In His Likeness w/ AntTBri

“…We’re rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn’t  possibly do otherwise.” (2 Cor. 13:9 MSG)

Redundancy is an irritant.  The same old cycle, circumstance, circumventing,  cruelty, conniving, complication, compromise and consistences  can wear on the clarity of how we are to live and love. It can blind us to the truth of God’s Word being expressed through us. When our focus shifts from expectation to an expiration date on what is bothering, buffeting and baffling us its a tale tell sign its time to take personal spiritual inventory.   I don’t know about you but the longer things persist (mindsets, mannerisms, makeshift rules &regulations, meanness and manipulation) the more I want to distance myself from the repeating and repetitive. My humanity begins to look for a reprieve from all things the same (redundant, ridiculous and rude) … irritating… justifying the disconnect, indifference and harsh judgment on the right and wrong or injustice of appearances.

On so many levels and in so many instances  I’ve been  fighting to resist the urge to live and love in anger, avoidance, apathy and accusation. Wondering why I feel more like the prodigal daughter and the psalmist Asaph  (when he penned Psalm 73) than Jesus in this season of  life and love (smh). Questioning in my depravity (foolishness) the validity of my position, purpose and passion in God as a comparison to the “prosperity” of those living and loving  opposite God’s directives.

Why am I so annoyed, aggravated and argumentative in regards to praying about this, pronouncing a blessing over this and persevering  through this process?  If God hasn’t changed His mind or heart what’s going on in me?    As if God’s grace, goodness and gifts are extended, executed and extinguished based upon human merit and not a definitive determinant of His unfailing love towards us.  As if I’m better or different, more deserving or capable of not falling into the same practices when living and loving in(from) my own strength, effort and understanding.  As if my motives are purer or reasons for being and doing are more honest, heartfelt and honorable.  As if well intentions, instructions and integrity secure and safe guard us from inflicting pain and causing  harm. As if outside of God (His Spirit) in us  we could bring about what will add to the quality of life and love. As if I myself live and love not needing the gift of grace. We all need Him, just the same, so very desperately. Why am I having trouble extending, executing and exhausting that same type of grace and love to these situations?  Do I really believe and trust God or have I adopted Tyler Perry’s Medea tag line…”God be taking to long”.

When my expectation was solely of and on God and my experience hadn’t manifested repetitive  the plight of my enemy, those who operated opposite my and the best interest of those connected to me was not a concern. I felt no need to challenge, confront or even condemn the wrong I trusted God to right,  resolve and rectify.  Nothing they did or didn’t do bothered me to the point of abandonment, apathy or lasting anger.   Verses that spoke to their demise and end didn’t easily come to mind or appeal to my rationale.  It was easy to turn the other cheek, pray for those  spitefully using us and misappropriating our expressions of love. I could tap into the God kind of compassion, exhibit concern and care…pray forth the purposes of God.  But as time persisted and behaviors continued and very little changed my heart posture in regards to accepting what God allowed began to shift and become defensive.  I no longer sought to understand, nor did I continue in prayer on their behalf.  I decided I was done, didn’t have them or their foolishness to do.  I positioned myself to live and love in defiance of their influence, interference and insistence on staying the same.

Nothing identifiable (situational(ly) has changed,  for all intents and purposes things and people are still operating anti vision/our best interest just the same. Outcomes are what we’ve come to accept yet stifled by individuals insecurities, fears and inability to see things opposite their way . But I no longer feel angry, apathetic, accusatory or like avoiding and abandoning my purpose of being.  I’m feeling this intense pressure to pronounce a blessing while life and love looks contrary, conflict(ual), compromised and complicated; opposite the picture of hope imprinted upon my heart when God revealed His plan, purpose and promised. My humanity is still exasperated, my woman still ignored, irritated and in-tuned to the disparities affecting the quality of how  we’re experiencing life and love BUT the Spirit within  is leading me to pronounce a blessing and won’t allow me to continue to fixate on/agree with or attack my, their or your humanity in its weakness. In all sincerity this current pressure is pushing me to speak to the God outcome for all parties involved. To call forth the power of God effectively alive within,  our wellness, commitment, on going experience with Jesus, that we do nothing wrong and continue to do right although our humanity fails, that we be made complete (fully restored, growing and maturing in godly character and spirit–pleasing our heavenly father by the life we live.  May we (all of us) be built up by our interactions, able to rejoice…be what we’re suppose to be, like minded, living and loving in PEACE {KINDNESS}…enjoying the spiritual well-being experienced by believers walking closely with God according to 2 Cor. 13:5-9 AMP.

The pressure to  pronounce a blessing could very well be the same as living and loving in a developing faith feeling what we’re feeling, seeing what we’re seeing and knowing what we know WHILE it is what it is and becomes what will be. It’s the vote of confidence, encouragement, love and support necessary and needed when we least deserve it and continue repeating the negatives. It’s the greeting and benediction of a holy kiss bidding us well.  The God directive  to speak  forth Word supported  outcomes into obstinate scenarios, situations and stand stills.   The Spirit infused ability to stay faithful to God’s purpose and plan for life and love no matter what.  Just maybe this type of pressure develops and deepens our faith making us better people and partners.  It very well could enhance our spiritual sensitivity, solidarity and synergy as we live and love.  It forces us to invest “buy into” the whole, forgoing our ideology, comfort levels and humanistic feelings in exchange for the mind and heart of God.  We begin living and loving allowing HIM to be God of and over all situations and extend that measure of grace, understanding and support to those not privy or proficient in maturing faith. The pressure to pronounce a blessing clarify’s the magnitude of God’s favor upon life and love. It puts life and love in Godly perspective…chastising, challenging and changing how we see our role  through out the entire process.  Rendering us humble, hopeful  and heart happy when irritants persist but lose the magnitude of importance in relation to how God is perfecting everything concerning us. God’s favor is an inheritance not an entitlement.  It cannot be earned or validated by our  human effort and work, so we cannot access it unless the Spirit leads and guides us into its truth.  It’s the grace, gift and goodness of God expressed, experienced and executed when life and love manifest undesirable, unyielding and unsatisfactory.   Living and loving in His likeness helps us appropriate the Word when our perspective needs changing and our perception is being enlightened by the Holy Spirit within.