Greetings Readers!
I know it has been a long time, but I am back and hopefully a lot more frequently. As always, I like to share with you things that touch my heart, and I hope that my words encourage, enlighten, and inspire you!
Because of the world we live in today...everything is all about selling yourself and your abilities. Often times we find ourselves trying so hard to prove ourselves to others in our own strength and we fail to realize that we are false in our attempts. The world tells us to pay our dues...to start from the bottom and work our way to the top...prove your worthiness for promotion...to step on others so that you can get to the top. But as Believers we can't fall into this trap because it is nothing but a trick of the enemy.
God has a special Marketing Plan that doesn't involve any of those things that I just listed. God advertises us in the way He sees us, and not how we see ourselves. For instance, if I were to go into an interview and "sell myself" to the employer I would list all of my strengths and possibly a few weaknesses, I would list all of my previous work experience along with a few professional references, then I would really knock their socks off with my entire education background, naming all of my degrees and the various colleges and universities that I had attended. But more importantly I would make reference to the person that I am right now and not the person that I will become.
God knows the end from the beginning and he sees us in that same light- which is how he puts together our Marketing Plan. For those that know anything about goods and services you know that there are benefits and features to everything. Well God not only is in the business of telling us whose we are and who we are, but he truly wants others to see our lights shine as well. As Believers, some of our features consist of being righteous, His beloved, made in His image and Sooo many more but I will let you find out more of those in the word for yourself. Sometimes it is hard for us to acknowledge and to even own these features when we think about ourselves. However, we must realize that God sees us through the blood of Jesus and not by our mistakes and shortcomings. Gods love is so powerful that it covers a multitude of our sins so we are able to stand firm and walk in who He says we are.
As I was reading the story of Ruth and Naomi, the scriptures spoke to me. I will give you a little background- at this time Ruth's husband had died and she was left with her sister in law as well as her elderly mother in law. The mother in law Naomi begged and pleaded that the girls leave and go back to there family to remarry and start there lives over. One of the daughters left, however Ruth was burdened with staying. How many of you know that God will put a burden or a deep desire in our hearts that can be just too hard to shake sometimes - could be the passion for a particular career, a cause, or even a hobby. So, because Ruth had this deep desire to stay and care for her mother in law she could not see herself just walking off and leaving her side, and God blessed her faith for holding onto to this desire. The bible tells us in Psalms 37:4 that when we delight ourselves in the Lord that He will give us the desires of our hearts. (Just a sidebar because I'm getting excited- when God puts the desire or burden in our hearts he has to bring it to past! The key is that we can't faint and we can't grow weary...we must stay in faith until we reach the end).
So, anyway were getting to the good part. We have to stop with all the proving ourselves and promoting ourselves, because as Joyce Meyers says we just aren't smart enough to run our own lives we have to let God do it! So when we let God market and advertise us he is showcasing our abilities through Him. How amazing is this! Things that we know we aren't good at, God thinks otherwise....because we can do all things through Him. Paul put it so eloquently when he said in Ephesians 3:8 "I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities." I so love this scripture!
Back to Ruth, so because she was trying to do the right thing by staying and caring for her elderly mother in law, God saw to it, to show her favor everywhere she went. Often times when we are pushed to step out on faith we allow fear to make us forget how faithful God is in the favor department. So, here Ruth is no husband no children and no legacy, left to take care of her mother in law. She goes out to find work to make a living and I like to say...favor bumped into her and not the other way around! She meets Boaz, and before she can start marketing or selling herself in order for this man to show her favor. God has already done it for her. Need I mention she has no idea who this man is.
Ruth 2:11
"Boaz answered her, "I've heard all about you-heard about the way you treated your mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to live among a bunch of total strangers."
Long story short, let God promote you. The key is, your heart must be right and you must completely lean on, rely in, and trust Him in everything you do- because -Phil 4:13 says "I can do all things through the one who makes me who I am"
~Na'TashaNicole
