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Obtaining The Mantle of Vision
by Birdie Courtright
10/07/2008 / Mens Issues
Joseph's faith has marked him through time as a visionary leader...a dreamer who would triumph against all odds, who seized hold of his ultimate destiny through a series of events that would require ultimate forgiveness. Sold into slavery by his jealous older brothers, he would later find himself imprisoned unjustly as he walked into a trap laid for him by his master's wife. Through years of hardship, misunderstanding and mistreatment we see Joseph latching on to the one thing that remains unchangeable; His God.
As Joseph presses hard into a radical relationship of devotion to God, we see God responding and charting his course even through disheartening years of treachery, abandonment, and finally prison. The temptor in Joseph's life was not Potipher's wife, but anger and bitterness. Joseph had to choose; God's ways or his own.
Obtaining 20/20 Vision
God requires that we lay down our own desires to follow Him. Even though anger and bitterness seem at times to be justifiable, they never are. Strong emotions that emerge during times of painful shifting in life can cloud a man's vision and effectively rob Him of the peace and abundance that God promises to us through His Word. Unforgiveness can easily lead us onto paths that God never intended for us to take.
Does your vision for the future seem to be clouded? What is behind those clouds? Is it possible that your own strong emotions have caused you to depart from the path God has prepared for you? If so, it's time to lean in to the things of God. Examine your emotions against His Word and remove the pitfalls that obscure your vision of the life He has planned for you.
Forgiveness toward others is an essential element of faith. It requires that we trust God to do what is right for us, leaving us free to be pleasers of God. Imagine the twist Joseph's life may have taken if he had not forgiven Potipher for throwing him into prison unjustly. He certainly would have missed his appointment to leadership, and abdicated his destiny to shape the history of his own people.
The Seeds of Vision
Where did Joseph find the strength to overcome his emotions after years of mistreatment and cruelty? When a man's heart is broken, he can hear God's voice a little more clearly. Perhaps that happens because our vision is so broken that we have no choice but to return to His. We're tough that way, aren't we? Too often we thrive on the thrill of conquering our dreams, leaving the dreamweaver behind in the process.
Joseph had a specific dream---a God dream so vivid that he immediately began to chase it. Within hours of awaking from this unusual night vision, he spilled it out with out stopping to weigh it, or consult the giver of the dream--God, and that's where his troubles began. Not everyone around Joseph was willing to run with him to achieve the promise--in fact, spilling the vision too early to the wrong people landed him in bondage.
Through a few years of intense testing, Joseph's vision became clear. By the time he walked out of prison his ability to hear and follow God's voice had been perfected. His dream had given way to the reality of his own limitations. The man who took his place as Pharoah's chief executive had learned that some dreams can entrap you, while others can set you free. Knowing the difference can only come through walking closely with God. The seeds of his vision were watered with tears, trials, and uncompromised faith.
Eventually those seeds would grow into a mantle of visionary leadership that would shape history.
The Rewards of Godly Vision
Joseph emerged from his trials with a character refined and shaped entirely by the God he learned to trust in the midst of his breaking. His reward came with the restoration of the family he had given up hope of ever seeing again.
In the midst of unprecidented finanacial turmoil and hardship, God prepared a refuge of abundance to all that were near and dear to Joseph's heart. He will do the same for the man who is willing to lay down his own dreams to pursue the training ground required to obtain Godly vision. It's tough, but consider the final blessing spoken over Joseph by his father:
The God of your father - may he help you!
And may The Strong God - may he give you his blessings,
Blessings tumbling out of the skies,
blessings bursting up from the Earth -
blessings of breasts and womb.
May the blessings of your father
exceed the blessings of the ancient mountains,
surpass the delights of the eternal hills;
May they rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the one consecrated among his brothers.
Genesis 49: 22-26
Are you willing to be the one consecrated among your brothers? Are you willing to march through the training ground prepared for you by The Strong God--the God stronger and more able than you, the God who has prepared a dream for your life that requires His vision to obtain?
The handwriting is on the wall. As we read the headlines and struggle at the gas pumps, as we watch the nation sink into perilous uncertainty, God is preparing dreams, and calling up visionaries to shape history. Are you ready to answer the call?
Birdie Courtright is a freelance writer and real estate professional who enjoys sharing her faith with others through personal glimpses of God at work in her own life.
