Step By Step - Baby Steps into your Destiny

I have been seeking practical ways to "Find Your New Normal". This week I attended Calvary's Chick Cafe`. These are special times of fellowship sponsored by the Women's Ministries of Calvary. My Pastor's wife, Angela Coon, shared a heart-warming message. I took notes and asked Angela's permission to use her teaching to share with you. She kindly consented, and I know this will bless you. Thank you again, Angela, for touching all our hearts with your inspired teaching, and for the privilege to share it here.

I will preface this by reminding us that God has given each of us unique and special gifts entrusted only to us, not to make us feel good, but to allow us to be used by Him to draw others closer to Him, and help us through our own struggles in the process. A long time ago I heard someone share that as someone waters or refreshes someone else, the hose they use to share the water also gets wet. I thought this was excellent and I've never forgotten it, and often see it happen. As we go through these "baby steps", please remember you need to take only a baby step. Babies learn to take one step at a time; they fall, but we Moms lift them up and encourage them to try again. So - here are some "Baby Steps" to help you find your "New Normal".

1. STEP TOWARD KNOWING GOD - We cannot serve or help others unless we ourselves get our strength and wisdom from a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus. We need to get into His Word daily to get to know Him. I call the Bible God's love letter to ME. Before meeting Christ personally, I tried to read the Bible. I probably made the mistake of "starting at the very beginning", in Genesis. I never got through that, but when I met the Author, it all changed. I thank God that He has given me a voracious appetite for His Word, and I am beginning to know Him more intimately. Try to memorize scriptures that minister to you specifically, and start a journal or notebook. As you read, ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you and reveal what He wants to show you. Then be quick to OBEY. I found I did not always understand, but tried to walk as closely as I felt the Lord show me, and He gradually gave me deeper understanding. You cannot understand everything. God is too big for us to fully understand it all now. One of my favorite scriptures has been 2 Cor. 1:3, 4 "Who comforts us in all our troubles, so we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
2. QUIT COMPARING - Never compare yourself with others. There is always someone better, more qualified, bigger, more educated or with more experience. In Gal. 5:26, as Angela put it, "This means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original." Gideon was a young man in Judges 6. The angel of the Lord appeared to him, calling him a "mighty warrior". Gideon tried to argue that his clan was the weakest in Manasseh, and he was the least in his family. Yet God saw a Mighty Warrior, because He saw Himself in Gideon. Gideon saw his weakness; God saw His strength in him. God promised to do a mighty work through a weak man - and He can use us as "weak widows" too. But Christ in you makes you a mighty warrior too. Remember, we are "The Widow's Might." "If you're doing something that doesn't stretch or scare you, then you're probably playing it safe and not stepping out and joining God in what He is doing." (Angela)
3. RECOGNIZE IT'S GOD'S POWER - NOT YOURS - 2 Cor. 4:7 "We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." God chooses earthen, weak vessels to display the excellency of His power. He provides the wisdom, strength, power and spiritual gifts necessary as we get to know Him, make ourselves available and depend on Him. "No, you don't have the power to minister, but we offer ourselves, who we are, where we are, and God supplies the power." (Angela)
4. BELIEVE YOU ARE DESIGNED FOR MINISTRY - Ministry is simply serving others through the gifts, talents, abilities and interests you possess. Eph. 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." No matter what your personality, you were created to minister to others. Each of us is unique, one of a kind. We are wired differently with individual personalities; we all have distinct backgrounds and experiences. We have different strengths and talents, and each of us is desperately needed in the ministry. The outgoing talkative one is an encourager, a cheerleader; there is one who keeps us organized and thinks of details; the energizer bunny keeps producing results, working and leading; and the steady consistent helper has a calm, cool and collected personality. God knit you in your mother's womb, designed you as an original for the purpose you will discover as you come to know Him and yourself. Listen to your heart, your desires, interests, your wiring and follow it. This is God's blueprint for your life.
5. STEP INTO YOUR DESIRES - Rom. 12 "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." At this point in Angela's teaching she briefly shared her own example. She did not just step into speaking at conferences and retreats. She started as a child teaching her dolls and neighborhood kids. Then she helped teach and lead worship in Children's Church, sang and toured in a college group. Her husband asked her to teach an adult class. She tried to refuse, but in her obedience, God gave her a love for teaching adults, developing Bible studies, preaching and speaking outside the church. Now she steps out into speaking at many churches, women's retreats and conferences. When I was a fairly new Christian the Lord led me to attend a 6-week Ministry Training School. On my return a new friend asked if we could get together for Bible studies. I started sharing basic Bible studies with her, then started to have small prayer and Bible study groups, and just followed God's open doors. "Don't be overwhelmed by what you see others doing - God will take you one step at a time, step by step of obedience to His call." (Angela)
6. CHANGE YOUR THINKING - Take fearful anxious thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5). Also Phil. 4:8 "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Do not entertain negative thoughts; stop them in their tracks. Do not let fear immobilize you in your comfort zone. Step out into opportunites God is opening all around you.
7. FOLLOW YOUR HEART - 2 Cor. 5:14 "For the love of Christ compels us...that we should no longer live our lives for ourselves, but for Him." Compels - A sense of constraint, a tight grip that prevents an escape. The love of Christ leaves us no choice except to live our lives to please Him, instead of ourselves. 1 John 4:18 "Perfect love casts out fear." The greatest deterrent to stepping out into ministry is fear, but when we have experienced the amazing, forgiving, restoring healing love of God, we want others to experience it too. We cannot keep it to ourselves. There are people only you can touch through your life.

WE CAN TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME INTO GOD'S WILL FOR US, BABY STEPS INTO OUR DESTINY, FULFILLING OUR DESIGN TO PERFORM GOOD WORKS.

THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DESIGNED TO DO - WE CAN DO IT!