Devotionals for the Heart: Fire

Fight Fire with Fire
A devotional by Temeka Borden

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” – Ephesians 6:16 (KJV)

Everything happens for a reason. I know that sounds a bit cliché, but I have found it to be so true. I recently experienced the lowest point in my life. Now, I thought I knew what hitting rock bottom was before, but I found out I did not. The good news is that experience forced me to grow spiritually. My ministry has been strengthened, and I feel the Lord is taking me to another level.

I consider myself to be a strong, intelligent, confident woman who, with Jesus Christ, is unstoppable! However, recently, the enemy tried to test my confidence and my faith in the Lord. The Lord allowed me to be in an environment, which many would describe as toxic, based on my most recent experiences. I have experienced various forms of harassment and bullying on a consistent daily basis for an extended period of time, and it negatively impacted me emotionally. Most days during this time period, I could not function.

What’s more is that many people know my ministry is “Positivity Inspires”, and one of my social media pages has over one million followers. Unfortunately, some wrong information had gotten out there about me, and it had reached the point that I could not do something as simple as running errands without being reminded that false information had been spread about me throughout the community. This was tough, as it feels I was doing everything right but was being punished for it!

Unfortunately, some people are more inclined to believe lies rather than the truth. So the Lord guided me as to how to clean things up. However, although I’m in the healing stages, I still have my moments or my days. Yet, I know my Lord is a healer and that eventually, I will be completely healed, and I know this entire experience is continually making me.

I remember having a phone conversation with my mother one day, and telling her that I don’t think I will ever be the same. I originally meant this in a negative sense, but today, I can joyfully say that because of what I experienced, I will never be the same (in a positive way). I am becoming stronger. I am becoming tougher. I am becoming better. I am getting even closer to Jesus, and I know He is going to work through me like never before. I am thankful for my family, my church families, my close friends, my social media family, my healthcare provider, and most importantly, Jesus! They are my support system, and I would not have been able to make it through this trying time without them.

Lastly, I wish to end this writing blog with the following piece I wrote on one of my social media pages:

“When you reach a certain level of maturity, the enemy will come at you like never before. The devil will work in ways you never imagined with the goal of negatively impacting your witness for Christ. I know because I have experienced this firsthand.

As someone who knows all to well how if feels to have the wrong information get out there about you (multiple times), I can say it is not easy. Things may be innocently or maliciously miscommunicated. What you write or say may be misinterpreted. However, you must believe that the Lord will allow the truth to come forward. You must have faith that in the end, you will be vindicated. You must believe that the Lord will take the enemy’s wicked devices and convert them into something that will enable His Word to reach a multitude of people.

So when the devil comes at you, continue to hold your head up high. Remember, you are God’s child and He will fight for you. The fiery darts of the wicked are no match for the fire of the Holy Spirit.”

~*~
Author Bio:

Temeka Borden, better known by her pen name, Positivity Inspires, is an author, speaker, minister, and servant of the Lord. She was introduced to Christ at a very early age and was raised in the church. Her ministry focuses on encouraging Christians to love God first, to love all people, to continually strengthen their bond with Christ, and to study His Word, and live His Word daily. 

After recently experiencing what she describes as the "lowest point in her life", Positivity Inspires wrote the following about herself to serve as an encouragement and reminder of who she is in Christ:

"I am a child of God. He loves me unconditionally. Although I have my shortcomings, He has blessed me with a desire to do what is right. I have been blessed with many natural and spiritual gifts. I am an author. I am a speaker. I am a teacher. I am a runner. I am a drummer. I am a singer (when I’m in the mood), and I have a strong 'fashion sense'. I am loved. My family and friends are my heart, and I know they will support me no matter what. I am educated. I currently have two degrees (one of them a doctorate), and with God’s help, I will complete a third degree soon. I am a multi-state licensed medical professional who completed a specialty residency, which prepared me for the workforce (and made me a FORCE to be reckoned with). I am a leader. I have served in administrative roles and was successful in those positions because I made a difference (with God’s help). I am ambitious, and I know that with God, all things are possible. I know He is going to do great things through me."

Positivity Inspires loves God and she loves people. She strongly encourages others to show kindness, respect, and love to everyone. Positivity Inspires loves and welcomes diversity and flourishes in culturally diverse environments. She also is passionate about giving back to the community, and her favorite mantras are: "Speak Up!" and "Watch God Work!"

