I want to start by reflecting on one of my previous posts about keeping your inner child; I know some of you are wandering why the title seems like I am double minded about this subject of growing up, well let me ease your confusion, keeping your inner child or your childlike heart is a lot different than childish ways.
I am turning 18 years old in about 3 months and week, and something I learned is that in growing up, it doesn’t mean you give up your child-like heart, that is to say “innocence and purity”. To believe God at his word.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”
Something God wants everyone to know is Keeping a childlike heart is basically staying pure and innocent and still trusting and knowing God’s voice.
Being Childish is being immature, selfish, playing mind games with someone and messing with someone’s heart, these are some but not all examples of being childish. Even King David said that in the above scripture about putting behind childish ways.
God wants us to grow up mature and be the men and women he made us to be but he wants us to keep our child like heart, and put childish ways behind us.
Most of us have been brought up to think that after High School, we have to go to College in order to have a good future, but the truth is even if you go to College or even if u only finish High School, there is a major possibility that you still may not have a good future.
If you look at it from an intellectual point of view, here are a few things you might experience, even with an advanced degree from any school; First off is most jobs only hire people with experience, so you must have field experience in whatever you studied.
Second is if you have a lot of experience most employers will tell you, "sorry but you are over qualified"
when that happens it is sometimes true you might have too much experience, but most of the time it is that you have too much on your resume and your employer might be afraid of you taking their job.
Third and last; is most employers are looking for someone willing to learn new things while in the field, so if you think because you are out of school you are done learning, you better think again because life is a learning experience, everyone and everything is getting more advanced so we have to learn new things in order to stay ahead.
Now if you look at it from a spiritual point of view; God is the one who maps out your life he has a plan for you to follow but it is your choice to accept it.
God has made it so that some people are meant to go to a school to learn, but he has also made some people a plan not to go to school.
An example; I have been to two different art schools within 1 year both have cheated me, but out of both schools I achieved something the first one I learned to accept instruction no matter how stupid and ass backward it may be.
From the other school I was able to get material things but both are to advance the calling God has put in my life.
Basically all people have a purpose in life school or no school, we all are meant to learn new things in order to advance in life, in order to advance In God's plan.
We need to learn it is our way of life, if we stop learning we stop living.
God has a plan for us but we have to make the decision to follow it.
“God casts the responsibility on us to choose that which is best for us. These choices come inevitably from the judgments we make about what reflects our highest selves."
This post it is going to be short sweet and to the point, God has dealt with my spirit a lot this weak, I have put a lot of things in the ministry off for a while and that has not been good on my part.
I have been having a lot of attitude problems with my parents, and that is also something I managed to work through with God's help. But one of the most crucial things I had to work through was not taking on the problems of the world, you can take on other peoples problems but I had to learn to pass them on to God.
I also learned that I can't take on every ones problems, but I can still pray for them to receive the help they need.
The main thing I learned is, that none the problems and pains of this world can be solved in my own strength or will, but that I have to look way beyond myself for the help and answers. And everyone should do the same.
Proverbs 3:5-7 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.7 Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.
Everyone at some point in time has been told it can’t be done what you want to do is impossible, your too young. Or in some different form or fashion but I want to tell you it’s not impossible.
Don’t let people tell you your dreams are impossible, the truth is all things are possible through God. If you believe what other people say, then you won’t accomplish any of your dreams, and your life would be a waste. If your dream is really meant to happen then you will ignore other people’s words/ judgment, and follow the path God has set for your life.
I know this from personal experience; I was at home just spending time with my family, when I had a strong urge in my spirit to start a ministry, but I wasn’t on board with it right away. I kept on telling God that there must be a mistake, that I was too young.
I even tried telling him to wait till I was older but he told me to start right away. So I went and told my Mom what God had urged me to do, and all she had to say was, okay then lets start getting organized, tell me how this ministry is going to operate.
My Mom had originally gave me the option of being a department within Rock Foundation Ministries, or I could try and get another ministry to help; at the time I had one ministry in mind, but my mom had told me that she had a lot problems with this ministry when she tried to get her ministry started.
I still had hope that things would be different for me; I approached the pastor with a proposal and all he told me was that it was a bold Idea, and that he would pray about it and for me to make an appointment with his secretary.
A month had past and I still had not received a call, so I spoke with the pastor after the church service. He told me that I was too young and unqualified to be starting a ministry, and that I should wait till I got older.
I went home and told my mom what he said, and she replied that she was expecting for that to happen, because she knew I was suppose to start it with-in RFM, and when it’s time it would become it’s own Ministry.
I accepted her offer, and we started working on Genesis2.7 (my media ministry): However, don’t think that things were all okay after that, there was still a lot of trouble along the way. All my so called friends stopped talking to me, and when I tried telling them about Genesis2.7, they had a lot bad things to say like, “ Are you crazy? You’re too young! There is no way that it is ever going to happen!”
