Equipping young women professionals with young families to find fulfillment, contentment and joy as mothers and home makers without losing sight of who they are as women.

Volume 10, Issue 25: Enjoy the Stretch

Do you remember praying for promotions? I can't believe I almost forgot how much I prayed for promotion at work. Yesterday a friend of mine posted on WhatsApp a piece of writing by someone by the name Dawn Chere that hit home for me in a big way. I have copied it here word for word for your reflection.

"When your dreams get bigger, the weight of responsibility does too. If you aren't careful, you'll find yourself complaining about things you once prayed for. Complaining isn't harmless, it is addictive and a thief that steals strength. What we need is gratitude.

Gratitude for the added pressures that come with influence. Gratitude for the stretch in the unknown that forces growth. Gratitude for the chaotic hustle that happens in seasons of unexpected blessing and opportunity.

I have caught myself saying, "if I can just get through this week" in busy moments. When I pause, I realize I don't want to just get through it! I prayed for this, and I won't let the pressure force me to feel overwhelmed or unprepared. I want to have a heart overflowing with gratitude that realizes it's a miracle that weeks like this even exist, that dreams are slowly coming to fruition and progress is being made daily!

Open doors don't remain open when you start resenting them for the responsibility they bring to your life. Sometimes we don't need less on our plate, we need to make the choice to enjoy the stretch. Crush that path before you and do it with an attitude of gratitude!" Dawn Chere.

Wow! Talk of a slap on the wrist just when you need it. I don't know about you but I needed to hear this. I have needed to hear it for maybe a year now. This is something I need to put in front of me every working day. I don't want to forget that it's a miracle that I have the kind of weeks that I have and let my heart overflow with gratitude. I don't want to let the pressure make me feel overwhelmed.

It is so good to realize that it's not that I need less on my plate. What I need is to make the choice to enjoy the stretch. I am making that choice right here and now. Let's be grateful for the answered prayers that got us here. And remember that we can handle the weight of responsibility and the pressure that accompany our blessings and opportunities.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 10, Issue 24: Give it Everything

We can never say too much about the importance of a strong work ethic in the times we are living in currently. Many people excuse their lack of enthusiasm for their work on being on the wrong job. But if we are really honest, we will admit that the extent to which we like our job has little to do with how much we give to it.

On the other hand, when I find myself working a bit late in an attempt to finish tasks well, I fail to appreciate that the reason I feel pushed to the limit at the end of the day is because I have given it everything I had to give that day. If you are anything like me, you try to make sure that you do all that you could possibly do today, and in the best shape possible. Then I realized that this is actually how we are wired.

God didn't make any mediocre people. He didn't make some us sloppy and others diligent. Otherwise, He wouldn't have declared "It is good" after He created man if some of the man was no good. Additionally, he wouldn't expect us to work at what we do with all we have if He made some of us incapable of doing so.

As God was commissioning Joshua to take over the leadership of the children of Israel after the death of Moses, He gave him two main instructions to undertake in leading the people to their inheritance. The first was to give it everything he had, while following the directions given to the letter. The second was to not let God's Word out of his mind. These two, God told him, were the recipes for his success.

“You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out the Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed.” Joshua‬ ‭1:5-8 MSG‬‬.

God instructed Joshua, "Give it everything you have, heart and soul." This is what God expects of us in our work, in every task we get our hands on. So let's not be bothered if we find that we spend a little bit more effort on our work to produce quality results and get it all done. We are not going beyond the call of duty. We are simply doing what is expected of us by God. We are giving it everything we have like we should.

God repeats this instruction for us in the twenty third verse of the third chapter of the book of Colossians where he says, “Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men." Colossians‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭AMP‬‬. In other words, whatever you are working on, give it everything you've got. As I write and edit my articles, I give it everything I've got for the Glory of God. As you work on your job or in your kitchen or laundry or backyard, give it everything you've got for the glory of God.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 10, Issue 23: We Worship From Victory

I made a phone call today, and what threw me back was the great sense of enthusiasm that oozed from the other end of the line. This dear friend of mine has been grieving the loss of her son but whenever I speak with her I get blown away by how jovial she is despite the difficult times she is in. My friend lost the battle for having her son cured but because of Whose she is, she is not defeated.

In the formative years of our walk with God, many of us lived off the help hotline. It was easy to let our new found love for God slip into the back banner as we sought Him mainly for what He could do for us. But as we mature in our relationship with God, we ask for His help a lot more, but not from a selfish standpoint. We ask for His help from a point of surrender.

As we mature, we get to the point where our passion for God tramps every disappointment. We are more desperate for Him than we are for answered prayers. And so we worship, not for victory, but from victory. What victory? You might ask. Victory from the part of us that thought we couldn't go another day without an answer to a petition we had offered over and over again. Victory for all the battles we fought but didn't realize we had won because we were fixed on God coming through a certain way.

As believers in God, we have been given a seat. A seat of authority and a seat of victory. We don't worship for victory. We worship from victory! Jesus tells us that "In this world you will have many troubles, but take heart, for I have overcome the world." Doing life with God doesn't exempt us from challenges, but it gives us the privilege of facing every battle from a point of victory.

