Make it Plain

How in the world do you pronounce Habakkuk?

Image via BreatheConference.com

I was going to come on here and talk Tall style.

Yes. I am still passionate about it.

Yes. I will still share about it in every way.

But right now I am smack in the middle of a very amazing period of growth and I would be remiss if I didn’t share what was actually going on in my life.

I am in a season of building. Building my faith, my brand, my ideas, my personal life, my circle and my health (both metal and physical). You see, when you work somewhere for 13 years straight, you get comfortable in a lot of areas. As you know, nothing ever grows in prolonged comfort. Thus, a lot of the facets of my life had been stunted right under my nose. Once I took the leap, the ugly parts swam to the surface and waved at me. They are being addressed and it has been nothing short of beautiful. Painfully gorgeous.

Working through the muck is taxing but the worst thing that could ever happen to you is making a home in it. Kicking back in rubbish isn’t cute. I shutter at the thought of remaining the person that I was a little under 8 months ago. The Alicia you are listening to right now, is not the same one that you have known. She is far better, far stronger and a heck of a lot wiser. She knows who she is and what she brings to the table. She knows what she deserves and more importantly what God wants for her life. She is ready to actualize all of the purpose He has placed in her heart.

I am changing and that means that TallSWAG will be changing too. I am working behind the scenes on so many things that I can’t wait to share with you but know this…

we are going to work this out together.

I am not on this journey alone. God has built me to share my story and I will. I will reveal this portrait not at once, yet stoke by stoke of the brush.

Right now the color is named vision. We are going to be talking a lot about her. We can’t accomplish anything without it being in the forefront. God literally gives us a vision for our life in different ways. It’s our job to recognize it, write it down and move our feet so vigorously that there is no question that we will catch it at the exact right moment.

Mine is on paper in permanent ink. I recite them every morning. Speak them into existence every day. Work on them in complete faith that they will come to fruition in the exact way that they should. It’s a process that takes patience, prayer and persistence. You are not seeing what God is doing but please believe your works are seen, heard and used all up and through His plan for your life.

Sounds overwhelming right? It can be but His promises supersede any doubt that you could ever muster up to block it. Breathe. Get out a piece of paper and physically write down the vision. Make a word map of what you are going to accomplish and get ta following it.

No like I’m serious. Get out a piece of paper right now and write those bad boys out. I will wait. As a matter of fact, everyone who is depending on you to actualize the vision are currently waiting too. Don’t disappoint them.

WRITE THE VISION and make it plain, so that he who reads it may run. [Habakkuk 2:2]

American Idols

The definition of an idol is an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.

Wow. That explanation really hits you in your gut. The description in itself is revealing because right after you read it, something that is an idol in your life usually pops up. I know it did for me. What was it for you?

I actually have many that I’m trying to knock down one by one but for me personally the biggest culprit of them all is marriage.

Yes. The girl who is saving herself for marriage has made an idol of it. Not only did I worship the union, I literally looked at marriage as a source of joy. I just pined over the day when it would happen. I felt that I would be complete, I would be truly loved and to keep it 100 I would be able to have sex non-stop.

Girl. Stop it.

In actuality marriage will never complete you, your husband will inevitably let you down because he is human and sex isn’t the sole purpose of marriage. You are worshiping something that will never give you fulfillment.

I was giving the attainment of marriage a higher priority in my life than my relationship with God. I just knew those vows would unlock the life I had always envisioned when in actuality nothing BUT God can orchestrate the purpose of our walk in this life. He is the only true source of joy and everything we do is to bring glory to His purpose including matrimony.

I was making my future husband an idol, I was making sex an idol, I was making the actual walk down the aisle an idol…it was all wrapped up in one ugly roadblock that was hindering me from the only relationship that truly matters and that is the one that I have with God. My order was completely out of whack.

 Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

Now, should you enjoy all of the things that are encompassed in marriage? You better believe it. However it should not be the source, it should be a stunning byproduct of the relationship that you have with God. It should strengthen your purpose and give it power but in no way does it complete who you are and who He is to you.

For example, in my humble opinion, your husband should lead you towards God but shouldn’t be a god. He shouldn’t be held higher than Him. You should love your husband and cherish him, but in no way should he be your source of joy. Fostering it is one thing, being the cause is quite another. He (as will you) will fail. He is human. Disappointment is any relationship is inevitable. Making him an idol in many ways seals the deal on divorce because no matter what he does, he will never live up to that standard. Does that mean you accept anything your husband does? Absolutely not but you can’t expect god level things from him as he is not, nor will ever be God.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other (Matthew 6:24).

The craziest part about this whole marriage-idol thing is that I was really waiting on joy. It’s scary to think about that because what if marriage isn’t in God’s plan for me? Would I never experience joy? What a catastrophically devastating thought.

God’s joy surpasses your circumstances. It should be constant whether single, married, sick, healthy, poor or rich. Nothing earthly will satisfy the joy of God in your heart.

Nothing. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

He gives you joy in every facet of your life…even in the trials.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 1:2-3).

At the end of the day do I still want all of these things? Ya best believe I do but now my focus is completely different. My eyes are set on Him and what He wants in my life.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

No longer do I look for earthly things to satisfy what God has already fulfilled in my heart. My picture is painted with His colors, not mine. Knowing that He works all of it for my good creates a joy that I will truly never comprehend, yet I am incredibly thankful for the sacrifice it took to make it. My direction and purpose truly are not my own and I have to trust what He permits within the path He has set for me.