Send Them Out...

I don’t think I’m half bad when it comes to my personal style. I can comfortably put an outfit together from what’s in my closet and look perfect for any event. I don’t overly fret when there’s a wedding or an occasion and there’s no new outfit, I whip a nice outfit cocktail that looks good and I’m good to go. But I always get to crossroads when I get to dress with my friends. I doubt my outfit, I ask if it’s ok, and the hesitant look or awkward shoulder shrug makes me feel like it’s bad. I forget that we have different styles and that I’m good to go without suggestions.

When I set outfits aside or have a look in my head, especially for asoebis, I’ve come to realize that it is wisdom not to go round asking friends how they’re styling theirs. Because they start describing things that feel or seem out of this world and I take a second look at my great put together look and it looks bland and I feel bad, and try to scramble round for something new because suddenly what I was confident about isn’t so appealing anymore. In the end most times, I tell myself, “I’ll go as I planned, I cant stress myself” and I end up looking real good. I prefer my look even if it’s not as outlandish as the next persons and I become thankful that I didn’t let other peoples choices move me. The other day I was getting my makeup done. I had a look all planned out and I told the make up artist what I wanted, then my friends came and suggested something different, they didn’t think my subtle look was a great idea. I wasn’t too wild on the idea, but now my subtle look sounded bleh and I doubted my choice… what they gave me was good, but I wasn’t too wild or comfortable with it because I didn’t feel like it was me. I looked good, but I still felt like I would have looked better if I went with my original plan.

I realize that whenever I dress by myself, I always come out looking good and receiving compliments even from the ones who would have suggested something different. Friends are blessings and great, but sometimes you have to step aside, learn to send them out of the room to make the best decisions.

What am I trying to say? When it comes to decisions, trust your judgment, trust the Spirit of God within you and send people out of the room, make your decisions and run with it. Because even with good intentions, the wrong people in the room will keep you from making the best decisions. The wrong people in the room can deflate your faith. The wrong questions, the wrong looks, the wrong body language, the wrong advice, the wrong scriptures can have you second guessing your vision, abilities and the promises of God in your life.

Ask Jesus. He understood this so well, and He, the Son of God, God in flesh had to send people out of the room sometimes.

By now they had arrived at the house of the town official, and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Clear out! This girl isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” They told him he didn’t know what he was talking about. But when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl’s hand, and pulled her to her feet—alive. The news was soon out, and traveled throughout the region. Matthew 9:23-26(MSG)  

Murmurs can get even the most confident person to doubt, unbelief can be contagious sometimes and affect your faith.

Even Peter learned this truth from Jesus, he was sending people out of the room too… ‘But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, "Get up, Tabitha." And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up!’ Acts 9:40

Jesus had all His disciples in the room and revealed this great plan of God. It was going to take Him away from his comfort zone, it was dangerous… but it was God big plan to save humanity….

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Matthew 16:21-23(NLT)

See, Peter was genuinely concerned… what if Jesus listened to Him? What if it made Him question His choice? Thank God He didn’t question or hesitate, thank God He was so rooted in this plan that all He did was rebuke Peter. Thank God He was so sure of what outfit He was going to wear, He didn’t let the opinion and concern of the disciples change His mind or doubt His choice. Anyone could be easily swayed by such show of emotion.

To do great works this year, you’ve got to send people out of the room. To be surrounded by people is nice, it’s kind of comforting… but your dreams can’t be digested by everybody (especially those who love comfort), sometimes your dreams are tailor made to the size of your faith and not your best friends, or even your pastor… that’s why it’s easy to loose it because you listen to the voices and murmurs of genuine concern. Jesus had many around Him and then He had the twelve disciples… but He always took just Peter, John and James into the room with him in records of some of His greatest miracles. (Maybe they believed in Him more, maybe it was something else about their will… Who knows?) and sometimes Jesus went in alone to pray, just He and God.

Find the one(s) from the crowd who you can take into the room with you. The ones, who even if they can’t fathom the size of your dreams and plans, will know enough to trust that you know what to do and pray for you and encourage you as you go through the process. Don’t fret if there’s no one you can take with you… stand alone in your faith, God’s got you and He’ll give you the encouragement you need, as long as you shut the other voices out.