You have what it takes!

I want you to think about this today. Everything that Christ was going to be on the cross and beyond was in Him on that dark winter night when He was born to Mary. Don’t miss what I just said. All of the purpose, the destiny and the plan of who He was and what He would do was wrapped up in that little baby in the manger. Ok…let that settle. What are you trying to say, Ebony? Well, it’s pretty simple. You already have what you need to do what God ordained you to do. Whether you have decided to accept it, are ready to move forward in it or have identified the fullness of it, you have what it takes.

When you think about Baby Jesus, don’t you automatically think about who He grows up to be? Don’t you think about the cross or the fact that the manger is just the beginning of the story. It’s a natural progression because you know the whole story. So what about you? Why do you not look at yourself right now and know that God has already written your story and knows the end? Maybe if you started to think that way, you wouldn’t be so easily tripped up by what your current circumstances look like.  Maybe if you started seeing yourself as moving towards your purpose instead of stuck in a place or a season, you wouldn’t be so scared to do what God told you to do. You see, you can’t gloss over what the Lord said through Jeremiah because you’ve memorized it. He said, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11, NLT) That means that A – He has a plan and B - It’s going to work out for your good. You have what it takes!

Before Jesus was even born, there was an expectation that He would save the world. That expectation had travelled down through several generations so that even though Mary was shocked to be the chosen one, she wasn’t shocked at WHO she was birthing. She knew of the Messiah and what He was to do. Sooooooo…guess what? Your birth and purpose was also proclaimed in the heavens long before you were born. You were expected and you have something to do! Psalm 139: 13 – 16 says, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (NLT) Did you read that? God has every moment laid out. So even though you’ve had some hard days and you’ve made some bad choices, it’s all leading to purpose. Everything that you’ve been through, everything that you have gained and lost is all contributing to who you were shaped and expected to be. The question is always will you be brave enough to use what you have? You have what it takes!

I wish I could just be writing the lyrics to Silent Night and singing fa la la la but God has been dealing with me about moving forward. He doesn’t want you to go one more day stuck in a dead place because you are unsure of who you are or what you have inside of you. You, my dear, are a writer! You are a pastor! You are a mother! You are a coach! You are a leader! You are a business owner! You are who God says and has been saying that you are! Please don’t let what people say or what fear says dictate where you go? You have what it takes to do what God has purposed you to do. Your debut is expected in the heavens! Your book is expected in the heavens! Your church is expected in the heavens! David said it best in Psalms 138:8a when He said, “The Lord will work out His plans for my life…” (NLT) You have what it takes! The question is will you trust God to carry you to the end of your story?