Warriors Arise: May 7, 2023
Genesis 2:1-3 (NKJV) Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
My earthly father is a very hard worker. He is diligent and sees to details. Everything he puts his hand to, his heart's desire is to make it better. One of the things he has carried with him into retirement is a mowing business. He started this business when my oldest brother was in junior high. He was thinking ahead about how we could start saving money to pay for college. He has been mowing for over four decades. Even on windy days I enjoy mowing with my dad. When we finish a place and are driving back the mowers back to the truck I love looking over the lines we have created from the mowers. There is something about being satisfied with a job well done. It is totally satisfying.
God rested on the seventh day. In my mind, I picture God looking over everything He had created and taking great pleasure in it. He delighted in what He had done. Some may say that would be arrogant; however, I couldn't disagree more. We have been taught an unhealthy form of pride. God should take pleasure in what He created. We should acknowledge what God has done and take pleasure in it as well. Just like we take pleasure in what God has done, we should also take pleasure, acknowledge, celebrate and give encouragement to those who have done well. Why do we withhold words of affirmation, encouragement, and acknowledgment? Why would you?
Somewhere along the way, I was taught it was prideful to acknowledge that I had done something good. If someone else didn't recognize it then I couldn't give value to what I had done. That is so twisted. Especially now-a-days. Because we withhold affirmation, encouragement, acknowledgement and celebrating others, people get jealous so easily. What if we noticed when someone accomplished something or really worked hard, whether they achieved or not, we acknowledged their perseverance, persistence, and development? Why would you? Because people will gain confidence and be encouraged to persevere, persist and develop in the next area of their life or with the next opportunity.
I believe most people die being less than what God intended. We allow ourselves to think we don't need to be acknowledged, encouraged, affirmed, or celebrated. But that isn't from God. God wants us to be celebrated. He wants to be celebrated. When we can't celebrate Him, we struggle to celebrate each other. They are connected. Why would we celebrate each other when we don't know how to celebrate God? Our celebration should begin with God. But it shouldn't' stop there. Again, why would we?
We have been tricked in so many ways. If life isn't perfect in every way and every day then we withhold our praise and celebration. I'm not sure I have every had one day that was completely perfect from my perspective. But that doesn't keep me from celebrating the good that happened that day, the God-thing that came out of nowhere, or the God-opportunity before me.
We have been tricked to thinking that dodging affirmation or celebration is humility. That is ridiculous. When you do something worth being affirmed and celebrated, you need to be affirmed and celebrated. Why would you need to be affirmed and celebrated? There are several reasons but I will name a few. Much of what people say is complaining. What if we were to focus on what people have done well and talk about that and honor them? How different would our day be? How different would our world be? What if we were to get over ourselves and stop hiding behind labels that prevent God receiving glory and encouraging us to continue to lay hold of more God-opportunities? Labels always limit what God really wants to do in a person's life, but we are so ready to label someone. I have rarely heard someone label another and it be in a positive light. Generally, the label is used to explain why the person is so at odds with the other person; when it is the person using the label that needs freedom. You do not need an explanation for who you are, You are to be who God created you to be. Then you will be able to look at the end of your day and rest. You will know you have done exactly what God had for you. You will have sweet, peaceful rest. Two reasons people can't rest: because they know they didn't accomplish what God had for them that day, so there is an inner disappointment; and secondly, because they have denied who they are, allowed someone else to label them and are imprisoned by that label. Why would you be able to sleep or have rest when you are in inner turmoil? You wouldn't. When you become a person who can celebrate the freedom God has given you, to be you, then you will walk in peace. When you can acknowledge what God has done in your life, you will have peace. When you affirm others in their successes, you will have peace.
Psalms 34:14 (NKJV) Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
Be who God created you to be.
Do what you see God doing in your day.
Make no excuses to prevent you from acting upon what God has placed before you to do.
Celebrate with God what you have done.
Sleep peacefully tonight.
Father, I desire to be in a place of rest. You worked diligently, tirelessly for six days creating everything I would need. I stand in awe of all You thought of and Your creativity. You planned Earth, as our nursery, perfectly. You amaze me. I desire to be free to be me, to be who You created me to be. I want to be free of the labels people place upon me. I want to see You in each day and do what You have placed into my hands to do. I want to celebrate with You. I want to affirm others and celebrate with them. I want to be a part of building up Your people and not tearing them down or putting them in a prison. Jesus came to set the captives free. I pray we would be free to be who You created each one of us to be. I pray we would affirm, support and encourage others in what You have placed in their hands to do. I pray we would give others the opportunity to live life to the fullest of what You have for them. I ask for my ears to be open to hear who needs to be affirmed and that I would not withhold words of encouragement. I want to build up Your people and encourage each one to be who You created them to be in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
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