My Search for MORE in 2021.
Good Morning Creatives!
It’s that time of year again where we all try to figure out what this new year is going to mean for us.
For the past I don’t know how many years, I have chosen a “One Little Word” and a scripture to go with it…. Well… every year except 2020. Did my lack of OLW jinx it?! (I hope not! LOL)
This year had been praying about what to focus on and in all honesty, I was stuck again. I couldn’t land on one just like I couldn’t land on one last year.
This had me leaning towards NOT having a word again this year. I was going to take my blanket and go home because God hadn’t given me a billboard with my word of the year plastered across it.
Finding My Focus
After much grumbling and throwing an inner 2 year old fit, I finally just said ‘WHAT GOD?! What am I suppose to do?!”
And that still small voice inside said “What have you been asking for?”
One word came to mind: MORE.
More for my business, my family and my ministry.
And most importantly, more of God because without him, all those others will never happen.
The Word in the WORD
The word “more” stuck with me just like every other OLW I have ever chosen. It was a spiritual billboard erected in my heart, complete with flashing lights and glitter.
As I always do, I wanted a scripture to focus on so searched the word “more” in my bible app and came up with the usual scriptures.
“In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us” Romans 8:37
“To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20
“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Mathew 6:30
None of these seemed right. None of them fit into what my focus was for the year. Then God said to me “Why are you looking for the low hanging fruit?”
Oh. snap.
God Wants more than the low hanging fruit
If you aren’t familiar with the phrase, basically it means taking the easy way out. Getting an easy win. Doing the easy thing because the hard way takes longer and takes more of you.
I was looking for the easy scripture. The one that was sunshine and rainbows that was going to act like God was my fairy Godmother and every time I read the scripture this year, it would act like a magic wand to bless me.
God doesn’t want that from me this year. Yes. There are seasons where God drops things into our laps because he knows we need the rest. However that is not my season.
My season of MORE is meant to be one of hustle, with God at my back pushing me forward.
So I went searching for a Scripture that had the same message.
2 Kings 4:1-7
I found that story in 2 Kings 4:1-7.
It says:
1The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
3Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.
4Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
5She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
6When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
This is my story for 2021.
Why?
It’s a story of faith, of hustle and openness.
Faith First
The story would have never even had a beginning if the woman had not approached the prophet Elisha and asked for his help. She had faith that his revered man of God would know what to do.
The widow could have been like Hagar in Genesis 21 after she was banished by Sarah. Hagar wandered the wilderness of Beersheba until her son was about to die, so she put him under bush, walked away crying and just gave up.
Certainly God interceded on Hagar’s behalf and saved them both and maybe he would have done the same for the widow, but I wonder if she was blessed SO MUCH more because of that one step of faith?
The journey to MORE first starts with a step of Faith.
The Dream is free; The Hustle costs extra
The widow dreamed of a life without crippling debt, where her boys were safe and probably a place where she felt safe, physically, economically and emotionally.
Dreams, however, rarely come true without work.
Elisha could have easily called down a miracle of money and solved all of her problems, but instead he wanted her to INVEST in the miracle.
The same goes for you and me.
Miracles do still happen in our day. They didn’t stop when the ink was dry on the bible.
Now herar me out. I am NOT talking about salvation. Salvation is a gift that is freely given and there is no amount of “works” that can earn it for you. That is not what I am talking about.
What I mean by “investing” in your miracle is that sometimes we treat God like the Geni from Alladin and hope that he pops up to grant our wishes. And rather than snapping his fingers in a cloud of smoke, he says “OK…if this is what you want, invest in it.”
You want to become a famous singer? Do open mic nights. Take voice lessons. Learn to play an instrument.
You want to write a book? Take writing course. Go to writing retreats. ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND WRITE.
The list could go on and on. And you know what? Sometimes it’s through that season of investing in what we think we want, that God opens up our eyes to that fact that that really wasn’t our dream at all.
Maybe it was someone else’s dream. Or it was what you thought you were “suppose” to do. Or maybe you just realize you don’t really want it that bad. And that’s OK. That’s how we grow and figure out our path in life.
The dream is free; the hustle comes at a cost.
It takes a tribe.
1 Kings 4:3 is the hardest part of this “more” journey for me.
It says:
And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.”
You know what Elisha was telling her? You don’t have to do this alone.
There are people around you who WANT to see your miracle come to fruition, people who WANT to see you keep you family together and people who WANT MORE for you.
However, the widow had to be vulnerable and open and continue to step out in faith. In fact, She had not idea if Elisha’s plan was going to work because it didn’t make sense in the physical, natural world.
She was probably asking herself “WHY do I need so many jars when I have so little oil?”
But you know what? She asked anyway.
What’s the most they could have said? NO? They could have said no. They could have called her crazy, but that just means that God didn’t intend for that person to be part of her miracle.
There are people in your life who are not meant to be part of your miracle and that’s OK. GOD knows who needs to be there, with the right amount of jars that you need to receive your miracle.
Finding my MORE
So this year is all about finding the MORE that God has for me through faith, hustle and openness.
And you know what’s funny? Nowhere in this passage does the word “more” appear. Not in any of the translations I’ve read either.
My MORE is taking work. Right from the very beginning and that’s OK.
I am willing to invest in my miracle.
How about you? Do you have a One Little Word for 2021? Let me know what you are praying for in 2021.
Until next time,
XOXO,
KERI
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