Tag: facing your fears

Answering the Call of God: Resolving Social Conundrums & Social Kindness Misgivings

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter MorselsLeave a comment

Have Your Say, Everyone Else Does

I’m not good at handling social persecution when it comes to some of my positions on the Word of God. I find them to be truth but no one has perhaps asked me for that. And truth hurts sometimes. I’ve been bold and given the word of truth in the past and received a good deal of backlash. I know that everyone has a viewpoint and good reasons for that viewpoint, and who am I to think I’m so right? And when individuals start pulling the sympathy card, I tend to fold, feel bad because what I’ve said directly affects them, their loved ones or people they know, and go away thinking how inconsiderate of their feelings I’ve been.

I’m also fiercely angry about the arrogance of the Church, Her greed and Her Pride. These are huge monsters (Arrogance, Pride and Greed) to stand in front of and to speak against with the corrective word of God.

Teaching and impartation is one thing when someone wants to find truth, I’ll give it directly. However, unrequested social media postings that directly hurt people’s feelings have been a problem that has kept me silent for several years now. I’ve kept silent, even to my own peril concerning things like Covid – which I am going to bring up from the depths at a later time – best to keep weaving the whip until my anger subsides a little more, for it is great.

Heed the Calling Over Your Life, Set Social Kindness Misgivings Aside

I have things to say. Things I know God has put on my heart. They are beautiful things, revelatory things, weightier matters of the heart and also….divisive. And this stops me when I see their faces wondering how I could say things so hurtful. But the road to hell is broad and what I don’t want to be is irresponsible for NOT holding up the sign saying ‘you’re going the wrong damn way.’

“Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10.34

I can’t refute the Lord here. He said He give us, His children, peace (John 14.27). He does not say He brings peace to the world. The world is headed for a catastrophe, a prophetic judgement to end all previous dispensations. Will the world end? No, it will be made new,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away..”  Revelation 21.1

And again,

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 Corinthians 7.31

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2.17

Ignoring the Obvious

But the world will end for many. And how will any of them survive if the word of God isn’t used to build a bridge that some can use to escape the flames of Hell? If no instruction is given on how to mind the gap between the highway to hell and narrow path of salvation? The vast expanse of that gap reaching to the endless abyss of death without Christ?

I always had this idea that being a peacemaker was the best course of action, and honestly, it has served me well and made many take a second look at Jesus and the Christian individual. We aren’t all the same. We have two year olds in our ranks having fits about everything, we have teenagers thinking they know everything, ‘kicking against the pricks’ to find some autonomy from this big ‘Father God’ in the sky and elders who think they have nothing else to learn. I know all of this well because I have been ALL of these stages, sometimes all at once and sometimes we all regress, right?

Hard Decisions, Ultimate Sacrifices

I have to decide, am I going to play the peacemaker…there is a place for that, absolutely. Or, am I going to bring the sword? The key is this: listening carefully to understand exactly what God is calling you, as the individual child, to do. Because as good as bringing the sword is and as much as we need it, you will fail if the calling and anointing isn’t bestowed upon you by God to do so.

I want to be the peacemaker. It’s easy and no one can accuse you of much. But this is not my calling.

I’m called to bring the sword.

Mistakes Inform the Individual, Though They Burn. Perpetual Darkness Consumes Entirely, Withering Away the Mind, Spirit and Body

And it scares me to death…mainly because I know and understand His power, and I don’t trust myself to adhere to the Lord enough to bring the destruction that is holy, that lays waste to what evil has planted, tills the fallow ground and plants the good. Instead I fear I’ll tear down what annoys me personally, because you can do that if you are undisciplined and unwilling to yield to His Lordship, ask Elisha:

2 Kings 2.23-24

From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!”  He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.”

