Let’s make this the year of phenomenal growth! Projects accomplished, opportunities taken, conversations had, and potential realized!
Can you even imagine what an amazing life you might live if you stepped confidently into where God has you instead of holding back, listening to fears, and playing it safe? Why not incorporate courage and boldness into this year?
When we seek God and grow our relationship with Him, He will direct our steps and lead us where He wants us! This doesn’t mean that we won’t face difficulties or setbacks, but that we’ll have the strength and determination to press on despite them!
Grow Relationships
The most important relationship you will ever have is with God. If you want to experience phenomenal growth, focus on growing your relationship with Him. Read and memorize His word, think on the lessons and examples in the Bible, meditate how they might apply to your life and how you might represent Him to the best of your ability.
Grow the relationships of your family too. Take time to listen and care about what they are going through. Encourage and help them as you are able. Family can be too easily discounted but they are the ones God has specifically created for us to go through life with! Invest in them, their cares and hopes and dreams. Love on them and make sure they know how valuable they are to you!
Neighbors and those God brings into your life are important too. Sometimes we are the only glimpse of kindness someone might see, we need to be sure we represent God well. Christ told us to love the Lord our God and our neighbor as ourself. How we treat others really matters.
Forged Like Steel
Being the youngest of eight children, I learned early on that having thick skin was important. Even knowing that, sometimes I’m surprised how sensitive I can be. But I read a great quote the other day in a book: The same hammer that breaks glass forges steel.
The point of the statement equated the hammer to life. Things beyond our control and understanding happen, that’s the hammer. If we lack strength and determination, we’re like glass that shatters and breaks. But if we will claim the strength God so generously gives, we can be strong like steel and forged and shaped, not broken!
I don’t know about you, but I have hopes and dreams past where I am. But right now, that’s not where God has me. No amount of fighting your reality changes it. So what if we just lean in to where we are? Really throw ourselves into where God has led us and let our light shine to the very best of our ability?
Let’s take the skills we are eager to use and apply them to the here and now. Are you eager to love and pray with someone? Show your family that love and join them in prayer! Capable of keeping a house and helping young children? Apply your skills to where you are now, home and work, and to those God brings into your life. Maybe there is another young person who could really benefit from your help or care, someone looking for a friend or encouragement. Throw yourself into where you are now and prepare for phenomenal growth!
Don’t let a delay in your dreams turn you to glass that shatters. Grow in the Lord and be like steel that grow stronger and stronger!
Experience Growth
Phenomenal growth – doesn’t that sound incredible? That’s growth beyond what we could accomplish in the natural. That’s growth from God’s blessings, beyond our expectations, that we couldn’t accomplish on our own. That is God saying, “well done, good and faithful servant”!
It seems that most everywhere around us is looking for ways to bring us down, to give us excuses, to keep us average or mediocre. But let’s not fall for that trap! Let’s confidently lean in to where God leads! Let’s claim the hopes and dreams in our hearts, while also surrendering them to God! After all, He knows best and His plans are perfect!
Every evening, I thank God for the day, and then I thank Him for the dreams in my heart, which I name particularly. I thank Him for directing my steps and for fueling me with hope and enthusiasm for the race set before me. Just because you surrender everything to God doesn’t mean you give up on your dreams. If you truly set your heart on following Him you can be sure that He will direct you through circumstances and hopes and dreams.
Phenomenal growth comes from a phenomenal relationship with a phenomenal God! Never settle for average or mediocre. God’s plan is far and beyond that for His people! And I for one want to be sure I do the work He has for me!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Happy New Year! https://www.theamericanlady.com/2023/12/27/let-your-light-shine/