Actively Choose

There are a few character defects that get in the way of us enjoying a relationship with Christ.  Procrastination, laziness, fear and probably many others.  

But a clear understanding that God chooses to be in relationship with us is a revelation.  In fact, it is a spiritual awakening.

Knowing God then calls us to be in God’s presence is an awareness that God invites us to commune with him.  Oh, what joy.

Do you remember when people avoided you?  Shunned you?  Kept their distance?

But God has overlooked our past faults and still desires to be in an intimate relationship with us.  If we actively choose to respond, we are blessed with God’s presence, peace and an unspeakable joy.

Lay aside the thoughts, character defects and any limitations that hinder you from being in communication with God.  Actively Choose God.

Be Blessed,

M

No Condemnation

This is not the time for the voice of the enemy to be the loudest in your life.

The Bible says no one in Christ is condemned/penalized.  No one in Christ.

So, since you have accepted and acknowledged Christ as your Savior, you can gently remind yourself that because of your past sins, God does not condemn you. 

You condemn you. You allow the voice of the enemy to speak unforgiveness to your soul.

Period.

See, our standards of being in right relationship with God are not God’s standards.  We tell ourselves that because of the past, we are not worthy to talk to God.  We tell ourselves that we are not allowed to talk to God.  But this is not true.

Once we ask for forgiveness of sins, we are forgiven.

And, we go into God’s presence.

Remind yourself, through God’s Word and your cooperation with God, that you are loved, forgiven and free.

Each time you remember an act that you are not proud of, tell yourself, I forgive you for that.

Then repeat the Word of God to yourself, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 8.1 ESV)

Try this translation if it is better:  The Message says, “With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.”

But, I also like this one:  There is no condemnation now for those who live in union with Christ Jesus. Romans 8.1 (GNB)

There are people who believe their wrongs and mistakes in the past prevent them from having the right to pray; and doubt God hears their prayers.

Because you are saved, you are not condemned.  You are not banished from the presence of God.  You can boldly (without shame) approach God and know that he hears you.

There is, therefore, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus!

Proof – Psalm 32 – The Bible says when our sins are forgiven and covered, we are blessed.  But it implies that by faith we know we are forgiven and therefore, our sins are covered.  Verse 2 says we are blessed because the Lord does not count our sin against us and we are in right relationship with him because there is no deceit in our spirit.

Burdened with the weight of our sin, zapped of energy because of its heaviness, we (v. 5) acknowledge our sin, confess it to God and God forgave the guilt left over from the act of sin. 

Since God has forgiven us, we can pray to God while He may be found.

Empathy

            I can relate to having to take time to understand what this means for my own life personally.  Often, people can tell us what to do but don’t share why they needed to do it or how difficult it was to do.  Trust me, it was challenging.

            It reminds me of the Third Step prayer from 12-step programs which says, Take my will and my life, guide me in my recovery, show me how to live.”  

Prayer:          Lord, I don’t know how to crawl from underneath this weight of guilt, shame and worthlessness.  I need you to help me.  Help me to forgive myself.  Show me I can be free from the bondage of my past.  Others say I can, but I have trouble believing this can happen for me.  Please, guide me into true freedom in you.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

A Lament

Our Current Situation

Current events leave many of us with a mixed, jumbled ball of emotions.  We have had plenty of practice knowing when and how and if we should speak about racial issues.  But times have changed. 

With the murders that have taken place of black men and women since COVID-19 hit, we are forced to speak, act, wait, pray and vote.

My Voice

Although I feel it is important that I say something as a community member, blogger and minister, I first have to say that I don’t want to vocalize my thoughts on this issue.  

Why? 

1.  Because I never thought what I said mattered; and

2. What will change?

As a recipient of racist taunting and teasing as a child, and a decision to stop pledging allegiance to the U.S. flag as a teenager, I have long been convinced of the evil and wickedness in this country.

Yet, I feel the spirit of a former professor, Dr. Donna Allen, compelling me to speak. 

I have not liked living on American soil since I was a child.  I have wanted to live oversees, in Africa specifically, for a long, long time.  When the current man took office, I really wanted to leave.  My love for my adult children and grandchildren keep me here.

In the meantime, all I know to do is pray, vote, trust God, and pray some more. 

Do I think things will change?  No. 

Then why pray, you might ask. 

Because it is the one place where I can say what I mean and know that I am heard.  Where else can I run to?

Disappointment

We all have been disappointed because God didn’t answer our prayers as we wanted.  I am certainly no exception. 

But I do know that there is no other source of strength and hope that exists.  None. 

Hoping for some thing or person to make life bearable or tolerable is a lie.  I don’t live there anymore.  But I do believe that God can and will give me the strength to endure today’s trials, tribulations and temptations.

Ps. 42:11 - Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

There is a comfort for all our woes and concerns and that is found in God.

Acknowledging God as my Savior means I know God will quiet my worries and struggles about these protests, US leadership and much more. 

A remedy will come forth, but only when God allows it.

Putting my hope in God means I believe there is a God who will protect me and you in trouble and tribulation.

God, who is also manifested through family and friends, is all I have to comfort me.  God is more than enough.  And, my friend, I hope you will ask God to comfort you too.

Be blessed,

Minister Michelle

Fulfilling the Heavenly Vision: We Do Recover

Ephesians 2:1-10

It is comforting how the Word of God extends to include recovering persons.

Some of us needed decades to learn how to obey God’s Word.  As explained in Ephesians 2:1-3, we were under the influence of a negative force.  Another way to say it is we decided to live life contrary to God’s Way and paid a huge price.

However, God’s mercy and redeeming nature granted us time and provided the resources necessary to meet “today.”  You know, this day, where you have an opportunity to live out the vision God has for your life.