This is where faith is of key importance, faith in God to step out knowing He will be there to hold us up. What’s worse, making mistakes? Or living the rest of your life in the belly of the whale? Sometimes, though pounding on the inner lining of the behemoth’s belly gets you puked up with all manner of disgustingness, at least you can breath the air and go do what God has called you to do.

Time for a thorough washing~

just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless..

Ephesians 5.26

Featured Image by Herbert Mandel, oil on canvas 1984

My Sunshine Walks Changed My Life

On By Ashley GatewoodIn How to Follow Your DreamLeave a comment

Over the summer I shared several ways we can move into a satisfying life which brings greater happiness and freedom. (I have so much more to share on this topic.) Sometimes this process can take years, other times only months or even days.

The first time I put these principles of unconventional living into action, it took about four years. But somehow the end result of those four years catapulted me 7000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to an island in the middle of nowhere.

This time however, it took one season and I’m not going 7000 miles away thank goodness! But the idea of breaking free from a nine-to-five job seemed unattainable. Then I started walking and praying in the park…

Those Sunshine Walks changed my life. No joke. After walking and talking with God through the summer months, and really embracing the idea of an unconventional approach to life, I have discovered a few things that have kept me from living a life more true to myself. I’ll share with you what has happened.

I have worked 21 years in the business/corporate world which consumed all of the best hours of my day. Everything I’ve ever been passionate about – writing, art, nonprofit work, reading, volunteering – I relegated to the fringes of my life. All these things would start and stop continually because invariably my 40 hour workload snuffed them out.

It wasn’t too bad when I was younger because I had the energy to halfway punt and fit everything into my schedule. But as I grew older I dropped more of the activities I cherished and reality sank in…

I was shackled to making a living – but not doing much living at all.

It’s impossible to dedicate yourself to something when it remains on the fringes of your life. What’s more, it’s near impossible to be successful at it. I thought to myself, either move it front-and-center if it means that much to you, or leave it as a mere offshoot among all the business of daily chores and career and be unhappy.

Forget that. Sometimes the heart just won’t let you betray yourself any longer.

During the course of the summer, walking gave me precious time to search my heart and I realized after some scary introspection that I had to let everything go. I had to let go of the fear of failure, the fear of others’ disapproval and the fear of going it alone. Men ambitiously forge their own path often; women not so much, though we’re getting better at it.

So I made the decision to do just that. Forge my own way. Of course God will be with me (who needs anything more?) And He’ll connect me with all the right people and opportunities to make this a successful venture.

I’ll be leaving the daily corporate grind to move a writing career front-and-center. I’ve given myself one year to establish a platform and make a living. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but it’s work I will enjoy! If after a year I am not earning a living, I’ll seek something more in line with my values and interests: nonprofit, publishing/editing, arts, etc.

It’s just time to launch out and do what makes me happy. I believe that if I spend the majority of my day working hard at what I love, I can have more success than merely working for a living.

Finally, balance. We don’t appreciate enough the peace balance brings to our lives.

There’s nothing more damaging to a creative soul than having to work where there is no opportunity to create anything at all. It’s maddening, frustrating and ultimately depressing. It’s who we are, yet we’re given no opportunity to be who we are. It’s a recipe for sadness.

You see, everyone wants you to be what will make them happy, comfortable and less stressed. Then you get the stamp of approval. But you walk away unhappy and empty.

Not anymore.

This summer, God and I decided I’m not living for anyone else. Going to close that chapter right now.

If I think about it, I really was like Enoch, I “walked with God, and then I was not”. Haha. Not a lot of things that I thought I was. God pulled me out of my old unprofitable mindset that was killing me and brought me into His plan for my life. Spending time with God helps us find ourselves and ultimately, happiness.

Prayer is powerful. And God isn’t joking around. It’s taken longer for me but rushing is the worst thing I could’ve done, and I know God’s timing is perfect.

I have a few more months before finishing my current obligations – I wouldn’t feel right otherwise. But I’m super excited about the path ahead!

Featured Image by Toa Heftiba