That Doesn’t Belong To You!

“But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. ”‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV

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“But what does it say? “The word is near you,  in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Years ago I went through a depression.

I had started out as a size 12 or 14.

And one night I was sitting in bed, eating famous Amos' Pecan and Chocolate Chip Cookies with a giant glass of milk. In the middle of eating them with my mouth full of milk and cookies, I somehow managed to get out the words – “Lord I am fat - I need you to help me.“

Within about a month, I realized God changed my eating habits.

And instead of getting full when I ate, I would be satisfied first and couldn't eat anymore.

At some point, I started cleaning out my closet to get rid of clothes, but while cleaning out the closet I decided to try on the clothes and what I found is many of the pieces that were previously too little were now fitting perfectly!

So that’s how I realized what God had done.

Because of this new eating habit, from February till about April, I dropped from a size 12 or 14 to a size 8 . Then within the next 2 months or so I got caught up in a love triangle - SHEESH, and dropped from an eight to a four during an earth shattering depression.

Not long after that, I went from a four to a size zero! YIKES!

Fast forward many years after going through and coming out the other side because of the Lord, I realized every time I had witnessed to somebody about the depression that I was calling it "MY DEPRESSION".

Saying things like “when I was going through my depression–“.

When I realized this - I repented, and began referring to it as "THAT DEPRESSION" – no longer taking ownership of it!

I realized that calling it that instead of mine changed my perception, and vicinity of it to me.

Saying that made it seem farther out of my reach and no longer belonged to me, but saying my, made it feel more personal - like it was right there in my pocket, backpack or in my purse!

(*A little commercial break: click the pink link for my song of the same name!).

Back to the story -

Really, without even knowing it, I changed how I defined myself with or without taking ownership of that circumstance.

According to the scriptures, it is more important to have The Word near you, and more closely to you then our wants, needs, desires and emotions.

God is not pleased when we define ourselves by our past. Whether that past is a hurt or a disappointment or even a thing to celebrate – more than anything, we should be defined by His Word, His Will, and His Way. (Sorry Mandalorian, THIS is The Way!)

The Word says it twice to make sure we get it:

"This God— his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." 2 Samuel 22:31 & Psalm 18:30.

So this Word, and this faith that we proclaim should be what you’re known for!

As an Actress, on my IMDb page, one of the things they ask you when you’re setting it up is, "What are you known for?"

And it’s safe to say some people know me as Keisha from the Forge movie, but what I want to be known for, for real LOL is the Proverbs 31 woman! (Proverbs 31:10-31).

I also want to be known for laughing and having a joyous time but I want to further be known for imparting wisdom through God‘s Word when it’s called for.

Sidenote: yes, God has a word for everything in His Book but you gotta discern when it’s called for to use it.

That’s gonna trip some people up LOL

HINT: It's not always the time or place for you to share your testimony when someone else is going through. Sometimes we need to hush and listen. Just listening many times helps more than we know. Real talk.

I want to be known for extending prayer and not just saying the words “I’ll be praying for you" and then drive off and never even think to pray for people.

I have been known to pray for people in the grocery store and at the gas station.

You’d be surprised at how receptive and receiving people are to prayer in those un-churched moments.

My point is, are you claiming things that don’t belong to you?

Are you carrying around things that don’t belong to you?

Are you being more mad about something that’s not even yours to be mad about in the first place?

The Word says fear is not of God (2 Timothy 1:7) so why are we carrying around fear and other things that are not of God?

The Word further says, do not fear and be of good courage - now that’s what you should be claiming as yours and carrying around! (Deuteronomy 31:7).

Stop laying ownership to your cancer!

Stop laying ownership to your asthma!

Stop laying ownership to your failed marriage!

It reminds me of when I was a little girl and my Mom gave me a purse.

Because I had grown up seeing my Mom carry a purse and it had lots of stuff in it LOL, I thought that’s what a purse was supposed to be – a thing that carries lots of other things.😂

So in an effort to have my purse look like my Mom’s, I went into her room one day when she wasn’t home and just started putting things from on her dresser into my little purse.😂

Mind you, the things in my Mom‘s purse were things that she needed, and they actually belonged to her LOL!

But the things I put in my purse and carrying with me, I claimed them to be mine because they were in my purse, but they were actually not mine!

Imagine me walking around with a bunch of stuff that’s not mine and then when she would ask the question "have any of you seen my so-and-so..." – I would just stand there and shake my head like everybody else and say no, KNOWING I had what she was looking for in my purse.🤣

I wonder how many of you are doing the same things?

I wonder how many people are carrying around the spirit of heaviness when all you’re supposed to be carrying around is the garment of praise. Isaiah 61:3.

I wonder how many people are carrying around the world‘s peace when we’re supposed to be carrying around Jesus' peace because His Word said He left it here for us. John 14:27.

BTW - If you haven’t caught it yet,

you are the purse and your heart is the thing carrying around all the things.

God's Word says,

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23.

"But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person." Matthew 15:18.

All of that stuff you are carrying around IS NOT YOURS!

It is safe to say you are a hoarder. OUCH! That was for me too.

There’s a tv show that comes on called Hoarders, where people have houses that are full of stuff that they have an emotional or sentimental connection to.

And when I say FULL, I mean you cannot walk around in these homes because of all the stuff. I remember reading an article where a woman died in her house and nobody even knew it, and they couldn’t find the body until much later because of all the stuff!

I wonder how many people are hiding in, behind OR even dying under their stuff?

The stuff that’s keeping you from your calling and from taking the next steps in faith?

Scripture reminds us in 1 Samuel 10:22, Samuel was found hiding among the baggage (or "stuff") when he was to be proclaimed the first king of Israel. When sought for his coronation, God revealed to Samuel that Saul was hiding among the supplies or equipment.

Stop carrying around and hiding behind stuff that does not belong to you because it's keeping you from you destiny!

Listen, your marriage failed, so guess what - it's no longer yours.

Just because you invested all your love and time into it does not mean that it’s still yours after the divorce. So stop carrying around the love and expectations you had in it. I’m not saying to hate the ex spouse, because hate is not ours to carry either.

The word says be mad, but don’t sin. Ephesians 4:26.

But know that even in this, if you’re on the Lord’s side, that all the things work together for your good - YES, EVEN THE BAD THINGS!

Ask Joseph, who's brothers were going to kill him but decided to sell him instead - like that was any better... Genesis 37:16-36.

I may not have named all the things, but know that all of us are carrying and hoarding things like hurt, abuse, offense, unforgiveness, anger, abandonment, and rejection, to name a few.

Hey, if you can, wherever you are, take the time to get still and get on your knees or lay on your face before the Lord and submit to Him in repentance for carrying, hoarding and hiding behind things that are not yours.

PRAYER :

Father, forgive me for carrying things around like they are badges of courage and strength - like it is a gold medal.

Thank you for helping me to come to terms with the fact that it was never mine .

Lord right now, I put it down.

Help me even if I need to do this more than I should have to.

Help me to put it all down at your feet, surrender it to you and pick up the garment of praise, good cheer, courage and to walk boldly with these things that you have given in the same boldness that I walked around with the stuff that didn’t belong to me.

Help me to abound in joy, Lord.

Help me to be a cheerful giver and not just in money but in love, in grace and in forgiveness.

Keep me Lord as I navigate this new normal.

It is in Jesus name that I claim His peace!

Amen.