It's All Connected

Good morning my brothers and sisters,

I hope you all slept well and are fresh and ready for a new day and week ahead.
Yesterday morning Pastor Mona shared a Vision Sunday Sermon called "Making the Connection".
In a nutshell Pastor Mona was teaching us that we have a primary assignment of testifying of God's glory, while we also have secondary assignments in our lives that are all connected and used by God for the primary and greater assignment.

Sometimes I am guilty of my eyes being focused on the wrong thing or wrong area and I forget what God is doing through different situations and circumstances and how He is using it all to shape and form my character to become more like Him. Sometimes my pain, the anxiety, the difficulties in what I am going through raises itself up above the knowledge that I know and believe about God and I allow my secondary assignments seem or appear to be higher and greater than my God. For example, when I am in my workplace, I can experience a lot of anxiety and dread going to work, but if I allow God to change my perspective and depend on Him, my days there go a whole lot smoother and in all reality it helps me to depend on Him more. Also, God wants to use me in my workplace to be the light, to bring hope, to be a testimony of His goodness, and love to those who need it there.

I think we all can get tripped up in this area at times. Life is messy and hard at times and we are human and we have our human moments, but we can't stay down and focus on the negatives or the emotions we are experiencing. We of course need to be real with what we are going through and how we feel. We are not robots. God created us with emotions for a reason, but after we are being real and authentic, we must shift our gaze back to the one who is sovereign and in control and who cares about everything. He can and will be there to meet us with power, grace, love, strength and so much more as we make what we are going through about the greater assignment of giving Him glory and using it all for our good.

I like the quote by Henry Blackaby that was shared yesterday: "When you offer yourself to God as HIs servant, He first expects to shape you into the instrument of His choosing. He will always work in you before He works through you."

Lord I pray today that you help us all to recognize that we are your children and that we all take a step back and look at the greater picture. I pray that whatever we may be facing would be seen through the back drop of the cross and recognize that you are doing a great work in us so that you can work through us. Give your people the grace and faith they need today Lord to believe this!

Have a wonderful day. Remember that God loves you and He has a plan. He is in control, and even though we don't always know what He is doing, we know what He has done on the cross for us and has our best at heart. He is for us and not against us.

Ashley