. I can go on and on. What I want us to realize is that every step along his journey was for purpose. God's glory was revealed through it all. From his story we can learn valuable lessons about being submitted and settled in God. We can learn about remaining faithful and obedient to His Word.

We have to believe God's promises are forever. We have to open our minds and position ourselves for purpose. I have learned over time that we are born on purpose, with purpose and for a purpose! I have learned that some times we don't have to open our mouths, we don't have to know what's going on, we don't even have to be the one they expected to show up, but if it's all of God's purpose things will happen in our favor. We need to remain focus on what's in front of us and not be consumed with everything else. It's all about your position. Reposition yourself!

There has been times where I have written a plan and took the necessary steps to move forward and never really heard from God. I began to get frustrated because nothing seemed to go my way. It was simply because it was not apart of His plan for my life. That's the main reason I want us to get in touch with our passion and get in conversation with God to lead us into bringing it into a reality.

Now there were other times when I heard from God and would make a plan, but I always seemed to get sidetracked. Each and every time God would show up and point me back in the right direction. I believe He does this for all of us, but you see we have to understand when we hear from God. We have to understand and know His voice. It's like a baby responding to their mother's voice. From inside the womb a baby begins to recognize their mother's voice. Because God is our Creator and He is Spirit and created us in His image and likeness, we have the ability to recognize His voice clearly. The more we comunicate with God in prayer and deed we will recognize His voice.

Working The Plan

The first thing you have to do when you take the necessary steps to work your plan is you have to set your mind on your goal. It's similiar to running a race. At the start of the race you have your mind set on reaching the finish line. With each goal we have to identify where we are in our lives as it relates to the goal and where we want to be. It's easy to figure out the beginning and the end, the challenge is all that falls in between.

I like to think of the in between stage of our plan as the maturing stage. It's a rippening stage. It's a process that causes us to become better at what it is we need to do. It's a process that causes us to be stronger and able to take on more of a challenge the higher we grow. It's a time of success and failure, heartache and pain, joy and sadness, experience after experience, but the best thing we all need to do is focus on God and He will lead us through and over it all. We must focus in on the good in all things.

Today I want you to examine where you are and where you want to be. Yesterday we focused on writing out the plan. Well now it's time to work your plan. It's time to register for school, it's time to job hunt, it's time to update your resume, it's time to invest in some books, seminars and webinars. It's time to use your free time wisely and focus on working your plan! I am keeping it real when I say it's not going to be smoothed sailing. There has to be test, in order for us to have testimonies. All in all I want you to keep your eye on your prize and have the confidence of Joseph and know who you are in God and who your God is and what He has promised you. No one can take from us what God has for us!

I took the necessary steps last August when I enrolled in the United States Department of Agriculture's Executive Leadership Program. I let my employer know of my interest and I was nominated to take part in the 9-month training. During this lifechanging experience I am able to focus on where I was and where I need to be. Successfully I can say I am off to a great start. It's been 4 months since the program started and I have already attained so many great things.

I had to learn to stop beating myself up over what I should have, would have and could have done with my time and my focus. I had to stop worrying about what was written in the last chapters of my life. God showed me a new page, a new chapter and new beginnings for my life. He showed me going forward how to love myself, invest in myself and want more for myself in order to help someone else.

In the above scripture Paul writes about forgetting what is behind us and pressing forward towards our goal. How many of us know that it's easy to write things down on paper and it's also easy to talk a good game, but when it comes time to walk it out, all hell tends to break loose.

Today I do not want you to focus on the hell that has taken place in your life, I don't want you to focus on all of the pit stops you had to make along the way, I don't want you to focus on all of the people who where standing in your way, I don't want you to focus on your past failures, mistakes, mishaps or concerns. Right in this moment I want you to focus on your goals, dreams and desires. I want you to call out to God and ask Him to help lead your way. I want you to not just read today's prayer, but I want you to absorb it in your mind, heart and soul and allow your spirit to grow to it's next level in Him. It's time you work your plan and no longer let your plans work you!

Blessings,
Tennille L. Whittington

Prayer for Today:

As I read this Lord today I need You more than ever before, Lord I don't know which direction to go from this point forward, Please Lord speak to me today, Lord lead me in focusing my mind, my heart and my soul in the right direction, so Your Spirit can take lead of my life, Lord reveal to me more of my plan, Lord reveal to me more of how to work my plan, Lord I forget all things that are in my past, Lord I press towards my future, Lord I was born on purpose, with a purpose, for a purpose, Lord I shake my haters off today, Lord I close the doors to my enemies, Lord I open the doors to my opportunities, Lord I am who You say I am, Lord I can do what You say I can do, Lord lead me forward, upward and settled in You, Lord on this day I submit wholeheartedly I am ready for my dream to be a living reality in You! In Jesus name, Amen!

1 comment:

  1. Wow, Tennille. God is Good. Without Tests, there are no Testimonies... So inspirational, encouraging, powerful and undeniably covered by Jesus' blood. Thank You.

    Van H.

    ReplyDelete