Just listen, I am trying to tell you something...

Listen, I am trying to tell you something...

He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. ~Proverbs 10:17 (NIV)

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. ~ James 1:19 (NIV)

If you would just listen, I am trying to tell you something…

That message you heard so many times as an impatient child as a parent tried to instruct you to do something.

As a teacher, I have discovered that there is always that one child who won’t let you finish the directions.  This is the child who interrupts you in the middle of your sentence just as you were about to get to that part of the instructions.

This is the same child who never reads the directions either. When you ask them to read the directions back to you then they go…ohhhhh I get it.

As an adult, you think well I was just about to get to that if you would just wait and listen. Trust me, I am going to give you all the instructions that you need and check for clarification.

I thought, well do we sometimes do this to God. God has given us the instructions that we need. He has given us the word of God. We often neglect to read the directions because we are lazy, too tired, or too busy. We ask God for clarification and help but then we don’t stop long enough to hear God’s answer. 

We interrupt him in our need to have to know all the answers. We interrupt God in worry of not understanding. We interrupt God in the lack of faith that he will provide us with the answers that we need. We interrupt God in the lack of trust of our own insecurities.

As patient as God is…I wonder if thinks just as a teacher, adult, or leader thinks….Listen, I am trying to tell you something if you would just listen.

If you would have just listened then I could have avoided you from unnecessary woes.

If you would have just listened then I could have avoided you from unnecessary worry and stress.

I thought if only we even as adults would slow down and listen.  We would be less stressed and able to receive joy.  Listening is something we need to be quick to do because if we don’t listen then we can’t grab further understanding.

So today, I stop and say the words of Yolanda Adams, “Sight beyond what I see, you know what’s best for me.  Prepare my heart, prepare my mind. For whatever comes, I am going to be ready.”

But if I am going to be ready then that means I have stop, listen, wait, and let you be in control Lord. 

The Breakup

Ephesians 10-12 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 16 (NIV) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

James: 1:6 (NIV) But when he asks he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

The Breakup

(monologue by M. Roberson)

See every time I tried to let it go,

He would sneak back in the most subtle ways,

He would be my comfort after a long hard day,

He didn’t care if I cried just to let it out,

He loved listening to my discontentment and daily struggles,

He begin holding down my dreams, my desires, and all God had planned for me,

He told me I would never be good enough,

He told me I couldn’t do it,

He tried to block me from seeing what stood in between him and God,

He brought fear so that I could never take a step forward,

He said God would never bless you because you don’t deserve it,

I am all you have so hold on to me,

The more he said it,

I begin to believe it,

And the more I believed it,

I begin to live it with him,

After all he was all I had right?

So I did something about it,

I just had to,

I just had to,

I broke up with DOUBT,

I broke up with DOUBT for good,

The break up felt uncomfortable,

I was scared, sad, angry, and upset,

We had been together off and on for years,

DOUBT begged to come in,

I cried and cried as I watched him,

But I didn’t let him back in,

I was done for good,

I met a new friend called FAITH,

FAITH encourages me and motivates me to serve others,

FAITH serves others with me,

FAITH tells me I am amazing, beautiful, and strong,

FAITH helps me accomplish things I thought I could never have,

And best thing is that every time DOUBT tries to come back in,

I hold up the shield of FAITH,

Faith protects me, leads me, and guides me,

As long as I am faithful to faith,

He never leaves me,

And his promise is for real.

I had to break up with doubt in order to receive everything God had for me.

Break up with whatever is holding you down today. I have found that without faith it is impossible to please God because to believe is to believe whole heartily. There will be many things thrown at you by the enemy such as words of doubt, failure, or things intentionally said to hurt your self-esteem or pride. But when the enemy comes, recognize where the negativity is coming from, hold up the shield of faith to block anything that is not true about you. You are supreme, you are spiritual sons and daughters of the highest king, and you can do anything through Christ who is your strength. When others try to say otherwise, know who you are. So today, break up with anything that can’t better your life, your dreams, and your destiny to serve others.