So What You Knew Me When!

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Good Morning,

Happy Friday all, today I would like us to travel towards the end of Joseph’s journey. When we get to Gen 42 – 45, we will see that there is a famine in the land and Jacob and his family are in need of food. Joseph's brothers travel to Egypt in order to get what they need, unknown to them Joseph is who they need to see. I love this story because it paints a picture for us to see that we need to be mindful of how we treat others. We never know when we will need them. We don’t even know if one day they will be over us. It also teaches us about compassion, selflessness and forgiveness.

With all that he had been through when his brothers came to Egypt, Joseph could have done so many awful things to them, because of his position, but instead he blessed them. He was not recognized by his brothers at first. When Joseph told his brothers who he was, they all laughed. At that moment if he would have given in to them and allowed their laughter to push him into harming them, they would have had a hold over him, but instead Joseph helped them . Joseph treated his haters well. In this part of the story we see his haters are his family members. So the saying is true. The ones closer to you can hate you the most. Our enemies can be our family and friends.

For a moment just think about all the times you gave in when someone pushed you the wrong way, when they treated you badly, when they told you the opposite of what God told you, when they got you to act outside your character, when they pissed you off to the point of no return and you wanted to take them out! Do you remember?

Well what if Joseph would have punished them instead of helping them? What if Joseph would have not forgiven them? Do you think God would be pleased? Do you think God could continue to use Joseph if he had not matured? What is it that God is telling you to forgive your enemies for? What is it that God is using in your life to do a new work in you? Because of His fear of God and his confidence in obeying His every word we can learn a great deal from Joseph's journey.

When Joseph's brother came to Egypt I would like to think he told them "so what you knew me when you hated me so much, so what you knew me when you locked me away, so what you knew when you sold me into slavery, so what you never thought my dreams would have come true, so what you thought you got rid of me! He said "well look at me now! You did so much to stop me, but your hate did not stop me it elevated me, it positioned me, it put me right where God needed me to be." He did it in such a way that was helpful to his haters, just as God had planned.

In my own life God has been speaking to me about destroying fear in my walk and pressing forward. I know and believe He wants the same for us all. For the past 3 days God has been speaking to me about this blog. He said “it’s time you forget those things that are behind you and press forward.” I had to sit back and think what was the major things that were hindering me and could very well be hindering you. My end result is my haters! They want to keep me stuck, so I can't do all that God has called me to do. Well today is your day as well to tell your hates to back off! God is in control and nothing you can do or say will stop me from fulfilling God's plan for my life!

Don’t you get tired of folks always trying to rain on your parade? Don’t you get tired of folks always bringing up your past? Yes I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of it too and I am thankful God has shown me another way. Don’t you get tired of folks always throwing shade and blocking your success? It’s like the folks don’t want you to do good, they don’t want you to excel, exceed or be who God has called you to be. Don't you wish you could stop having haters, but instead celebrators? Well I guess that's just asking to much!

Today I look my haters in the face eye to eye and I say so what you knew me when I use to live in darkness, so what you knew me when I use to party all the time in darkness, so what you knew me when I use to do this and that in darkness, so what you knew me when I had a low self-esteem, so what you knew me when I didn’t love myself, so what you knew me when I love someone who didn’t love me, so what you knew me when I settle for less than the best, so what! God has repositioned me in His light!

You know folks are always trying to figure you out. They are always trying to figure out what makes you tick and what makes you upset. They are always trying to find out the latest and the greatest news on you to use against you. I took a writer’s workshop with Brother Leonard Pitts. He is a member of my church and also an awesome writer. He gave us an assignment “Who Am I”. I’ll admit today I never completed that assignment, but today I will make it my business to put it in detail and send it off to him. It’s never too late. I never completed that assignment because I knew deep down inside what I wanted to put on that paper, but didn’t want anyone to look at me differently. Well today God says it’s not about what people know about us, it’s about what He sees in us. It’s about what He knows about us.

So yes you are correct I am a 29 year old single mother of 4, yes I have been through my share of trials and tribulations, yes I have done some uncalled for things, yes I have hurt some of the people I love the most, yes I have 2 baby daddies, yes I agreed to allow my oldest 2 sons to live with their father and it doesn't make me less of a mother , because he has every right to be in their life full time, yes I drive around in a 92 Honda Accord and it’s paid for and no I am not struggling, I do not have to keep up with the Joneses, yes I had my first child in the 12th grade, yes I never went to college, yes I have been the victim, the abuser and the accuser, yes I have had my day with breaking the law, yes I haven't always been responsible, yes I have been disrespectful, yes there was a time in my life I didn’t care about nobody but myself, yes I was my worst enemy, yes I have a good government job and I am closer to 6 figures than half the folks twice my age, let’s say about 30K shy, yes older generation I am a fierce young woman and a sister got it going on, yes I am on my pathway to success, yes I take time out of my busy schedule and give back to the community, yes I am at church almost everyday out the week, yes I include God in all that I do, yes I am in an Executive Leadership Program about to travel like a speeding light up the corporate ladder, yes I will be who God has called me to be! In the words of my pastor Rev. Tony Lee "I am a good recyclable"! I want you to know you are too!

That's just naming a few things good and bad! In the words of Pastor Jamal Bryant “I’m not bragging, I’m just testifying.” I say to my haters today you think you know me, but you have no idea. In the words of Rev. Al Sharpton “you don’t have to go fishing on information about me, come to the source I’ll give you the bait you need!” We don't need folks throwing salt in our game. We need to reposition ourselves to the called of God on our lives and focus ahead and love our enemies, God will do the rest!

I want us all to get to a place where we no longer are afflicted or tormented by our enemies. I want us all to get to a place you are not embarrassed about your journey. I learned the hard way that God was humbling me through it all. I learned that hard way that some things had to take place in my life in order to help someone else. I learned the hard way that I couldn’t do anything without our Heavenly Father. I learned the hard way that I allowed my haters to block my destiny. I learned from Joseph's journey that is a better way to respond and treat your haters!

In order to get through whatever your going through today you have to release your all to God! So what they knew you when you use to smoke drugs, so what they knew you when you use to be a stripper, so what they knew you when you were locked up, so what they knew you when you weren't a good person, so what they knew you when you were a drug dealer, so what they knew you when you were a bad parent, so what they know more about the bad side of you than anyone else, so what they have all the information that can hinder your journey, so what! I say this to you today because that is the enemy trying to hold you back from what God is calling you to do. God can still use you through all that you have done. You are not the only one who ever messed up. God used many people of the Bible and many people we look up to today that He had to transform into who He called them to be! Take a stand today and tell your haters in love step off!

Well I want my haters to hear me loud and clear in 2010, you can’t stop me from obtaining what God has already ordained for my life. You can’t stop me for boarding this train that’s headed towards my promised land. In the words of Paul, I press forward leaving my past behing me! I am headed towards my goal. I'll always pray for you daily and the next time you put my name in your mouth, be sure to be praising and thanking the One who sent me! Be sure to give God all the glory and the praise. You have no hold over me, so what you knew me when?! Look at me now!

Blessings,
Tennille L. Whittington

Prayer for Today

As I read this Lord remind me who I am in You, Lord I have haters all around me, Lord it's time I press forward with You towards my goals, Lord no longer will they hold me back, Lord no longer will they hinder me, Lord no longer will they afflict me, Lord the next time they have my name in their mouth I want them to be giving You all the glory & the praise, Lord I give myself away to You totally and ask that You bless my haters! Lord I know I can be use for Your honor and Your glory, Lord just as You used many of Your servants from the Bible and now on the Earth, Lord have Your way along my journey today! In Jesus name, Amen