Everybody Can’t Go!

Read the title again. And again. Read it one more time. Let’s Talk about it!

I know y’all like to talk about me because these posts don’t relate to you, right? Let’s get into it. I love people. Prior to being saved: I loved people so much that I placed them ahead of myself. I loved people so much that I valued their thoughts and opinions over my own thoughts and opinions. I loved people so much that I allowed others to make decisions for me instead of making my own decisions. I loved people so much that I was afraid to call them out on their stuff because I did not desire to lose them. I loved people so much that I allowed them to use me, abuse me, and lie to me; I loved them so much that I still showed up for them after all of that. I loved people so much that I volunteered my resources knowing they did not deserve my assistance. I loved people so much that I transformed parts of me to appease them. I loved people so much that I settled for a community of people that were near me but so far from me because they couldn’t see me drowning behind the smile I plastered on my face. I loved people so much that I became so low that I desired to die instead of living. I loved people so much that I allowed them to hurt me while I helped them. I loved people so much until I began to love Christ and myself.

It wasn’t until after I got saved that God allowed me to realize that I needed to be delivered from people. Do you think that I jumped into action after that realization? Wellllll, the honest answer is no. I battled with the idea of having to walk away from people who I credited for impacting my life in any sort of positive way. The instances spoken of above weren’t the entirety of the relationships I had with people. The same people that negatively impacted me at some point in time had positively impacted me as well. That is one of the reasons why I battled internally with letting people go. The other reason was I was afraid of what they would think about me or say about me. The last reason was I would have to deal with the hurt and pain that came from ending the relationships. BUT GOD! God was calling me from amongst people. I had to answer Him whether it was voluntarily or involuntarily. (Side note: Yes, God does give us a choice, but there are times when He forces your hand when you have walked with Him in a certain capacity.) I walked away from some of the relationships freely because I knew that the negative impact overweighed the positive impact. They were literally no good for me. But God had to guide me out of one friendship in particular. We had been friends for 10 years, and she was dear to my heart. We had created a beautiful friendship built on fun times, but we had also weathered a lot of storms together. She had actually became more like a sister to me than a friend. I tried my best to hold on to every piece of our friendship, but the harder I tried to keep it in my gripes, the more it slipped away. I was left grieving the loss of what I had envisioned would be a lifelong friendship and questioning why God forced my hand with walking away. God simply told me and continues to tell me, “Everybody can’t go”!

Let’s Talk about why everybody can’t go! When God gives you an assignment, IT IS FOR YOU. This assignment is planned, purposed and orchestrated by GOD. You do not need anyone else’s opinion, approval, direction, or support for something GOD gave YOU. While it is human nature for us to desire our loved ones to validate, encourage and support us, it should not be a requirement in order for us to live out and fulfill God’s purpose for us. And to be quite honest, everybody that “supports” you, whether privately or publicly, is not always for you. Some people tend to support you because it is their duty as a friend or family member. Let’s get into the scriptures. In Mark 3:13-19, Jesus named His 12 disciples. In those verses, you can read how Jesus desired and chose them with purpose; that purpose was to go out into the earth and preach and to have authority and power to heal the sick and cast out demons. While Jesus did select 12 disciples, we read in many passages of scripture where He only permitted 3 out of the 12 to go with Him and witness certain manifestations of His power. In Mark 5:37, Jesus permitted no one to accomplany Him except Peter, James and John when He healed Jairus’ daughter. In Mark 9:2, Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up the high mountain apart by themselves; that is where they were able to witness Jesus’ transfiguration. In Mark 14:32&33, Jesus instructed the other 9 disciples to stay behind and pray while permitting Peter, James and John to go to the Garden of Gethsemane with Him. In Mark 14: 34, Jesus expressed to Peter, James, and John that He was exceedingly sad and instructed them to stay awake keeping watch while He pressed a little further. It is here that I want to make an impression. Although those 3 had witnessed the power and miraculous works of Jesus time and time again, when Jesus was deeply troubled, He pressed into His Father ALONE! He desired for them only to stay awake, keep watch and pray. In Mark 14:37, we read that the 3 had fallen asleep while Jesus was praying. I would like to make an impression here as well. The same 3 that had witnessed the power and miraculous works of Jesus time and time again, did not even stay awake, keep watch or pray for Him AFTER HE HAD OPENLY EXPRESSED TO THEM how He was exceedingly sad. So if the people that Jesus had allowed to witness so much of His power fell asleep on Him, how are you counting on your friends and family to stay awake for you? How are you so phased and moved by their opinions and thoughts when they could potentially be sleeping on you?

I’m going to leave you with Galatians 1:10. This verse in The Everyday Life Bible by Joyce Meyer reads, “Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah)”. Are you seeking to please men or God? If you find that the answer to that question is men, I encourage you to repent to God and commit to building your relationship with Him.

Read, dissect and meditate on the previously mentioned verses.