What has God been teaching you?

Before there can be new beginnings, there has to be an ending and in some instances, closed doors. Some of which we shut ourselves and some which have been slammed by others. We may not be fond of the idea of saying, "Goodbye" or "It's over" but, it is often necessary. For you cannot start the next chapter of your life, if you keep re-reading the last one. Nor can you continue to reminisce over how things used to be as it halts progress. Instead we have to be willing to close some books and write new ones.

That may be heartbreaking and sound a little scary to some of you but I truly believe that God has confidence in you and I. He equips and nudges us to try new things, trust Him completely and often just be obedient. I find it fitting to look at the human body for a second and notice that God put our eyes in front as it is more important for us to look ahead than look back. Surely God wants us learn from the past and in order to do so, we have to stop looking at the rear view mirror, rather look ahead and keep moving forward. With that said, I look at the gifts He puts in us and realize that He is intentional. Notice that He put those gifts in us for a reason. God does not just do things because He is bored or has time to waste. No! He has things all figured out. He intends to restore what is broken (Joel 2:25), supply all your needs and soften hard hearts. He knows the good, the bad and the ugly things about each one of us and the world we live in. And yet, He permits that all things (not some things but EVERYTHING) work out for our good (Romans 8:28).

As 2015 comes to an end, I am reminded of the different encounters I experienced this past year...
I recall the lessons I have learned and the hand of God over my life.
I look at the people I have met and the memories I have made.
I look at the excitement felt earlier on in the year by a young woman and now, watch as this same woman grabs hold of a new book with many more blank pages.
So I decided to compile a few questions which I attempted to answer. I challenge you to give them some thought, then answer them and see if there are any changes you should make or if you have grown as a person this year.

1. (+) = What do I need to add to my life?

Have you ever looked at your life and felt like something is missing? You try fill the emptiness with stuff but that void or emptiness which you feel inside can only be overcome by one person, Jesus. When we spend more time in God's presence and with His Word, we learn to acknowledge the positive more often than not. We also learn that we have a sense of worth.
I, personally have been on this journey,  striving to be a better and stronger woman. I had to develop Godfidence (complete confidence in God), break free from doubt by knowing WHO I am and WHOSE I am. And that required that I trust God wholeheartedly, which has been challenging at times. But each time I read the Word, the Holy Spirit reminded me that when I am weak, He is strong. That He is trustworthy and He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could think, ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). I had to be willing to take His Word for it, knowing that He will get me to my or rather His destination for me...So His Will may be done in my life.

And I know that in society, we see people trying to get to the top of the so-called 'Food chain' or corporate ladder. They may trample on others and break the rules when it suits them just to get ahead. But the Word encourages us to be different. When the majority of the people we know are swimming downstream, we should use wisdom and go upstream instead. "Why?" you might ask. Because we know that we do not need to jeopardize our beliefs and values to get ahead in life. Figuratively speaking, we need to do the following: open as many doors for others as we can, praise Him as we wait and watch Him open doors in our own lives and do something new (Isaiah 43:18-19).

2. (-) = What do I need to subtract from my life?

Hmmm, a few things come to mind.
Yet, I look at encounters I have had with people who hold onto offences, shame, embarrassment, failures and setbacks. And I observed how they stunt one's growth and affect one's health. If we had to take a closer look at these things, we would realize that they do not add a single day to our lives. Instead they steal our joy and make us feel miserable. And the more we ponder on these things, the further we drift away from our calling and destiny. For that reason we need to nip these things in the bud, refuse to feed them and they won't grow (that includes negative thoughts, fears, pondering on past mistakes and animosity etc.). One should rather give them all to Jesus. He is more than capable of handling them. A wise woman once told me that particular things are not my portion (not my lot in life). What she meant was that I was carrying loads and labels which I was never intended to carry, nor conform to. They weighed me down and caused me to limp but once I cast them to him, a weight was lifted off from me. And I could walk tall as I no longer had to be bound by these things.

3. (>) = What do I need to do more of?

It is important that we be patient, kind and forgiving - walking in love (1 Corinthians 13). We do not always know what the next person is going through and particular situations can be avoided if we display love. It really goes a long way and makes all the difference. And it goes hand-in-hand with a godly lifestyle... Death and life are in the power of our tongues and the Bible is proof that we can have what we say. That includes good and bad things. If we decide to speak positively and declare what we believe and what we want, we call those things into existence. And that is what we also attract. We have to speak life regardless of our circumstances and expect the favor of God to follow us wherever we go (Timothy 1:14). Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9). And praise God for His goodness, our blessings, His love and protection (Psalms 34:1-3) after all, we have so much to be thankful for.

4. (<) What do I need to do less of?

We live in a time whereby people are often self-absorbed and who have confirmed to the 'Me Generation' They want a hot body, fame and fortune. They focus more on themselves than others which can be a stumbling block. And they always try to steal the limelight while walking in vanity. However, I would like to turn your attention to the difference between arrogance and humility. The former refers to individuals who are self-centered and they focus on what one has and what "I" can do. While the latter, places others before oneself which is not a result of insecurity instead (s)he believes that we are sufficient in Christ's sufficiency (Philippians 4:13). We need to die to self on a daily basis. And that requires that one denies oneself (Luke 9:23) and become selfless. Be open to learning.

As for fear, sometimes its the main thing which gets in the way of people persuing or doing something great. And it&apos;s almost as if you become its slave as you begin to think that it is impossible to achieve those goals because you believe that you do not have the necessary skills or contacts. It can control your life and dictate what you can and cannot do. Thus, we need to stop saying, "I can't" and "I'm afraid".  Philippians 4:13 is one of my favorite scriptures and it states that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We need to engrave those words onto our minds and hearts as we focus less on what we can't.

So if you are looking for a new beginning, the best advice I can give you is that you roll away the pain and regret of yesterday and begin afresh today. And sometimes to move forward in life, you have to let go. Grow from your experiences. Internalize those traits which you seek to possess...You can be assured that God knows what He is doing and He is always enough.

As you continue to entrust your life unto God, know that the best is yet to come.

- Mel ♡♥♡