Don’t Talk Yourself Out of It

 God has just given you a great idea. You are beyond excited. What do you do next? You write it down.

Habakkuk 2:1-3 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Why write it down? Writing it down makes it real. It serves as a constant reminder. It provides clarity, helps you create a plan, set a goal, and of course all of this is done while seeking God for direction.

Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. When you are spending time in God’s presence, seeking Him for direction, He will direct your path. The thoughts or ideas that you think are yours will align with the thoughts and plans that He has for you.

I liken getting a word, thought, idea, or plan from God to the parable of the sower sowing the seed. Whether the thought or idea is God’s plan for your life, your desire to make a change in life such as going back to school, taking better care of your health, or making a career change, the enemy will try to distract you.

In Matthew 13:19, Jesus explains the parable to the disciples.

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

When you hear from God, the enemy immediately comes to try and steal what you have heard. He comes in many ways. If, in all your excitement, you share what you have heard from God or your ideas with others, there may be someone that tries to discourage you. They may even question whether you have heard from God, or why you desire the change you seek. They may cause you to doubt your desires or what you have heard.

Verse 20-21 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

We’ve talked about how excited we are when we hear from God. We’re ready to act and move forward. Then the voice in the back of our mind, you know the one that tells you that you can’t do it, begins to speak to us.

Jeremiah 1:4-6 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

Verses: 7-9 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

 When the Lord spoke to Jeremiah, Jeremiah flat out said I can’t do it. And the Lord replied yes you can. He told Jeremiah not to be afraid. He told him He was with him. And finally, He told him, He, the Lord God Almighty had placed His words in his mouth. When God gives you a word, or an assignment He will prepare and equip you to do whatever it is that He wants you to do.

 Matthew 13:22: He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Let’s say you’ve heard from God. You didn’t listen to the naysayers nor the voice in your mind that told you that you couldn’t do it. You’re moving forward. Then the enemy throws another monkey wrench your way called life. Relationships, other commitments, family obligations and let’s not even mention finances, or the lack there of may distract you from your plan or goal. These are distractions and they are real. How do you overcome them? You seek God for guidance. You also prioritize and exercise time management. If you are unable to commit 2 hours a day to your goal, commit 1 hour a day, or 2 hours per week, whatever works best with your schedule. If you lose a source of income or have an increase in expenses, become creative. Have a yard sale. Barter your services. Cut down on entertainment or eating out. Determine what’s most important to you.

 Verse 23: But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Ah, this is the place we all want to be, receiving seed into good ground and bringing forth the harvest. There may be some people that are able to go directly from concept to manifestation with few or no distractions. If you are one of those people, I commend you. The truth is, many people, me included fall into one of the 3 categories in the parable. People whose seed, vision, dream, goal, or desire is hindered by the voice of others, the voice of oneself, or the cares of life. To that group of people, I say stay focused. God will not place in your heart, whatever He places there if He has not already made a way for it to manifest.

The enemy is going to try every trick in the book to prevent you from moving forward in God’s plan for your life. Don’t let him do it. You are the one that can stop him. God has already prepared the way. Just as He said to Jeremiah “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee…” He is saying the same thing to you.

 Remember your purpose. Think about who will benefit from what it is that God has predestined for you to do. Don’t talk yourself out of it. Let your passion be greater that your fear. And as we read in Habakkuk,… for the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.