Accepting the Call
"And they shall rebuild the old ruins. They shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations." (Isaiah 61:4 NKJV)
As human beings, we know that it is better to give than to receive. As Believers, we know that we were created and called to serve others. Will you accept the call?
For some, the call would look like taking care of orphans, being a father and a mother to the fatherless, taking action for racial inequality or speaking up on how religion is not founded in love. God grants us favor when we are aligned with our purposes so that He can use us to accomplish His divine purpose on the earth. We are all called to advocate for someone.
This season, there is a special grace to align with your destiny. What makes your heart burn? What makes you come alive? What do you have to offer the world? We were all created with a divine purpose and a reason that we were born. If you still have breath in your lungs, then you have yet to fulfill your calling.
I encourage you to spend some time asking God to speak to you specifically about your purpose and your destiny. Who are you called to serve? In this season, as you step out into your destiny, God is bringing a radical, divine reversal. Will you accept the call?
Fathers to the Fatherless
"God sets the lonely in families..." (Psalm 68:6)
We are living in a time when fatherlessness is rampant. In the US, according to the Census Bureau, 19.7 million children (more than 1 in 4) were living in a home without the physical presence of a father. Even greater than in times of war when men were killed in combat, children now (young and old) are without fathers. Whether the men abdicated their roles, abandoned their families, were physically present but emotionally absent, or were never present from the very beginning, they are missing from the family unit.
The children of today bear the weight of their absence and they ultimately pay the price for their fathers' choices. Fathers were intended to speak identity into their children, protecting and providing for them. So many children of today have felt this lack in their own lives. This deficiency has caused them to come under a poverty mindset of "There's not enough and I must provide for myself," to feel alone and unsafe, or like they must protect themselves. They are lacking personal identity in knowing who they were created to be. The fruit of fatherlessness affects children in the following ways:
• 4 times greater risk of poverty
• 7 times more likely to become pregnant as a teen
• more likely to have behavioral health problems
• more likely to face abuse and neglect
• 2 times greater risk of infant mortality
• more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol
• more likely to go to prison
• 2 times more likely to suffer obesity
• more likely to commit a crime
• 2 times more likely to drop out of high school (2017 US Census Bureau) (Photo via Unsplash)
This season, many of you men, who have been touched by this need, will be faced with opportunities that may seem out of the box for you. They may require a personal sacrifice, as you boldly step up to meet the need that you see in front of you. Watch as God makes your steps clear. He will honor your faith, and for many it will reveal to you a God-given call for an area of your ministry. It may be inside of the church, but it may not be. It may simply be a calling to take care of people that you connect with and care for deeply.
In this season, God is strategically raising up an army of fathers that are trained and equipped to fight for their sons and their daughters. He is broadening our idea of what "family" looks like to include more people. God, our perfect heavenly Father, has given us the spirit of sonship, and the Bible tells us that our spirits testify that we are God's children (Romans 8:15-17). Revival is being birthed in family and will spread like wildfire as men answer this call to love. Where is God calling you to sacrifice for love?
Change Agent for Hope
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)
In this day and age, it is easy (and convenient) to be a silent party to controversial conversations as people complain and speak out of fear about things that are happening around them. As a Christian, it can feel like so much that is happening in the world right now is scary and even wrong. There are some alarming changes in law taking place regarding abortion, parental rights and sexual education in schools, among other things. It can often feel like news sources have their own agenda, that they are brokering in fear and that they are just adding fuel to the fire. Many people feel hopeless and helpless to change these situations so instead, they complain.
We know that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), and based on the definitions, we know that complaining (to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, resentment or grief; to find fault) is the opposite of praising (the act of expressing approval, admiration, commendation; laudation). We also know from reading about the journey of the Israelites that their perpetual wandering in the wilderness for forty years was directly related to their attitude and disobedience (Joshua 5:6).
When we complain, our words are not always founded in truth and often we are not focused on coming up with a solution. What if instead of standing against everything that we don't like we became a part of the solution? What if instead of judging and pointing the finger at others, we ask questions to better understand the other side?
When we engage in sessions of "venting" to someone about something that has upset us, angered us or frustrated us, it is oftentimes unfruitful. What if instead of spewing anger, condemnation and judgment we present our concerns to the Lord, the source of all truth and hope, to get His perspective before speaking?
If God is enthroned on the praises of His people, who are we putting on the throne when we complain, and speak out of fear and hopelessness? Let us be a source of hope and truth to the world.
The pendulum is swinging in the Church from not speaking up on controversial or political topics to us becoming a source of truth and hope. In the midst of the circumstances that can feel hopeless, and the headlines that stir fear, God is releasing His strategy for change, prayer and hope. God is not hopeless about any situation, and when we align with Heaven we will have a powerful strategy to combat the enemy when he has overplayed his hand.
This season, God is waking up Believers at a critical time. More and more people will realize that they can no longer sit idly by and remain silent. As we choose to first go to Him with our concerns or fears, God is speaking out truth and hope for us to share. We will need to view ourselves as change agents in order to speak out the truth from a place of love in the face of fear, uncertainty and hopelessness. You have been chosen for such a time as this to release the Kingdom around you. (Photo via Unsplash)
A Different Operating System
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" (Matthew 6:25-27).
God is releasing a new operating system. Things will be different, look different and feel different. A new rhythm and routine will be set into motion. God can rewire us if we allow Him to; rewire us from our worry, fear and doubt. He will meet us on our level of faith with the confirmation that we need to move forward. He is opening our eyes to see what faith looks like for our situation. We must reframe our situations through the lens of faith and trust. If I believe that God is for me, and that He's always good, then how does my situation look after applying faith? What does faith look like when I'm worried about finances, when I'm in the middle of a divorce, or when I've lost my job?
Worry is a choice, and although it's familiar to many of us, it's wasted time and energy. We must be intentional this season to rewire our minds with prophetic words, dreams and visions from the Lord, instead of choosing to partner with worry. If God is leading you, He will provide for you.
In this season, God is meeting us in our faith. He's giving opportunities to reframe our situations through the lens of faith, and He's giving us a chance to step out, trusting in Him. Our new operating system comes when we choose to renew our minds with truth. Develop an action plan when worry tempts you to partner with it. Choose to identify it and replace it with a promise from the Lord or with truth from Scripture.
Declarations:
1. There is grace to align with my destiny.
2. God is raising up fathers.
3. I am a change agent for hope!
4. I choose to see through the lens of faith.
5. I will no longer be silent, but will speak the truth in love.
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Blessing & Increase on you and your household!
Anne Ballard
The Crowning Jewels
Website: www.thecrowningjewels.com
Email: hello@thecrowningjewels.com
Texas born, Anne Ballard worked as a nurse for seventeen years before fully embracing her creative nature. Having grown up believing that God only spoke through the Bible, her life was transformed with the personal knowledge that He still speaks today. As she experienced a revelation of God's love for her and the power of words to transform and heal, she began designing jewelry, partnering with Holy Spirit to create a tangible way to bring Heaven to Earth. This is where her prophetic jewelry company, The Crowning Jewels, was birthed. Many people recognize her company as a business-ministry hybrid. Her mandate is to champion others as they discover their God-given identity and fulfill their divine purpose. After living in Redding, CA for ten years, she recently moved back home and currently resides in Bedford, TX.
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This is a very thought-provoking word from Anne Ballard of Texas.
