“Believe In Yourself, Because God Believes In You.”
“ If you believe within your heart you’ll know that no one can change the path that you must go”…Believe in yourself because God believes in you.
The lyrics above belong to one of my favorite songs. The title is, Believe In Yourself from the musical production, The Wiz. I took the liberty in this paper of changing a few words in the last sentence that gives it more meaning for me. This song resonates so deeply within my spirit because Dorothy struggled with both the path she was on and the task placed before her. Too often in life, we grapple with maintaining our spiritual paths in such an ungodly world, and the fortitude to complete the tasks that God has given us as we strive to be about our Father’s Business. While Kansas may not be our ultimate destination and home, like Dorothy, we should be equally striving in a vehement manner to both reach and secure a place in our Heavenly home.
The question for most is, how do I ensure that I am fulfilling God’s purpose for my life?
Am I living a life that is pleasing to God? Before you can discover God’s calling for you specifically, you must first have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. John 14:6 (KJV) states, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Once you believe in Christ, and as the lyrics also attest to in the opening line, “If you believe within your heart you’ll know,” that commitment of your heart, mind and soul to following Christ connects you to the Father. Then as 2 Timothy 2:15 states, you should continue to “Study to show thyself approved unto God…”.
God bestows to each of us different gifts designed to uplift and glorify His Kingdom. According to the scriptures, these gifts can range from preaching, singing, writing and teaching, to ones that involve compassion, inspiration, encouragement and service. “God saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and the grace he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago.” (2 Timothy 1:9). Being about the Father’s business is accepting that calling placed on our lives and within our hearts and allowing God to guide and direct our steps.
Choosing the path of righteousness is not an easy one. There will be many challenges and roadblocks along the way that Satan has designed to trip you up. There will be feelings of fear or failure, and bouts of unsettling apprehension. There will be times when you have to repeat 2 Timothy 1:7 (For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind) and Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me) over and over in your mind until those feelings subside. Respectively, there will even be varying degrees of suffering along the way. “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
The reassuring thing however, is that through it all, God will be there.
He will never leave or forsake us. He will help to prepare us for the journey by acquiring the education, tools and/or skills necessary for the tasks. He will open doors and opportunities for us that we were unaware even existed. He will protect us from sabotage and the pitfalls the world will throw at us. Finally, God will even strengthen us to rejoice amidst the trials and tribulations, standing on his promise, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”(Romans 8:28).
In the end, for our obedience, God will pour out a blessing that we will not have room to receive while on earth and secure our inheritance in Heaven.
What desire has God placed in your heart?
Is it to feed the hungry or care for the underserved populations? Is it to create a communication tool to reach hundreds, even thousands, of readers to spread the good news about God’s Kingdom? (Shoutout to IronWifey). Has God placed a desire in you to motivate, encourage and teach others how to live healthier more physically productive lives and to take care of their earthly bodies? When it comes to being about the Father’s business are you striving to accomplish his will in your life? Whatever your calling may be you are never too old, or too young. You are never not educated enough, or not financially resourceful enough.You have the choice to pick up the mantle and be obedient. When God is behind you all things are possible. Remove the word can’t from your vocabulary and always remember to, “ Believe in yourself, because God believes in you.”
<Cover Photo by Katrina Wright on Unsplash>
My Personal Testimony
God gave me the tasks as a young adult of working with children athletically, and I was obedient. From the age of 20, I served as a coach, mentor and as a positive female role model representing God in many facets. Because young lives are so impressionable, I worked tirelessly to instill sound values in every child I encountered, and prayed fervently for those that seemed out of reach. I strived to not only be a strong positive influence, but to create a safe, caring environment where each child could grow and thrive. Having earned the education required to work in that capacity my plan was to continue coaching the youth, but God had something else in mind for me.
At the age of 54, God changed my focus from working with children to working with individuals in the aging population. The thought of learning a new modality at my age terrified me. God leads us in his will differently and whether by decree, discernment, declaration, or direction I was going to be obedient. I prayed daily for mental acuity and focus. My go-to verses became 2 Timothy 1:7 and Philippians 4:13 when things got hard. I kept striving because I didn’t want to disappoint the Father. Thanks to God, one year later, at the age of 55, I took my certification exam on June 25, 2020 and was successful on my first attempt.
I am now a certified personal trainer.
The devil is crafty at making you believe that you can’t do God’s will for you. He is instrumental in causing you to miss your blessing because of having an “I Can’t” mentality. But I’m here to tell you the devil is a lie!! Trust in God and lean not on your own understanding. Always believe in yourself because God, our Heavenly Father believes in You.
