Commitment to Spiritual Growth - “Seek God First”, “We have to discover religion for ourselves”

As a child, I grew up in the church.  My mother kept my brother and I deeply engaged in church activities.  We attended Sunday school, vacation bible school, sang in the youth choir and we were in every service that was going on each week.  As an adult, I have observed that many of us that grew up “over-churched”, rebel against the church as adults because of things we observed as children. One thing people don’t realize is that just because people go to church, it does not make them perfect.  We are all sinners saved by grace, trying to do the best we can to be more like God.  You cannot think that just because your sunday school teacher used to smokes cigarettes and cursed that all Christians or religious people are hypocrites. You have to discover religion for yourself and establish a personal relationship with God.  When you know God and love him for yourself , you will not allow what you may have witnessed by people in the church to deter you from continuing to seek him.

When I went to college , I was exposed to other religions and denominations.  I remember being amazed that some churches are only in service for an hour!  I grew up in a Pentecostal church.  If you know anything about Pentecostal churches, you will know that Sunday service can be like a marathon “you never know when it will end”.  Another observation was the difference in preaching styles.  I grew up listening to many preachers that “whoop” throughout the whole sermon and everyone was shouting “Amen” after every other word but I never received the message.  While I was in college, I attended services at a church where the pastor had a teaching style of preaching which reminded me of my Pastor at home. He used a softer tone of voice (no whooping), humor, practical application of the scripture and always used thought provoking statements.  I always left feeling full as if I had just eaten the greatest meal of my life and felt spiritually empowered.  In addition, the way the service was orchestrated we were always in and out of church within 2 hours, there was a strong presence of young people and the praise singers were amazing. .  I realized that in my adult life I would need to be around that kind of church to grow spiritually and stay engaged.

After college, life began to consume me and I was not going to church consistently as I was working on Sundays often during busy seasons.  I also became very picky about when I would go to church. I would avoid going on Sundays when I knew it was going to be a 4 hour experience as on first Sunday due to communion.  I would also want to know who was speaking to decide whether I was going or not.  Over time I realized that my spiritual life was stagnant.  I was engaging in activities that was not pleasing to God but in spite of it all he continued to bless me. Like any other relationship, our relationship with God will not grow without commitment and consistency.  We have to be passionate about our spiritual growth.   One of my greatest successes in college, was getting involved in leadership in student organizations. It engaged me , allowing me to use my passions and helped me excel in all aspects of my college career.  Engaging yourself in committees and activities at a church is helpful in finding additional ways of growing spiritually through service.  You can use talents that you use daily in the secular world to glorify God.  I became a part of the Finance Committee for my church’s national organization.  It gave me an opportunity to use my passion for problem solving and accounting to benefit the church.  As a part of this experience, I worked closely with our National Financial Secretary , who is one of the greatest preachers in the world.  I learned so much from him and those who serve under his leadership. I was inspired by their passion for serving God and his people.

I am the point in my spiritual life where I want to dive deeper into the bible and prayer.  God has blessed me to be in a great place today.  As good as he has been to me , I need to do more for him.  As a part of Project Destiny, I am making a more conscientious effort to “Seek God First” in everything that I do.   Here are some of the things, I will be implementing into my life and I encourage you to do the same.

·         Daily Prayer/Meditation  -  At least 2 times a day

·         Bible Reading – Adopt a scripture reading plan or choose a lesson plan from www.youversion.com to foster continuous reading and learning of The Bible.

·         Church - Attend Church or Bible study once a week.

·         Tithe/Offering – Commit to tithe or give an offering monthly

·         Fasting – First 21 Days complete the Daniel Fast. Incorporate additional fasts as your spirit is led for further spiritual growth.

·         Refrain from immoral behaviors, including sexual activity, cursing, alcohol, smoking and any habits you wish to eliminate.

·         Music – Incorporate inspirational music into your life.

·         Keep an “ I  Can” Attitude  – Maintain a positive outlook on your life and all circumstances. Eliminate negativity from your vocabulary.

·         Relationships – Foster and maintain healthy relationships with your friends, family and significant other.

In my scripture reading and prayer these past few days some of the things that have resonated with me that I will leave with you are:

·         “Is there anything too hard for God?” Genesis 18:14

·         “It is a Godly Attitude that will promote you! “ – Living Word Library

·         “God Can do anything but Fail”  - Church Hymn

·         “Go Forward” Exodus 14:15

If you are looking for a change in your life, began by connecting with the God that lives in you. 

Be Inspired,

ACT.



         Finance Team at the 2010 COGIC Holy Convocation in November 2010
( I know I look different!....this is before the weight loss, hair cut and lasik eye surgery)