Dear Friend,
We are currently in a state of emergency. While the world is just starting to unravel to the naked eye, things are already on fire spiritually. As you know, things happen in the spirit realm before manifesting in the natural, so we are physically behind.
However, we can use this advantage if we are strategic. Yesterday, I did a live where I unpacked the revelation of a gift. Here's how it went:
Let's pretend your birthday is coming up. As your friend, I spent a lot of time before the special day thinking about what I would buy you and how it might excite you when it's finally time to present you with the gift. Since I know you well, I anticipated what you'd like and/or want based on our time together, interactions, and conversations. I know just the perfect thing, so I order it.
Now it's your special day and I present you with the gift that I ordered weeks before. You receive it and you thank me for it, but you set it aside and never use it. Fast forward to a couple months later, You and I are talking and you're telling me that you're in need of a blessing. The funny thing is that the blessing you need was ordered weeks before your bday, but was gifted to you on your birthday.
After you finished complaining, I ask you if you used the gift that I bought you. You answer with a straight face, "well, no." It was at that moment that you knew you'd messed up. Essentially, you received the gift but you never used it, and then you came complaining to me about how you didn't have what you needed.
That's how we do God. He spent all this time wiring you with gifts and talents before the foundations of the world. He anticipated your every need and desire, and He crafted you in a way that would allow those gifts and talents to help meet your future needs. As His creation, you received them. Each gift is scheduled to unlock at a specific time in the future. You even received the daily downloads (Psalm 68:19).
But receiving is not the same as using.
Receiving means you have the things in your possession. Using means you're putting the goods to work. Ultimately, it's not enough to say, "God, I receive that for my life." You have to do something and cut out the spiritual bypassing.
The term, "Spiritual bypassing" was coined by John Welwood to describe the practice of using "spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep personal, emotional ‘unfinished business,’ to shore up a shaky sense of self, or to belittle basic needs, feelings, and developmental tasks." More plainly, it refers to using spirituality to avoid personal responsibility and accountability.
Here are a few ways people spiritual bypass:
"I'm praying for financial increase," but refuse to cut back in order to steward their money well.
"I'm waiting on God to give me the next step," but didn't even take the first step.
"I'm praying for a spouse," but won't do the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual work.
"I'm believing that God will heal my body," but keep eating fried chicken and burgers everyday.
In culture, we're so quick to call out gaslighting but we are silent on the spiritual bypassing of believers.
So let's get back to why I think we can use the delay in the natural for our favor. Since there is a lag, you have more time to organize your affairs. The great thing about Q2, though, is that there is an accelerated grace. If you didn't hear the prophetic word over this season, then click here. If you didn't hear the prophetic word over The Builder's Challenge, then click here. If you didn't hear the prophetic word for 2023, then click here.
God is not a liar (Numbers 23:19), and His word will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). If He said it, it will come to pass. If you decide not to allow it to come to pass in your generation due to your inaction, it will come to pass in the next.
But. It. Will. Come. To. Pass. At. Some. Point.
Let's stop playing these baldheaded games and stop wasting our gifts. God ordered your gifts to manifest in a specific season, but if you're not aligned, you will reap the consequences of your disobedience.
Be sure to meet me on YouTube today at 5pm, PST for The Builder's Challenge teaching.
If you missed yesterday's live encouragement, then watch it here.