When I heard all of that, I turned to the adults thinking they would be more understanding and mature, but was I wrong! They all told me the same thing.
Walking away disappointed, I almost didn’t start the ministry, but God told me, “Don’t let the voices of others bring you down. Don’t let your peers lead you astray, for I have a plan and a purpose for your life-far greater than any man can comprehend.”
"..Don’t let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity."- 1 Timothy 4:12
After he told me that, I felt more ready than ever, and nothing was going to stop me from fulfilling God’s plan for me! After about a year of organizing Genesis2.7, My mom told me that I should take a free Leadership program that she found called Ames International school of Ministry. It was during this time, I went back and visited the church I was attending, and they happened to be having a youth conference with a guest speaker.
I was going to just observe the service, but while I was there someone came and started speaking to me; I had told him my name and how I was in a leadership program, and how I wanted to be a pastor. He told me he had to leave real quick, and that he would speak to me later.
Little did I know that he was the senior pastor of the visiting group; right before the service started, he brought me up on stage and told me that I would be the leader of an International Multimedia Ministry, and when I’m on TV, I should tell him when, so that he could watch.
Right then, it was confirmed in my spirit that what God said was true, and that it would happen soon. I just didn’t know when. When I turned 15 the ministry was already growing and I had finished my leadership program.
I was ready to take on more, so I called about a position as a youth pastor in a church called Lifechurch.tv, they told me I was very qualified for the position, but I had to be at least 18 years of age; that didn’t get me down, I just said okay and got back to work.
Shortly after, God had spoke to me to go and teach as a children’s Sunday school teacher at the church fellowship I was attending, so I did. After a year of teaching there however, my Grandfather died while I was about to start the service. No matter how I felt at the time, I wasn’t affected enough to not minister to my class.
I knew what my purpose was, and I will always continue to live in God’s plan no matter how young.
I always remind myself that, even David was chosen to be King when he was just a little shepherd boy; even Jesus was ministering to people when he was a little boy.
God wants to tell you that you should never give up on your dreams, don’t listen to all the negative voices. Start Dreaming, Doing and Achieving!
"Friendship, True, Genuine Friendship. What does that mean to you? Someone who loves, cares, as long as things are going good? Someone who sticks by you, as long as you're having fun? Someone who goes along with everything you say? Someone who will follow you down the wrong path? No. That is not true, Genuine Friendship.
Genuine Friendship is someone that loves and cares for you, Especially during the hard times; Someone who isn't with you just to have fun; Someone who doesn't agree with everything you say; And someone who will take you by the hand When they see you going the wrong way, And lovingly helps you get back on the right path. If you have had a "closed-door", "nose-to-the grindstone" attitude, Now may be the time to open the door. It would be beneficial to make yourself a little more accessible to other people. Don't get so bogged down with things that you don't have the time to be there for someone when they need a friend.
Robert Fulghum has written: "The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence. Fences have nothing to do with it. The grass is greenest where it is watered."
Share with others in a heart-to-heart way. Listen with open ears to the feelings a person may be expressing, even more closely than you listen to the details of their story. Be willing to help carry their load. Go the extra mile with them and rejoice at their victories. Allow yourself to be vulnerable to others in return....revealing your own wounds, frustrations, hopes, dreams, and desires". Proverbs 17:16- A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity. This verse has been a living verse for me lately. We are to love our friends through thick and thin. Through those tough times when the waters of life are thick and murky. We are to love at all times even when they miss the mark and fall into sin. How far would you push the extent of this verse? What boundaries would you put on it? Now let me ask you how far does Jesus, who calls us friends, go to the extent of loving us? He is the true example of a friend who loves us at all times. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is always thinking about us and loving us through even the worst of sinful times. It means much the same as 'blood is thicker than water.' A true friend loves you even when things are going good and bad (water), but a brother is a very special friend (blood) and help in times of trouble. A brother can be counted on more than anyone else in desperate times. The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18: 24
Make no friendships with a man given to anger and with a wrathful man do not associate. Proverbs 22: 24
they have testified before the church of your love and friendship. You will do well to forward them on their journey [and you will please do so] in a way worthy of God's [service]. 3 John 1: 6
And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Moses returned to the camp, but his minister Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the [temporary prayer] tent. Exodus 33: 11
a perverse man sows strife and a whisperer separates close friends. Proverbs 16: 28
He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends. Proverbs 17: 9
No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. John 15: 13
you are my friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do. John 15: 14
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you John 15: 15(NKJV)
I am a companion of all those who fear, revere, and worship You, and of those who observe and give heed to Your precepts. Psalm 119: 63
faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are lavish and deceitful. Proverbs 27: 6
Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart. Proverbs 27: 9
as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27: 17(NKJV).
