I believe this happens because we are not focused on the
Lord. We drift off to nowhere land and we are looking at other things in this world
and wishing and hoping for more of this or that and not Jesus. You see, I believe
Jesus is in the ordinary, he is in the mundane and routine IF we shift our
perspectives. May I share somethings
with you?
This morning on my way to work I was driving worshipping my
Father and it hit me. It hit me why I was feeling boredom, burnt out and just
irritated. I think that is how the Holy Spirit works sometimes he just goes
upside our heads and things just click. Ha! But you see I have been just
irritated with work. The day to day was just irritating me. I must have wanted
to quit like 6 times last week and I only work 5 days a week. My mind was on “making
pretty things” at home and taking care of my home. In fact, many who truly know
me know that I have wanted to stay at home and do full time coaching, work on
writing my book or devising the proto type for my “ARU Bible Study Notebook”
but bills need to be paid. There is so much I have WANTED to do BUT I cannot because
I work 40 hours a week and drive 2 hours in traffic back and forth each week.
Sooooooooo, in my complaining Jesus stops me. Here I am in the car and God says
“Monique, you think, feel and want way too much. Why can’t you be satisfied
with exactly where you are?” I just kind of sat there in silence totally hushed
up and I had no answer. All I could think of was that I am an emotional basket
case. As I sat there, I put on Joyce Meyer’s podcast and it was titled “having
a patient attitude”. I thought to myself: Okay Lord, I know you are about to
give it to me! Ha
Joyce talked about why I have no patience in her sermon. She
said only “patience allows me to enjoy the present that I have”. She said the
greatest gift God gives me is to enjoy the present moment. That was it there. I
was not enjoying every single moment of my life which included working because
my attitude towards it smelled real bad. If I cannot enjoy life right now I
will never enjoy life in anything else that I do EVEN if God allows me to stay
home and work on ministry related things. It is not what I am doing; it is
something in my attitude that makes it pleasant or sour. So I sat there. Lord,
my attitude does stink huh? The rest of my ride into work was really evaluating
my attitude. I cannot be promoted if my attitude stinks. I prayed and asked God
to help me with it. I asked him to search my heart and to convict me any time
my attitude was just bad in regards to work.
God showed me through Joyce, while driving to work that I
needed an attitude adjustment about work. I was not bored, burnt out or
hopeless like the devil was trying to tell me I was. I had a wrong attitude
about working and that can happen when I drift on over to me instead of staying
with the Lord. I am not perfect and neither are you. I personally love how God
works to show his precious children some things about their lives. I am glad he
showed me about myself that morning. I want to grow and I want to become all
that God needs me to be. In the past, I would have sat there all shameful
instead I seen this as an opportunity for action to purposely shift my posture
to His presence.
Today, I encourage you to work through some things with the
Lord. Team up with him and start evaluating the things that are holding you
back from a deeper relationship and walk with Him. We are made for more and we
need to focus on the Lord and not ourselves. Who is with me?
In Christ,
Monique Smith
Prayer Starter:
Lord, I thank you that you are moving in my life. I thank
you that you personally use others to speak life into me in a way that is
gentle yet convicting. I desire more of you Father; help me to take my eyes off
myself and the situations I come across and to set my eyes onto you and nothing
else. You are my Rock and my Provider and I love what we share together. May I
continue to grow in you. Amen 