In honor of Black History Month, my favorite poem by Maya.
Hope is patient expectation and eager anticipation.
Not excitement. Even though we are excited when we hope. In Proverbs 10:28, it says “The hopes of the godly result in happiness…” But excitement can waver. Hope is to be placed in God’s unchanging hand. We are to completely rely and depend on Him. And hope gives us courage (Job 11:18) so that we are not afraid, worrying or fretting about things out of our control.
Now, I know that true hope is: complete assurance of victory through God. In Romans, it says, “…Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we HOPE for what we do not yet have, we wait patiently for it.”
What the world needs is less noise....and more time to contemplate. To be still and KNOW.....
God does not create anyone without a purpose. If we do not recognize and fulfill that purpose, we waste our time and waste our life. We’re just taking up space.
Even though we may know Jesus and confess Him as Savior and go to heaven when we die, if we don’t complete the assignment purposed for our life – God is not pleased. We have lost opportunity and lost reward. Yes, there are rewards in heaven! Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done,” (Revelation 22:12).
DO SOMETHING TODAY ON PURPOSE. THINK.....BE STILL....AND LISTEN.
Lately I’ve been running. I knew my life was getting in a hectic pace when I got my daily nourishment from “The Runner’s Bible: Spiritual Guidance for People on the Run.” I grabbed it off the shelf and threw it in my briefcase. “I’ll read a few scriptures it at my desk before I get started with my day at work,” is my logic.
Yeah right. I’ve been pacing myself on roller blades….my feet don’t seem to move fast enough. Is it just me or has the notch on the dial of time been turned up. Everything is moving faster and everyone wants stuff quicker!
We are all overloaded in this information age – at work and at home. Too much information can be distracting and we lose focus of what really matters. We all want to accountable and answer every piece of mail, voicemail and email but God is saying to put some of the messages on hold and get a hold of HIS message.
In the world we can be busy, frustrated and live very complicated lives. But God calls us to seek first HIS kingdom and all that we need will be given to us. When we are led by the Spirit of God, He will give us the grace, energy and time to do all that is required.
If we don’t open every email or answer every voice mail, God will redeem us. I live by the rule – if I didn’t get to it today, if it’s really important, they’ll call back. Some things are just not that deep. Don’t fret.
When I set my priorities according to what God wants – not by the schedules of others – I find I’m truly content. Be still and listen to where God is leading you. He will not let you stumble or fall. His grace is sufficient.
I see this time and time again with entrepreneurs:
A person tries so hard to market their business, wondering why it's not "happening", and is frustrated to see that the results aren't coming in. Yes, with most every entrepreneur, there is indeed something to be changed and tweaked in their marketing; namely, the clarity of their message, their positioning in the marketplace, their list building strategies, and business models, pricing, etc.
And then, in addition to this, what I've realized with increasing frequency over the years, is that there is a form of very subtle self-sabotage going on. And it all stems from how a person views himself or herself when no one's watching.
Here's what I mean: You can say "I want to make a million dollars - or even $100,000 - in my business" all day long. But if you have feelings of unworthiness and inferiority and deep down, you question whether you truly deserve it, there is absolutely NO way you will attract that money in your business. Because your subconscious feelings ALWAYS override your conscious thoughts.
And it's for TWO reasons: 1) Spiritually: You're sending out a message to the Universe that you don't really deserve it. And therefore, you won't actually receive it. 2) Pragmatically: If you don't believe, deep down, that you deserve it, you won't take action. And because you don't take action on the opportunities that show up, there will be no results.
By not taking action, or procrastinating more than what's normal, you are essentially self-sabotaging your efforts. So, for all intents and purposes, it LOOKS on the outside like you are "doing all the right marketing things" but then, at the very last minute, you do something (or don't do something) so that the opportunity goes stale. Essentially, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The solution:
1) Get clear on how you REALLY see yourself
2) Do battle with these negative views of self and turn them around so that you ARE worthy, and competent and deserving of what you want.
It is more subtle and insidious than you think, but when my clients have the courage to do battle with their inner critic, things begin to open up VERY quickly and the marketing will soon begin to "work", which means the money begins to pour in. Makes sense?
Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Expert, is founder of the Client Attraction System, the proven step-by-step program to help you attract more clients, in record time and consistently. To learn more about Fabienne's Client Attraction Home Study System, sign up for her FREE client attraction tips and no-charge teleclasses on attracting more clients, visit http://www.ClientAttraction.com.
