When something is sustainable it is a resource that never depletes and never runs out. Power is defined as the ability to act or produce an effect. If these two words are combined it would be something like

a never-ending resource that has a produced effect.

That’s how I feel about the power of God.

Recently I had a conversation with God. I admitted I have tried to accomplish things, but the results are failure. Whatever resources I use are not working, and I was tired of achieving these types of results which take me nowhere. So, I asked for His power, for His resources. I asked whatever He has to instill in me, replacing my power with His.

His response was immediate. I started noticing that when a thought entered my mind to do something, the power of doing it evaporated. For example, the goal was going to the store. I stay close to the list I made, not buying stuff I don’t need. I did not go to the store that sells my favorite candy, something I know I don’t need. The desire for it was not as strong as it once was. I went home as a wind of confidence swept across my face like a warm breeze. At the same time, I knew the reason for saying no to myself (a prayer I asked God to help me with) was a triumph that had the potential of continuing. But I also knew I needed to keep the continuance going by engaging in the persistent consistency of tapping into the power that I asked for that was not of my creation. This power was different. It was not fake. It was a sustainable influence that gave me control over myself.

So here are the results. I asked to start this week of changing eating habits, exercising with rest days, getting my school assignments completed early, not waiting until the last minute to get them done. The sustainability has been working as I exercised this week. I kept a mental tally of what day I was in regarding this new strategy whose underbelly was not mine but the power of God. Today is Day 7. I have noticed I am sleeping better; food is not constantly on my mind; I have not been to a restaurant in seven days and frankly the plan to go is not on my agenda.

I am feeling more confident that in the next four months I will feel better, have lost weight, and it will be all because of the tapping into the sustainable power of God. I am learning that a) His power is available, b) His power provides strength through my weakness and achieves what I could not do on my own and c) His power provides renewal through transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the daily manifestation of the divine intervention I needed. If I can receive it, so can you. Just ask Him; He will provide.

One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;

and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” Psalm 62:11,12

Be strengthenized with sustainable power.

I got a text from my son telling me he is moving and asked when my apartment lease was up (which is December). He wants me to move. Actually, it was last discussed about a couple of years ago, but I decided not to do it. This time may be the right time to take the plunge. But…

As I usually do, I keep thinking and thinking and thinking if it is a good idea. This is a big change, pulling up roots and moving to a place I have only visited a few times. Nice place to visit, but would I really want to live there? Then I thought of why I wanted to move versus why I want to stay in Philadelphia. The reason to stay was to be the caregiver for my mother who was in advanced stages of dementia. But she passed away, and as of this month (June) it will be three years. It was a very challenging time caring for her, and during those seven or eight years, my life felt stuck, wishing I could move. There is no reason for me to now continue to live in Philadelphia. I have the freedom to bust a move. But the buts keep mentally getting in my way. Which brings me to this past Sunday.

If I am honest, I admit I did not want to go to church. I had been in a rut lately, and I just wanted to stay home and mope around. But I decided to go, asking God to give me something I could sink my mental teeth into…please God! Well, when you ask, look forward to receiving!

Pastor Andre Jones of Discover Church gave me the words I needed, talking about

• calling (the work or purpose a person feels uniquely drawn to pursue and contribute to the world),
• that God is the one doing the calling and you can arm wrestle all you want, He will win
• your calling is the assignment God gives you, and your gift is the grace God gives you to carry it out, so walk worthy of the calling (Ephesians 4:1)

And this was the one that I needed to hear and put my fears at ease:

God will bring you into new boundaries as he brings new relationships.

He will equip you for the assignment.

Calling begins when God names what He has placed in you, separates it for His purpose, and assigns it to serve the world.

And so I will look at apartment complexes, get rid of a lot of stuff, talk to moving companies and so on and so on, to see what new boundaries and new relationships will be presented. No more arm wrestling, no more fearful thinking. Just do it and see what God has in store in a new environment. When you look at it that way, a new perspective is created.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19 NIV

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, wondering why things happen the way they do. I wonder why things get a critical point while wondering how and why I got there.

Perhaps there are some answers, many of which I have to admit are my fault.

Doing things the familiar but unsuccessful way. Why does this happen? It’s because of the familiarity of it, which leads to the ‘I’m used to doing things this way’ road that leads to a dead end. When one does life this way, there is nothing new to discover, no new paths to move from the same ol’ way to doing something new. What would that entail?

Here’s an example. Instead of trying to do math in your head, thinking you are keeping a mental record of what you have spent, how about writing everything down? Having a financial journal of what you have spent can really open your eyes to discovering why your bank account dwindled to next to nothing, because you forgot some items you spent. Next writing down how much to spend for groceries, gas for your car, and other things that you may not really need to spend. I was surprised that writing a grocery list and vowing not to go over an amount actually worked. It aided in keeping my bank account in the green and not in the red.

But here is something more on the spiritual level.

Doing things your way while not including God will lead to disaster. Just because you go to church and agree with what the minister says in the sermon doesn’t necessarily mean you are adhering to what is being said. It is like the words are going in one ear and out the other. Because once the service is over, you return to your way of doing life. For example, when God says to come to him and give him what is on your mind to the point of worry (which he says not to do if you read Matthew 6), but you don’t give it over to him because you try to fix it using your outdated methods, you are spinning in an endless cycle that yields results, but not good positive ones. The worry continues, the prayer (if you do that) bounces off the ceiling, as you continue to keep in control of your challenging situation. Which leads to another point.

Acknowledgement of what is really happening. This point is where the rubber meets the road. Admit you are trying to stay in control. Answer this question: How is staying in control working for you? I hope your answer will be an honest one, admitting it is getting you nowhere. And further admit you have been going nowhere for years, decades even, to no avail. What would happen if God took over the reins?

If you truly gave things over to God, the responsibility is off you and on Him. I may have written about this in another post, but as you can see, one has to keep being reminded to give it over to God. You see, it is not you that is in control, but God is. He has the resources to do an ‘immediately’, meaning he can give you the solution in a suddenly type of manner. But admit there are things you have to learn, and it may take a while for your mindset to switch from the way you do things, to accepting and allowing God to be in control and experiencing how God does things. Be patient; the way God does things oftentimes is not in a quick, microwave manner. Remember there are some things you have to relearn. Wait I say on the Lord.

Doing things in a new way from doing things in an old way for years will take time. But it will make life better, if you allow God to be in control.

Prayer:

Lord God, you are my Jehovah-Jireh. You promise that you are my shepherd, and I lack for nothing. Show me the new thing. Give me the strength to follow in your way, as I give up my unsuccessful ways of doing things. Let me give up control and wait on you.