~*~
Connect with Temeka:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/positivity_inspires/
Facebook - www.Facebook.com/positivityinspirespage
Twitter - https://twitter.com/PInspires/

Words of Faith: Positivity Inspires shares her story on trusting God's plan

A Test of My Faith
A Words of Faith story by Positivity Inspires 

Talking the talk and walking the walk are two very different things. I can say I have faith all day, but if I do not act on it, what good is that?

A Test of Faith

My faith has been tested at many points in my life – many, many, many times. And there was one time I distinctly remember when my faith was really tested. I was fresh out of graduate school and was planning to stay in the same city and state in which I graduated. Little did I know that in just a few months, the Lord would instead lead me to an area that was clearly out of my comfort zone. This area was new territory (literally). It was far from family and friends, and I knew no one there. What’s more is that although I knew God was guiding me to this new place, I did not know how I was going to get there because I was working with limited funds. When I considered the amount of money it would take for me to move (and then looked at the amount of money I had in my bank account at the time), what I had would not be enough to cover the expenses of relocating.

Departing from the Familiar

Whenever I tell this story, I think of two people and two stories in the Bible – Abraham and of course, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Genesis 12:1, God told Abraham to leave his father’s country and make his way to an area that He (God) had appointed so the Lord can “make of thee a great nation”. Abraham had to leave what was familiar to him because God had set up his (Abraham’s) blessings in a different area. In other words, Abraham had to leave his comfort zone. Abraham was obedient to God’s instructions, and because of his obedience, he was blessed.

Insufficient to the Normal Eye, More than Sufficient in God’s Eyes

Another story that comes to mind is the one in which Jesus feeds the multitude (approximately five thousand people according to what is recorded in the Gospels) with as little as five loaves of bread and two fishes. Although this story is recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, I will refer to Mark 6:31-44 in this blog. In Mark 6, one can read how Jesus took what seemed to be an insufficient amount of food and fed a very large crowd.

Sometimes we look at what we currently have, thinking it is not enough to accomplish something. We make the mistake of looking at it with natural eyes verses our spiritual eyes. Sometimes we fail to realize that whatever God has given us (no matter how small of an amount we consider it to be), He can multiply it. He can turn what we consider to be a shortage into a surplus.

Walking the Walk…of Faith

Now, back to my story, it was time for me to step out on faith. I made plans to make the big move, despite how my bank account was looking and despite the fact that I was traveling to unknown territory (remember, new place, no family, and no friends). Now, if you read carefully, you will notice that I went ahead and made plans to move before I received the money required to make that move.

Okay, I must admit that I experienced a few moments of uneasiness prior to that move. There were a couple of times when I was thinking of how I was going to get to the place God was leading me with a very small amount of money. Our “flesh” will act that way at times, and we must pray, remember God’s promises, and be obedient to Him, regardless. So although I had a couple of “moments”, in my spirit, I was confident the Lord was going to provide for me, and He did. God made a way. He opened a door, just in time. I acted on faith. I walked the walked, and everything worked out wonderfully for me.

Now, you may be wondering what the significance of this “new territory” I often referred to in this blog is. Well, it was there where my relationship with Christ thrived and my ministry began. As with Abraham, I had to leave what was familiar to me and travel to an unknown land to receive my spiritual blessing (my ministry). I walked the walk of faith, despite how my finances looked. I was obedient to God, despite the few moments of fear I experienced, and because I did these things, I was blessed.

~*~
Author bio:  

Better known by her pen name, Positivity Inspires (trademarked) is a writer, speaker, and servant of the Lord. 

She was introduced to Christ at a very early age and was raised in the church. Her ministry focuses on encouraging Christians to continually strengthen their bond with Christ, study His Word, and live His Word daily. 

Although Positivity Inspires writes in more than one genre, she is best known for her Christian/Inspirational works. Her blogs can be found on several websites, including the “The Christian Post”, a major online Christian newspaper based in Washington D.C. She also is currently writing a couple of books with the hope of publishing them soon. 

Positivity Inspires has spoken at several churches and has been interviewed by the hosts of the “Morning Show” on Missions Radio. 

As a successful career woman who has earned a doctorate in her field, she also greatly understands the importance of placing God first and cherishes her relationship with Him. She is one who is appreciative of her career and passionate about her ministry, and she possesses a strong love for Christ and for others.

~*~

Connect with Positivity Inspires:
Twitter - twitter.com/pinspires
Instagram - Instagram.com/positivity_inspires
Facebook - Facebook.com/positivityinspirespage

True Love Stories: I Did Not Know Real Love Until I Knew God

"In my heart, I would talk to the Lord. I would read my Bible. I would meditate. I devoted my evenings to spending quality time with Him, and the more time I spent with God, the more I craved His presence. I communicated with Him and He communicated with me. I felt loved. I felt desired. I felt secure."