Article Source: FaithWriters.com http://www.faithwriters.com and FaithReaders.com http://www.faithreaders.com |
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From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out
by Nancy Twigg
5/07/2008 / Womens Interest
When most people think of simplifying, the first thing they think of is getting rid of clutter around the home or office. Cleaning out closets and drawers is definitely a part of simplifying, but true simplification goes far deeper than that. Clutter is much more than old magazines, outdated clothes, and kitchen gadgets you never use. Certainly those things are clutter, but from now on, think of clutter as any possession, habit, thought pattern, attitude or activity that fits into one of these three categories:
* Anything you don't need or use anymore
* Anything that doesn't fit or work for you like it used to
* Anything that doesn't add value and meaning to your life as it once did
Under this new definition, clutter is anything that complicates your life and stands in the way of simplicity. In the past, you may have only thought of clutter in terms of stuff: those size 8 jeans you hope to wear again someday or those unfinished projects in your garage. But let me share a secret with you. These kinds of unwanted and unneeded material possessions are only the tip of the iceberg! What about the multitude of commitments that cram-pack your schedule? What about the thoughts that jumble your mind and the spending habits that sabotage your finances? All of these things are clutter too, because they cause chaos and confusion.
When you think of clutter in this new light, you begin to see what a tremendous problem clutter truly is. You will also see that the root causes of this ugly clutter make the clutter itself look tame. Think about it. Why do you say yes to everyone who requests your time and services? Are you afraid that people won't like you if you say no? Do you feel the need to present a Super Mom image to the world?
What about those clothes you hold onto even though you know you will never wear them again? Are you afraid that if you get rid of them you will need them again someday? If you did happen to need them, do you doubt God's ability to provide more? And if you have a tendency to spend more than you can afford, ask yourself why you do that. Are you driven by feelings of discontentment or the need for instant gratification? Are you afraid that if you pass on a sale now you will never find a good price on that item again? These issues go much deeper than just having a messy desk or disorganized pantry. These are issues of the heart.
Clutter is a problem for anyone, but for Christians, it spells major trouble. Clutter does more than affect us physically and emotionally; it affects us spiritually because it keeps us from following Jesus fully. We simply cannot make room for Him when so many other things are in the way. The more we stay focused on the junk of this life, the less time and energy we have to focus on the important mattersGod and His plans for our lives.
Have you ever tried to lug an overstuffed suitcase through a crowded airport? Not an easy task, is it? No matter how hard you try, you simply cannot move quickly and efficiently when you're carrying a heavy load. Think of clutter as baggagephysical, emotional, and financial baggage that weighs you down and holds you back. Clutter is the heavy load that keeps many of us from maneuvering effectively through our lives. Our suitcases are filled with all kinds of deadweight: habits we need to give up, attitudes we've long since outgrown, activities and possessions that no longer serve a reasonable purpose. If we want to lighten the load, we have to get rid of some of the junk.
What keeps you from moving forward at a steady pace in your life? Undoubtedly the things that slow you down are some kind of clutterclutter you want to get rid of for good. Maybe you struggle with physical clutter around your home. Try as you might, you cannot seem to get organized. Or maybe you want to get a handle on your finances. You are tired of making good money but having nothing to show for it. Or maybe yours is an issue with time. You are tired of living at warp speed. You want to stop running and start living.
Whatever clutter challenges you face, trust me when I say you can learn to clarify your life by putting clutter in its place. I know because I have done it myself. My biggest clutter challenge was not dealing with cluttered living spaces or even cluttered finances. My challenge was to open up my emotional suitcase and go through its contents carefully. When I did, I discovered all kinds of clutter lurking inside. I found worry and doubt. I uncovered a faulty self-image and an inability to set appropriate boundaries. I even found an unhealthy preoccupation with what others thought of me. It was a painful process, but necessary. One by one, I learned to trade in these old clunkers for the more efficient models God offered.
I'm not saying I have it all together. Believe me, I don't. I'm not saying I never face challenges. But I have come to a place of clarity and life is much more pleasant now that I have. Is my life perfect? No, but it is much more peaceful and purposeful. And isn't that what we all wantto live in peace as we live out our purpose?
Nancy Twigg is an author and speaker who loves inspiring women to live more simply. To learn more about Nancy's speaking and writing ministry, visit her online at www.keepitsimplesister.com
Article Source: FaithWriters.com http://www.faithwriters.com and FaithReaders.com http://www.faithreaders.com
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