How? 

The spiritual process looks something like this:  

Rejuvenated:  Before we even knew it, “God made us alive in Christ, even when we were dead.”  (Ephesians 2:5 NIV) 

God may have introduced you to Christ long before you began to live the life of recovery.  Or, maybe you can remember the moment when you had a spiritual awakening that brought your dead soul to life.  No matter how, when or how many times it happened, you have been rejuvenated – made young and alive again.

Restored – Then, through working the steps, prayer, meditation and consistently showing up at our places of healing, we experience restoration – being placed back in right relationship with God and Christ in the heavenly realm.  Why?  So God can show us off.  God wants the world to know that he can and will restore us.  And, His restoration power works through the kindness he has shown us through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:6-7 NIV reads, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 

Recovered – We have been put back into the position where we can live out the heavenly vision God prepared in advance for us to do.  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

This is the spiritual awakening for me.  I remember looking up the word “recover” when I first entered this process in the 90’s.  My question before God was this: “How is it possible recovering people can return to a state of health, mind and strength if we never had it?”

Considering the sin and dysfunction some children must endure, how is it possible we were ever in a healthy, strong state?  Many of our collective cultural histories include traumas and oppression that hindered the human soul.

But this text spoke to me.  It is like God is telling us we were, and still are, the best of God’s creation and we are returning to a former state, even if it only existed spiritually or at birth.

Now, we have an opportunity, for some a duty, to live out the plan – heavenly vision – God prepared in advance for us to do.

We do recover.  We do return to a healthy state of mind, body and spirit and have an opportunity to work out our soul’s salvation and draw others to Christ through our own unique creative gifts.

Go on – Recover.

Minister Michelle

Don't Hit the Panic Button

Don’t Hit the Panic Button

Exodus 14:10-14

The Israelites were scared.  Who could blame them? 

They had spent 400 years being slaves, endured Pharaoh’s resistance to letting them go (with their hopes going up and down), escaped (hallelujah), only to enjoy a few days of freedom and look up to see the Egyptians chasing them again!

Like, OH MY GOD!!

And they called God.  They were panicking.  Can you blame them?

And God’s response is…”Don’t panic.”

Errr…excuse me?, they responded.

Don’t panic, he says.

Through Moses, God tells his people:  “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Exodus 14:13-14 NLT

We all get afraid.

We all have emotions.  Sometimes, our emotions lead us into doing things out of fear vs faith.  And, many of us take our emotional condition to God.

I like that this Bible I am currently reading suggested that the Israelites did the right thing by taking their fearful concerns to God instead of shaming them for being emotional.  Emotions are part of who we are.  And, like the Israelites, we can take our emotional responses about situations to God.  

In fact, I am sure many of us have gone to God with our emotional condition.  Fear, anxiety, agitation, anger, depression, hopelessness – the range of emotions during COVID-19 abound.

Yet, God is still speaking.

God is still offering Words of comfort.

               “Don’t be afraid.  I got you.  Stand still and watch me take care of the situation.  You will not have to deal with this again.  Know that, I will fight for you.  You just need to be still – trust me, endure this season and trust me.”

Amen.

Minister Michelle

Communal Empathy

Learning to stand in somebody else's shoes, to see through their eyes, that's how peace begins. And it's up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world. - Former President Barack Obama

During COVID-19, it is apparent that people’s emotions are flared and tense.  Yet, we can make a commitment to practice empathy towards others.

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, according to Merriam-Webster.

Understanding that we are all in this together is one thing.  Practicing forgiveness for perceived slights or tense emails is the spiritual part of empathy.  This is not a suggestion to hold people accountable.  But it is permission to pause and make a decision to overlook a slight.

These past six weeks, I have both heard and experienced reactions that were less than calm, serene and Christ-like.  I am sure I have been guilty of reacting inappropriately and unexpectedly.  For that, I ask your forgiveness.

Yet, what challenges me during this COVID-19 experience is to extend grace to others.  In other words, I can, and do, understand and share the feelings of others – from multiple communities and cultures.  As a grandmother, professional over 50 and a person of color with a compromised health status, I can relate to many different scenarios.  You can too.

We are, at times, stressed out, fearful, peaceful, joyous, grateful, sitting in the unknown and disgusted.  The list of emotional realities during this pandemic is endless. 

However, one thing we can all do is be empathetic towards each other.  Hold the communities we love and interact in with grace, solace and comfort.  Realize and remember that although this pandemic impact each of us, we can choose to overlook most reactions at this time because they come from a place of uncertainty, fear and loss.

Thanks for reading.

Minister Michelle

Answering the Call

Lately, I have been thinking about God handing out assignments and people receiving the message.  Too many times, the response is, “I don’t like this assignment.” 

Mind you, we are the same folk who tell God “I just want to do your will,” but when he reveals it, we are not always happy.

It took me at least ten years to make peace with my specific call to ministry.  I had a plan while in seminary for my life to unfold a certain way.  

However, 10 years post-graduation and I am just making peace with the specific way and reasons God has placed me to minister where I am.

“Your mess is your ministry,” I can still hear my friend Rev. Dr. Monique Carter say to me.  I silently hoped she was wrong.  I have had ten years to finally admit -- she was right.

Although we may have silent dreams to be successful, famous, productive movie stars, ballerinas, football players, etc. -- the hustle and flow of circumstances, choices and decisions can produce results we did not count on. 

Yet, it is all part of God’s plan.

There can be many reasons and excuses that keep us from answering the call, but call them what they really are:  shame, stigma and regret.  

Today is the day.  Do something different.  Better yet – think different so you can do different.  Then, trust God to guide you.

Be blessed,

Mystic Michelle