I've been told numerous times "encourage yourself". I really didn't like when people told me that...it felt unnecessary. I felt encouragement should come from my family and friends...other people! I thought it was weird to bring yourself up, when you're feeling down. Now this is when I was younger, so I was a bit more naive. I had a hard time comprehending the idea of "encouraging yourself".
What I came to realize is that I was being selfish and having a pity party. I wanted attention and people to do for me what I had the ability to do myself. God always has equipped me with what I needed to be better spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Back then I just had stop focusing on myself and the negative. I was acting hopeless. It was wrong of me. So I prayed and worked on not relying so much on others to bring me up. I read the Word more, listened to encouraging songs, and/or pour myself more into my gifts/talents to cope with whatever situation that was affecting me.
Over time, I was able to get out of being so discourage faster and even when I still went to my fam and friends, it was easier to deal with things.
*I'm not saying don't go to your family and friends for encouragement, but sometimes people don't want to even try to help themselves at all. They become stuck and bitter and never learn to get "out of a funk" on their own. Sometimes it is just God and you making it through!
God doesn't want you/us to make excuses. There's His Word, His Son, the Holy Spirit, and plenty other things that can help "encourage yourself". It can seem hard as satan would have us think, which does make that battle of discouraging or depressions difficult to fight against.
Like in an earlier blog I wrote...it's all about perspective. We have to change the way we view our circumstances. We have to choose not to be controlled by our emotions and not get stuck in a comfort zone of hurt, pain, sorrow, and discouragement. You don't have to stay discourage if you are. You can be happy, content, collected, and optimistic. For you to remain down and in a state of worry and stress is wrong...it's not healthy.
God is calling you to be strong and trust in Him for what you need. Whatever has you down, remember that through Him, you can be lifted back up. Show the world there is hope in your life. Show those around you that when times get tough, don't go as planned, and get out of control, that you're able to...
ENCOURAGE YOURSELF!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Sunday, February 8, 2015
You're Not Missing Out...
I used to think I was missing out when people around me were doing things I didn't or wasn't allowed to do. I used to feel left out, thinking something was "wrong" with me if I wasn't involved with a certain activity or didn't have the same experiences as my friends (or peers).
There were a lot of things I didn't get to do or have, but that's alright. I look back now and feel humble and content with the way life has gone for me. Yea not everything was "good" and there were times that I care not to reminiscence about, although I can still thank God that it was His plan, His way, His will for me. I didn't always go to God for big decisions or ask for direction, which lead me to learn things the hard way or go through that time in my life with much more difficulty. When I just let God have His way and take control, I started to feel better about who I was and where I was in life.
I wasn't missing out. Whatever was going on that I thought I should be apart of, God kept me away for a reason. It didn't all have to be wrong, but God knew better than I did and so it wasn't meant for me.
I didn't date as a teen, but most of friends did. I thought things like "No guy wants to date me", "I'm not pretty enough", "I should lower my standards and just go for it", etc... I wasn't out going girl, so most guys that I talked to and liked just kept me in the friend zone. I was the "good/church girl", but since I didn't party and wasn't willing to go to certain places or do certain things, my prospects were low. By the time I got to college, I had already "given up" and thought I'll date when I'm older and out of college, working in my career field. I prayed and ask God to give me patience. I truly wanted to wait on Him and stop worrying so much about when I'll meet "the one". Little did I know, a young man had been paying attention to me for quite some time and finally started talking to me. Eventually we got closer, started dating, and then got happily married. I really think that if I didn't allow God to work with me and give me patience, I'd be with someone I wasn't happy with or worse.
That's just an example of what I felt I missed out on (dating at that age at that time), when it was not the right time for me. Now that situation may seem a little silly, but there have been other circumstances when I felt like "I'm missing out". Mostly that feeling was related to the timing of things in my life i.e. graduating college (sooner than later), working in my career field, owning a home, making certain accomplishments, etc. Honestly it could be almost anything, but after some reflection and prayer, that feeling goes away.
So if you feel like you're "missing out"...you're probably not. What is God's plan for your life? What are you truly meant to do or be apart of? If all your friends are dating, doesn't mean you have to be. A friend has bought a house, doesn't mean you have to buy one too. You want to live on your own (or with your buddies), well maybe that won't happen. Owning a business, getting married, having children, traveling the world, etc...whatever it is...
You won't always do and/or get to be apart of what seems great or popular like those around you. You're not missing out.
Trust God. He knows what is best for you. You don't need to have the same life as someone else to have a good, exciting life. Whatever happens to and for you is how your life will go because God meant it that way. Don't rush. Don't do anything without keeping God first. Don't allow what you feel cause you miss out on what God may have for you...or in short don't miss out on your blessings because you're after things that don't really matter or meant for you at this time.
Ecclesiastes 8:6
"For there is a time and a way for everything"
Psalm 37:3-4
"Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
There were a lot of things I didn't get to do or have, but that's alright. I look back now and feel humble and content with the way life has gone for me. Yea not everything was "good" and there were times that I care not to reminiscence about, although I can still thank God that it was His plan, His way, His will for me. I didn't always go to God for big decisions or ask for direction, which lead me to learn things the hard way or go through that time in my life with much more difficulty. When I just let God have His way and take control, I started to feel better about who I was and where I was in life.
I wasn't missing out. Whatever was going on that I thought I should be apart of, God kept me away for a reason. It didn't all have to be wrong, but God knew better than I did and so it wasn't meant for me.
I didn't date as a teen, but most of friends did. I thought things like "No guy wants to date me", "I'm not pretty enough", "I should lower my standards and just go for it", etc... I wasn't out going girl, so most guys that I talked to and liked just kept me in the friend zone. I was the "good/church girl", but since I didn't party and wasn't willing to go to certain places or do certain things, my prospects were low. By the time I got to college, I had already "given up" and thought I'll date when I'm older and out of college, working in my career field. I prayed and ask God to give me patience. I truly wanted to wait on Him and stop worrying so much about when I'll meet "the one". Little did I know, a young man had been paying attention to me for quite some time and finally started talking to me. Eventually we got closer, started dating, and then got happily married. I really think that if I didn't allow God to work with me and give me patience, I'd be with someone I wasn't happy with or worse.
That's just an example of what I felt I missed out on (dating at that age at that time), when it was not the right time for me. Now that situation may seem a little silly, but there have been other circumstances when I felt like "I'm missing out". Mostly that feeling was related to the timing of things in my life i.e. graduating college (sooner than later), working in my career field, owning a home, making certain accomplishments, etc. Honestly it could be almost anything, but after some reflection and prayer, that feeling goes away.
So if you feel like you're "missing out"...you're probably not. What is God's plan for your life? What are you truly meant to do or be apart of? If all your friends are dating, doesn't mean you have to be. A friend has bought a house, doesn't mean you have to buy one too. You want to live on your own (or with your buddies), well maybe that won't happen. Owning a business, getting married, having children, traveling the world, etc...whatever it is...
You won't always do and/or get to be apart of what seems great or popular like those around you. You're not missing out.
Trust God. He knows what is best for you. You don't need to have the same life as someone else to have a good, exciting life. Whatever happens to and for you is how your life will go because God meant it that way. Don't rush. Don't do anything without keeping God first. Don't allow what you feel cause you miss out on what God may have for you...or in short don't miss out on your blessings because you're after things that don't really matter or meant for you at this time.
Ecclesiastes 8:6
"For there is a time and a way for everything"
Galatians 6:9
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."Psalm 37:3-4
"Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
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