 ~Positivity Inspires

The true love story featured today is about how a currently single woman who is known by her writer name, "Positivity Inspires" found her calling, purpose, passion and identity in building a solid foundation of a relationship with her Creator God.

Broken by the lessons of life in the "real world," she turned to Jesus Christ and He saved her from becoming trapped inside the fortress of an emotional wall she built in order to safeguard her heart and prevent people from causing her pain. 

Only as she took time each and every day to seek the Lord and walk in His purpose and plan for her life did she begin to trust again. Only after she became complete in Christ was she able to open her heart to love again.

There's a quote that says, "Why wish upon a star when you can pray to the One who created it?" Positivity Inspires prayed to the Maker of the stars and He healed her heart. 

I hope her story inspires and encourages you as much as it encouraged me to seek safety in the care of the One who created the stars and my heart. 

~*~
I Did Not Know Real Love Until I Knew God
Written by Positivity Inspires

I was a sheltered child who was raised in the church. Ever since I could remember, my parents taught me about Jesus and how much He loves me. They instilled in me the importance of maintaining a relationship with Him. Being the obedient daughter that I was, I attended church faithfully and did everything I felt I was supposed to do – pray every morning and night, study my Bible faithfully, sing in the choir, pay attention in Sunday school, etcetera. I grew up knowing of God, but I oftentimes questioned if I truly knew who God was.

Time passed and I found myself in the working world exposed to various people. I was away from my family, but I made friends. I dated, and needless to say, after discovering what the real world truly entailed, I was terribly disappointed. I learned some lessons – lessons about people in general, lessons about men, lessons about relationships, lessons about life.

Brokenhearted and dispirited, I built my own emotional wall. I was determined that I would allow no one, other than my immediate family and of course, the Lord, to gain access to my heart. I was terrified to open my heart to others, and I was in desperate need of God to reassemble all of my broken pieces and repair me. I needed emotional healing, and the Lord knew this.

I was not aware of what was occurring on the inside of me at the time, but I noticed that I began making it a practice to come home every day after work, sit in my favorite chair, and ensure my television and electronic devices were off. In my heart, I would talk to the Lord. I would read my Bible. I would meditate. I devoted my evenings to spending quality time with Him, and the more time I spent with God, the more I craved His presence. I communicated with Him and He communicated with me. I felt loved. I felt desired. I felt secure. I was blessed to have a special kind of companionship that words cannot describe. I was getting to really know Christ. I was falling in love, and all of those tiny fragments that were scattered about were coming together. The Lord was repairing my heart. Actually, He was forming a new heart. In this timeframe, He gave me a crash course in “what love is” and “what love is not”. Infatuation is not love. All of those times I thought I was being loved, I discovered that I was not. All of those times that I thought I was in love, I discovered I was not. I did not know real love until I truly knew God.

Also, during this time, the Lord taught me the importance of patience – patience to wait on my God-appointed husband. Do I want to get married one day? Yes. Would I like to have children one day? Absolutely! I look forward to that special appointed time when I will meet my spouse. However, for now, I am enjoying my relationship with Christ. Every day our bond becomes stronger and stronger. He gives me everything I need and more. His love is the ultimate love, and no one can surpass that. 

~*~
Author bio: Better known by her pen name, Positivity Inspires (trademarked) is a writer, speaker, and servant of the Lord. She was introduced to Christ at a very early age and was raised in the church. Her ministry focuses on encouraging Christians to continually strengthen their bond with Christ, study His Word, and live it daily.

Although Positivity Inspires writes in more than one genre, she is best known for her Christian/Inspirational works. Some of her blogs can be found on her website and on the “The Christian Post”, a major Christian newspaper based in Washington D.C. She is currently writing her first book “Adversities and Adversaries: You Can Overcome," which is tentatively scheduled to be released in 2015. At the suggestion of a radio host, she also plans to produce an Internet-based radio broadcast in the year 2015 or 2016 in an effort to reach an even wider audience.

Positivity Inspires has spoken at several churches and has been recently interviewed by the hosts of the “Morning Show” on Missions Radio. 

As a successful career woman who has earned a doctorate in her field, she also greatly understands the importance of placing God first and cherishes her relationship with Him. She is one who is passionate about her ministry and possesses a strong love for Christ and for others.

~*~

Connect with Positivity Inspires:

Blog: http://positivityinspires.com/blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositivityInspiresPage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PInspires

Instagram: https://instagram.com/positivity_inspires/