Listen to this teleseminar - and maybe see what I mean and get a revelation.
P.S. I never had a problem paying for knowledge. I paid for my own education. And I continue to invest in books, coaching programs, audio programs - and I've learned the internet and how it works - and I make money online. But I had to pay to play.
I believe when God closes one door, He opens a window. I am filled with promise! I am expecting! What do we do in between? Stand steadfast in faith. Faith is the substance of things, but HOPE is the hook. How do we abide in HOPE until the promise is comes?
The Lord directed me to a Scripture that answered my very simple question. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).
I said to myself, “I have hope.” When the situations and circumstances in my life began to change, I realized I really didn’t have hope. Not the kind of HOPE that God wants us to have. Hope is trusting God to act in His good timing – not our timing. For our hope is in God not circumstances or feelings. Our confidence is to be in Him. Nothing should change this hope. That’s why faith and hope are deeply tied together.
My faith was strong, but my hope was weak. Thus, the promises of God could not manifest in my life. Consequently my joy and praise decreased. That’s not what God wants for me according to Jeremiah 29:11. I realized that I saw hope as “wishful” thinking. I learned hope is not just a feeling.
Hope is an attitude that directs us to higher heights.
Hope is patient expectation and eager anticipation. Not excitement. Even though we are excited when we hope. In Proverbs 10:28, it says “The hopes of the godly result in happiness…” But excitement can waver. Hope is to be placed in God’s unchanging hand. We are to completely rely and depend on Him. And hope gives us courage (Job 11:18) so that we are not afraid, worrying or fretting about things out of our control.
Now, I know that true hope is: complete assurance of victory through God. In Romans, it says, “…Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we HOPE for what we do not yet have, we wait patiently for it.”
I heard a minister at church say, “Your patience is tied to your promise.” At the time, I really thought I knew what she meant.
Now, having gone through some challenges, I know exactly what she means.
Faith and hope mixed together produces the results of faith…our harvest. Our overflow will come when we wait patiently on God’s timing – and with joy!
I have always been wired to network. I love sharing information; connecting cool people with other cool people, seeing groups come together for a common cause. There’s strength in numbers. Jesus said, “I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30).
Because networking is so much a part of my personality, I have been teased a lot. I had even begun to think I was a bit strange – until I realized Jesus was a networker. He had to be. He took twelve folks and revolutionized the world. He had a life-changing message that He imparted into mankind through the networking of men. The twelve disciples told some people, and they told some people, and so on and so on...
Isn’t that what life is all about? No man is an island – we all need each other. How could anyone have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior if they had not heard the Gospel? And how can they have heard without someone telling them? (Romans 10:14). That’s the ultimate “network.” Hooking people up to the “true vine” because Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:1 and 5).
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King talked about networking too. He said, “As long as there is poverty in the world I can never be rich, even if I had a billion dollars...I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. No individual or nation can stand out boasting of being independent. We are all interdependent.”
Networking is not always about getting. It’s really about giving. Actually, you’re more blessed when you give than when you receive (Acts 20:35). I have a passion for God which has caused me to have compassion for people.
Success does run in our race. Fraser has been on a mission to link African Americans together for the betterment of them all. For ten years, he has published The Success Guide to accomplish this goal. More than an upscale directory of contacts, it is the only vehicle that has African American professionals from 7 different countries and 75 cities. “It’s networking in an instant with real people getting real results,” said Fraser. He is also the author of “Click.”
The Bible tells us in Matthew 25:39 to “love your neighbor as yourself.” This is the key to a successful life. Another recurring phrase in the Bible is “one another.” We are to: love, instruct, encourage, stir up, lift up, rejoice with, prefer, serve, pray with, submit to, admonish, minister to, fellowship with and edify ONE ANOTHER. Sounds like networking to me.
Nobody gets to the highest peaks without help of others. Networking is the identification of relationships for the purpose of sharing information and resources. Taking time for people and communicating is the key. Don’t ever get too busy to share information or your wisdom.
Get the right attitude about networking and begin to open up and give. Get your copy of Fraser’s Success Guide and hook up with like-minded folks and kindred spirits. Moving ahead often involves reaching out and being willing to give. We reap what we sow.
Pam Perry is a ministry marketing pioneer and social media expert. Her public relations and advertising career spans over two decades. She spent the first ten years working in ad agencies and secular media. She has dedicated the past ten to ministry marketing. Her company has a roster of some of the most well known Christian publishers and African American Christian authors in the industry.
