Good Monday Morning Coffee everyone😊! Welcome to a new encouraging conversation to help get your week started on the right foot. So grab your favorite morning drink☕ and let’s get into the discussion.
The Wilderness Season!
In today’s conversation I would like for us to discuss how to overcome the need for attention during times of being in a wilderness season. Now if your are unfamiliar with the term “wilderness season” then I would like to share with you what my definition of this season is. The wilderness season is like what it says. It is a season that feels like you are in a place that is cut off from the regular ways of the world. We know that many people like to take some time out to visit wooded or deserted areas so they can separate themselves from the day to day grind of life and that is nice but when God brings you into a wilderness season it is not by choice. This season is a time of testing and a time of building your trust with God. From my experience we can go through seasons like these many times that God deems necessary. In these seasons life can feel lonely, unproductive, scary, and unfamiliar. At times it can be hard to feel stable or to be able to get a firm grip on things. I believe God allows this to happen so we can let go of the familiar and self sufficiency mindset so we can look more to Him for our source of stability. Another reason for these seasons is to weed out those unnecessary things in our lives that are no longer aiding in our growth. Even though we know God is good and His ways are perfect, the flesh still wants to rise up. At times your flesh will try to reach out to find some comfort. And so I think this is what makes the wilderness season so hard because our flesh wants attention and does not want to let go of its control.
The scriptures say in Galatian 5:17, the flesh wars with the spirit. Even Jesus said in Matthew 26:41, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. So I believe based on Romans 8:14, God wants us to become mature sons and daughters by breaking down the flesh in order to strengthen our spirit.
So what can we expect to experience during this season?
Now before I begin on the topic of what may be some of the things you could experience during this season, I just want to add my disclaimer that I do not have all the answers nor am I some type of wilderness guru or expert on the subject. My intent is just to share from my experience and perspective in hopes to bring encouragement to someone who maybe wondering “what is going on”? So now let us continue. Some things that I and others that I have listen to have experienced many difficulties during this season. I myself have relocated only to find myself jobless which is really frustrating. Others have had to separated from friends and some have experienced homelessness. I am sure that many other things can be said about this season.
It definitely feels like a roller coaster rider. Emotionally you may feel angry, depressed, and frustrated. I can vouch for all three and then some! We know that God loves us but we may ask many times “why Lord”? Well God needs to purify us. He wants our faith to be like pure gold. The only way to get rid of the impurities is by allowing the wilderness to be His refiner’s fire.
Remember in Exodus 16:4, how God led the Israelites into the wilderness. They had to unlearn the way of bondage and learn how to trust and listen to God. It is very difficult to relearn a new way of life but God allows it because He knows the heart of man.
I understand the saying “you can’t teach a old dog new tricks” but we are God’s image bearers with a greater value and intelligence within us (Genesis 1:26). So if you have His Spirit in you, it is now time to become one with His Spirit. In Amos 3:3, it askes how can too walk together except they agree? God wants us to walk with Him so we need to keep in step with Him (Galatians 5:17).
So how do we overcome the temptations of the flesh?
During this season, it is only normal to feel like running away. If you are like me then you know just how our emotions can be so hard to get a handle on. During these seasons we can become consumed with concerns and anxious about our needs as well as our hopes and dreams which brings our focus beyond the present day.
In Matthew 6:31-34 though, we are told by Jesus to not worry about what we will eat, drink, or wear because tomorrow will worry about itself. Instead we are told to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all our needs will be meet. So this brings me to how we can overcome the need for attention in the wilderness season and what I mean by attention is those fleshly desires like an job, a husband, money, sex, and even trying to become more spiritual. These desires can make us overwhelmed with self and continue to think thoughts like “what about me Lord”?
During my pray time I found myself asking God to change me because I began to loathe myself. I came to the place where I started to over worry and be anxious to the point where these feelings were so overpowering. In book of Genesis 4:6-7, God told Cain that sin is crouching at the door just waiting for the opportunity to overtake him but he needed to master it. Cain was allowing his frustration with his brother to go unmanaged and instead of listening to the warning from God, He allowed his frustration to turn into hatred which led to him killing his brother. Sin is not just something that we commit but it is like a entity that wants to overtake us. This is why Jesus came, to break the power of sin off our lives. So during this season I began to notice that the anxious thoughts and worry was trying to overpower me. So I ask God to change me because I know from experience that whatever we continue to give our minds over to, it will eventually overtake you. I believe this is why we can become depressed because we allow worry, anger, self loathing, doubt, fear, and sadness, which is all self focus to become our main focus. In the book called “The Practice of the Presence of God” a man called brother Lawrence made the decision to keep is attention on God which eventually led to great joy and peace. He felt God presence at all times.
So I decided to do the same and not even five minutes tears began to come down my face because my heart was so in love with Jesus in that moment. This my friend is the cure to overcoming. Truly Isaiah 26:3 is true that says He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on God. Keeping your mind on the flesh will only produce worry but keeping your mind on the Prince of Peace will produce peace.
Your cure!
So now that we have found the answer, you will be able to have a better handle on your emotions. Now when ever I notice unhealthy thoughts I quickly redirected my focus on Jesus. You maybe wandering what type of thoughts do I think towards our Lord. Well I think thoughts like the following:
I love you Jesus!
You are awesome!
Your beautiful!
I know you will continue to meet all my needs!
There is nothing greater than you!
Lord continue to help me stay focus on you!
With this type of thinking, I am making it all about Him and what He is able to do. The Practice the Presence of God is really a great secret that I think many believers have not tap into. Yes, of course when you are going through new changes it can be frustrating and confusing. The devil knows this as well but we have to learn from our Master and Teacher, Jesus, who in the Matthew 40:1-3, after 40 days and 40 nights of fasting he was tempted by the devil who knew how our flesh reacts under pressure. But Jesus understood that too. Instead of Him responding to the devil’s temptation in a carnal way He respond with the Word of God. So use this wonderful cure to help you switch your focus from self to the Prince of Peace, He will not fail you. And remember take it one day at a time and stay encouraged in the Lord!
Thank you so much for hanging in there with today’s Monday Morning Coffee conversation. I know it was longer than usual but I believe it was important to share everything that came to mind concerning this topic. If you were blessed by it then please like👍, subscribe, share, and comment below! Thank you again! Have a beautiful, blessed day and bye for now👋!
–Kenya ❤
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