3 People that blessed you in 2015

Three kinds of people that made your life better in 2015 (that you don’t necessarily need to keep in 2016):

I am a reflective person—a New Year has nothing to do with it; I just believe that, as we grow in various areas of lives, there is a constant need for reevaluation. When I woke up today, I thanked God for a life that is draped in success, love and favor unimaginable (money and things come and go—don’t solely use them as measurements). One of my takeaways from last year was maturity: God literally showed me how there were new blessings and favor that He released to me because I was ready. Certainly maturity was required to see how the following three groups of people blessed me (and YOU) in 2015:

Okay, I’ll save the Encouragers/Supporters for last: they are self-explanatory and provide a great contrast to #2 and #3. See the real problem is, too often, the Manipulators, Liars & Frauds come disguised as Encouragers/Supporters. Oh they are the first in line and appear to eat you up with a spoon; truthfully, they are just looking for the right opportunity to kill, steal and destroy. Yes, I said kill, steal and destroy: they bear the fruits of their leader and do not understand the full extent of their acts of deceit and manipulation. They have different levels of impact: some are like leeches that are determined to hang on until they suck the life out of you, your gifts, talents, abilities, resources, etc. Others are more strategic and have a specific purpose for what they intend to rob you of, nevertheless, they can be just as deadly and draining.

This is no trivial or laughing matter; you have a specific mission to achieve before you leave this earth and you DO NOT have time to waste. Getting caught up, wrapped up and consumed by the actions of #2 and #3 will leave you depressed, frustrated, disgusted, disheartened and questioning your value and worth. Thank God for intervention and realignment—But God; don’t lose the essence of who you are or delay your achievements (let alone your peace and joy)!
Why did I say that you needed all three in 2015? I’ll share my personal example to illustrate:

1.Encouragers/Supporters: not only are they the ones that initially saw my greater potential before I did but, late in the midnight hour, they are the ones I can call and who cover me in prayer. Oftentimes, they are the ones that call me to see if I’m okay because the Holy Spirit placed me on their minds. (Those are the people you need to invest in and cleave too; not those Fly By Night types.) Your mission will have twists and turns, exhaustion, disappointment, extreme labor and much travail; you will need a team of people that will grab you, redirect you and refuse to let you give up. BONUS: they will also be a breath of fresh air when dealing with the type of folks below.

2. Doubters/Naysayers: if you know my platform, you can visit thejoyguru.net, you know that I have endured a lifetime of rejection and abuse. When I arrived at the do-or-die turnaround point in my life, a “NO” suddenly became the fire that I needed to prove themwrong. With maturity, I learned that the only one I needed to prove wrong was me, my worst enemy.

SECRET: I wasn’t forthcoming with this in 2015 but, what the doubters/naysayers and manipulators never realized was, every time they spoke maliciously against me or my mission, God would bless me at least twice as much. Every time they tried to smite me, God would come right back and give me what they should have and more. Not only did He restore what they refused to give me that was rightfully mine and what they promised, He would do it openly before them. So, I learned to thank them and just laugh at their attacks and ridicule; if they had known the secret, they would have cut it out A LONG TIME ago. (Then again, they probably would have proceeded to do what they did; people can only operate in the spirit in which they are under.) You need to pray for them and do so with a spirit of compassion and urgency; they will reap what they sow and even your prayers may only prevent but so much.

3. Manipulators/Liars & Frauds: now I’m not going to say that none of their acts didn’t sting or hurt at times; believe me they did. What I will say is that, and here is another lesson in maturity, God protected me and made one thing crystal clear: if it wasn’t for His grace, I could have operated in the same spirit and committed the same acts they did. When you look at things from that lens, it is easier to forgive them and move on (note: I didn’t say you had to keep being manipulated, lied to or defrauded—sometimes it is best to take a loss and move on). Whatever they promised, offered or extended isn’t worth the headache, heartache or time wasted; move on knowing that you will get that and much more if you don’t abort the mission.

With that being said, I thank God for all of them in 2015 and glad that I am alive to see the beginning of a new day (and a new year to boot)! Literally, it seems like there are more opportunities, visions and ideas in my spirit than there is time in the day for. I no longer worry about so much about perceptions or expectations of others; I am on a mission and you cannot please everyone. I know there are additional separations, departures and hurt to come but it’s okay; I don’t fear man, I fear ignoring the voice of God and not fulfilling my assignment. The loss, risks and cost of not moving when He say move are too much to bare; the rewards for obedience are ones that we truly do not have room to receive!

Here’s to an abundant and peaceful New Year,