One of David's Psalms written during times of immense trouble goes like this, "Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalms‬ ‭16:5-6‬ ‭CSB‬‬. When David wrote this Psalm, his life was full of trouble. But because he knew and trusted God, he was joyfully content.

We too often go before the Lord with burdened hearts. But as we present our petitions to Him, we can't help but recount His goodness to us. We remember the victories He has given us in the past and lift up our worship and adoration, knowing that He sees and knows just what we need this time. And He acts on our behalf however He chooses. And so we don't worship for victory. We worship from victory.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 10, Issue 22: Declare Victory in the Middle of the Fight

There's power in declaring victory in the middle of a struggle. This is a strategy we need to practice more frequently than not. Many times when going through a fight, we put all our focus on the fight and getting past it. We forget to recount to God all the victories He has given us in past battles.

Praising God in the now while the waters are rising up against you rather than just at the end when He has calm the waters is the mature way to carry ourselves in the midst of struggles. Anyone can celebrate and praise God when everything has worked out in their favour. We need rise above the struggle and declare victory because we know the One who has given us victory time and time again before.

The language David used throughout the Psalms is interesting. I couldn't put it any better than the way Katie Torwalt put it in a devotional about a song. "In the Psalms, there are moments when David is completely vulnerable about his fears, frustrations and worries. Then in the next moment or chapter you see again his faith and hope restored. Sometimes it's after God has come through, but a lot of times it's in the middle of the fight when he remembers and reminds himself that God will both fight for him and rescue him."

I used to get confused when I would read David complaining about God abandoning him only for him to end the chapter with praise of God's faithfulness. Then I understood this was the kind of man he was, a man after God's own heart. A man who knew how to keep his worship flowing despite the troubles he was engulfed in.

In that song devotional, Katie illustrated how David would say things that you expect to hear after a victory. But it was actually David declaring God's deliverance from the middle of a struggle, where he needs help and deliverance. I wondered why he did that. Then I saw that David had learnt to trust God in the process. So in those instances, he was actually talking to himself, reminding himself of his history with God.

As a parent, I would feel bad if my child came to me to ask for something but left my presence downcast after I responded to look into it. This would be upsetting because I expect my child to know from his/her past experience with me that I care about him/her and would do all I can to help him/her. David portrayed a healthy son and Father relationship that we expect to see in our children's relationship with us, but should more importantly expect of ourselves in our relationship with God.

What I have learnt in my recent experiences is to trust God in the now. Not just at the end when everything feels great, but in the middle of a struggle and anxiety. He is faithful to come through. Rarely does it look the way we thought He would, but He is always working behind the scenes. God is always in the middle of it. He is always with us in the fight. So trust Him to bring victory. When we trust, we cannot help but lift up our worship, and declare victory right there in the middle of the fight.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 10, Issue 21: He is a Day Maker

I read a paragraph of a YouVersion Bible plan called "Breakfast Bites" a couple of weeks ago and it quickly resonated with my spirit. It said, "if you regularly begin your day with the Lord, you already know what a way Maker He is." If you haven't settled into this practice, I encourage you to start today and see how God's loving presence affects your days.

The author advised that "before the day has had a chance to disappoint you, before the enemy finds a way to distract you, seek God first. Invite Him into every waking moment. Sense Him in your interactions and transactions. Notice the tenderness with which he sees the people you encounter. Invite Him to contribute to your decisions. Observe how He consistently places you on the path of love. Allow Him to carry your burdens and see if a joyful song doesn't swell up inside you. Allow it to overtake your heart." This is so true. I couldn't agree more.

Once while catching up with my sister over the weekend, she described her just ended week at work as "brutal." It was during the time when I was also having hellish weeks at work. The one thing that sustained me through those brutal days and weeks was my daily morning quiet times and walks, and evening conversations with God in my journal.

Inviting God into our day doesn't keep hell from breaking loose around us. But it strengthens us and helps us cope and conquer. Spending time with God gives us fortitude to face difficult situations, carry heavy burdens, stand our ground and make the right decisions. I know that conversing with God and taking my walks in the early morning breeze are what keep me sane in difficult seasons. My boss and colleagues often asked me how I manage to remain calm and steady through the demands and drama of my work.

God is a way Maker. He is more than enough. He is the one who makes a path for us. I remember years ago a friend telling me that her family life was the most challenging part of her life at the time. She had just relocated back to her home country after college, got married and had kids. We lost touch years ago but if I were to catch up with her now, I would tell her that my work has been the most challenging part of my life these last couple of months.

My work hasn't always been tough. In fact it's been wonderful. Plenty demanding but wonderful. But I think it would be foolish to expect life to be always rosy. I wouldn't have made it thus far through the difficult weeks and months if it wasn't for my way Maker. I have discovered that when we allow Him to conquer us, nothing that comes against us can conquer us. Begin your day with the Lord. He is a day Maker.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi