Perspective (Part 2)

"But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.'" ~ Numbers 14:6-9

Last week, my Pastor talked about reframing- that is, taking the same old picture but transforming it by putting a different frame on it.

That's what Caleb and Joshua did in Numbers 13 and 14. They looked at the same circumstances that the other 10 spies did but looked at them differently. They reframed the situation. They didn't deny the circumstances they faced. They simply used faith to overcome them.

Jesus promised that in this life, we will face trouble (John 16:33). The key to overcoming is your perspective. Reframe life and you can have God's promises. Live in the same old frame and you'll get the same old results.

Reframe your life today!

God bless,
J.W.

Perspective (Part 1)

"not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors... But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it." ~ Numbers 14:22-24

"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."~ Mark 2:22

A large part of spiritual and emotional growth is about adopting a new perspective.

God wants us to put away old wineskins, i.e. old ways of thinking, and put on new wineskins, i.e. new mentalities, mindsets, and thought patterns.

Often times, however, we ask for new wine, i.e. new blessings, before we've put on new wineskins. We fall into slothfulness and don't want to put in the work to change. We then wonder why God hasn't elevated us.

But God says to see the promised land He, we need to take on a different spirit. Like Caleb and Joshua, God has called us to follow Him wholeheartedly if we are ever to inherit the promised land.

You can't put new wine in old wineskins. In other words, God can't place new blessings inside of an old life, mind set, or perspective.

That's why Paul tells us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2). New elevation comes with a new perspective.

Get your new perspective today!

God bless,
J.W.

Stumbling Blocks (Part 4)

Over the last several posts, we’ve been talking about stumbling blocks. In Part 1, we talked about why stumbling blocks exist (to knock us off balance). In Part 2, we talked about what/who stumbling blocks are (often people close to us). In Part 3, we talked about how stumbling blocks occur (through false or mis- conceptions of who you are). Today, let’s talk about when stumbling blocks come.

In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus tells a parable about the Kingdom where a man (God) sows good seed (peace and blessings) in a field (your life). But, verse 25 says “while everyone was sleeping,” the man's enemy (Satan) comes and sows weed (stumbling blocks) in the field. Thus, when the seed sprouts, the weeds also appear.

So, what does this parable tell us about the appearance of stumbling blocks in our lives?

Well, according to Jesus, stumbling blocks are planted in our lives when we're asleep. Naturally, it would then be wise for us to "stay woke." Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines the term "stay woke" as "a watch word... for those who [a]re self-aware, questioning the dominant paradigm and striving for something better."

Thus, could it be that God is telling us that when we don't stay woke, we allow weeds into our lives. That is, when we: (1) are not aware, (2) do not question dominant culture, and (3) fail to strive for something better, we give the enemy room to plant stumbling blocks in our lives?

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to, “above all else, guard [our] hearts, for everything [we] do flows from it.” It’s when we’re not on guard, i.e. when we’re asleep, that the enemy attacks.

Thus, “stay woke” shouldn't be just a trendy saying nowadays. Rather, it can be guidance and direction for how to keep stumbling blocks out of our life.

Stay woke fam!

God bless,
J.W.

Let It Go

The other day, Michele and I were talking about my past experience as a manager. When I first started out, I did everything for my clients. I found employment opportunities for them. I helped them write songs. I helped them pick their roles. I even went so far as to create an entire vision for their careers, developed strategies for them to attain that vision, and then implemented that strategy on their behalf – what a manager is typically supposed to do.

However, since then, God has given me a new perspective. My original purpose in becoming a manager was to not only create opportunities for success for up-and-coming talent, but also to protect them – to protect them from the snakes in the grass who would try to harm them in the entertainment industry. What I’ve come to realize is that, in trying to protect them, I actually harmed them. My overprotective nature kept them from growing, from learning the business, from becoming more responsible for their own careers. Sort of like a parent, I spoiled them so much that they didn’t appreciate what hard work, commitment, and dedication really meant. I created a situation where they expected everything to be handed to them, where they wouldn’t really have to work for anything.

Not to say that they didn’t work. Of course, they wrote songs, they went to rehearsal, they performed. But what about the business side? Did they ever make a phone call on their own behalf? Did they ever have to search for their own opportunities? Did I give them too much too fast?

What I did in fact is keep them from experiencing the journey for themselves. My blog is called “Journal Your Journey,” but, in fact, my clients have little to journal for themselves. There’s something to be said about lessons that come from pain, from struggle, from strife, from hardship. It gives us wisdom, understanding, discernment, and makes us stronger. Babies don’t learn to walk unless they venture out. They may fall, they may stumble, but it’s all a learning process. It’s all to make them better.

So, in conclusion, I ask you today, is there an area in your life where you need to let go? Is there a person in your life whose growth you are stunting as a result of your overprotective nature? Sometimes, we have to let go in order for people to know that they can stand on their own two feet. If we don’t, we’re only hindering their ability to be the best that they can be.

God bless,

J.W.