How Cinderella Inherited Her Promise

Hebrews 6:11-12 says this: And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Now many of you know the end of Cinderella that she ends up with Prince Charming. Getting there wasn’t easy for Cinderella. There are many things we can learn from this Disney classic. I can tell you that she was not sluggish by any means and that she did have her moments, but she was patient and she inherited her promise. I could just end it here, but I want to highlight a few things in detail.

Cinderella wasn’t liked by her step family (it was obvious as to how they treated her). Her step family thought they were all that and a bag of chips (their hearts were pure ugly – and in some books, they even appeared ugly on the exterior). Like any woman would, they want to be with the man of the hour (in this case, it was Prince Charming). What the step family didn’t realize was that Prince Charming was promised to Cinderella. And like the enemy, he knows what is promised to us (on earth but more importantly our spiritual promise), and is going to do what he can to ensure that we don’t inherit that promise. Cinderella’s punishment for being her was to clean up the house. Now Cinderella could’ve protested and said that she was not going to clean up as a result of their treatment towards her, but she was faithful to do whatever earthly task she had to do. The key word in my prior sentence is “faithful.”

The mice were a god-send to Cinderella, and Cinderella loved the mice. The step family threw away things that seemed insignificant, and the mice made a dress out of those things. See, that’s the beauty of God, He can make something beautiful of what we may think is insignificant. When the step family saw it, they thought they could seal Cinderella’s destiny in that she’s not going by ripping up that dress. And like Cinderella, we have our moments and wonder is God going to come through by saying “I’m faithful with my tasks and being patient as long as I can without losing my mind ‘up in here’.”

And we know that when God comes through, He just does it. And He did that for Cinderella by sending the fairy godmother to her. She confirmed that she is going to the ball (in other words, like the angel told Mary that “you have found favor”). Her dress was 5x better than what the mice made and the mice would be the ones who would transport her to the ball in a pumpkin. What stands out to me: God’s ways are always better than our ways. The dress that she would go to the ball in was way better than the dress that was made from items that belonged to heathen.

Now we have the shoe incident. Who did the glass shoe belong to? I’m sure the step family knew who it belonged to, that’s why they made it so clear when Cinderella was locked away upstairs in a room. See, what the devil doesn’t realize is that when God promises something, he can’t stop it especially when we’re patient and walking by faith. The man had to have the spirit of God in him to call Cinderella down from that locked room (kind of reflective of when Samuel wanted David to come from the field to see if that’s who God chose to be king of Israel). And yes, the shoe fit on Cinderella and they lived happily ever after.

So this is how Cinderella inherited her promise. Just remember when you are promised something from God (and we are spiritually), never get cocky with it and always remain humble & grateful.

Pass The Test

Some of you who are reading this are probably going through a struggle right now. It could be with your physical health, finances, place of employment, career choices. It could also be family related, people wanting you to fail to boost their ego, the will to live, and the list goes on. God is not allowing you to be in that place just to leave you there permanently. He wants you to pass the test so you can either help somebody else get through, to bless someone else and you as well; most importantly, for Him to get the glory. Your test/struggle is not in vain. Like I’ve done with some of previous posts, I need to use some examples:

1. Abraham was tested to see if he was faithful to God by sacrificing Isaac. We never find Abraham questioning God, “why do you want me to sacrifice my son”; instead, we find him saying to the young men traveling with him, “stay here while Isaac and I worship the Lord.” Did Abraham pass? Yes!
2. Job was tested to see if he would remain truthful to God while the devil wreaks havoc in his life. Job makes faith statements such as “though He slay me, yet I will trust Him” and “I know that my Redeemer lives and He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

I could give more examples, but I believe you get the point. I do need to say this; people will say that your challenges will be no more. For the record, as long as you’re living on this earth, you will always have tests, challenges or struggles to go through (some will be easy and some will be difficult). Either way, our faith in God needs to be strong or a relationship must be there so you can come out unscathed. Like I said in my post from last week (The Faithfulness of God), I believe that we as a nation are being tested from God to see if we’re going to look to ourselves, our respective president, or anybody but God. He wants us to try Him so He can show us His faithfulness. He’s done it with many people in the Bible and He will do it for us, if we solely take Him at His Word. With that, we can pass any test. Now, don’t think that our tests will be passed overnight. For some of us, it may take days, months, and years to come out of one test (depending on the assignment God has you on). Stay true to Him, He is with us. God will teach us many things in our tests, and like the Hebrew boys in Daniel 3, we can come out of the fire unharmed. Gold without fire can’t be pure gold, so take comfort when we’re in the furnace of God, He’s trying to refine us make us shine brighter than before.

While you’re in this test, swallow your pride thinking that you have to put up a front for people. God may have to bring you down to raise you up. That’s what He did with His Son, He had to die in order to be raised up. Don't be afraid to ask for prayer. We all need help in our tests (and God put us together to pass our respective tests). There will be those who will cheat, and try to get you to fail. So find someone who wants you to pass - not those trifling cheaters who not only want you to fail, but are failing themselves (and are probably so blind to the fact they're failing, they don't even realize it).

I close with this thought: most TESTimonies come after a TEST! Now that should give you something to TESTify!

The Faithfulness of God

Philippians 1:6 says this: Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

This is a promise that we can take to the bank. It also shows God’s faithfulness to us. Now let’s talk for a moment.

Here it is, 2012 and we could say that we’re in a recession if not depression. I believe this is a test from God to see if we’re going to look to ourselves, our respective president, or to see if God will get us out of the situation we’re in (whether it be for a legitimate reason or not). One thing needs to ring out loud & clear: He wants us to try Him so He can show us His faithfulness. He’s done it with many people in the Bible and I’ll give you a few examples to get you going:

1. God showed Daniel His faithfulness by shutting the mouths of the lions.
2. God showed the three Hebrew boys His faithfulness by walking in the fire with them.
3. God showed the children of Israel His faithfulness when they crossed over the Red Sea.

OK, I think you get it. He will prove His faithfulness to us if we’re in Him and we allow Him to do His work in us. Now many of us are hurt in all areas of life due to the economy, or going through some setbacks, some trials/adversities (financial hardships, physical issues, etc.) and the list goes on. Regardless of how we got in our respective predicament, God wants to demonstrate His faithfulness to us and He wants us to prove our faithfulness to Him in these hard places (not just to get you out and you continue to live like YOU want to). Faithfulness to God always brings promotion (now that could be while we’re still alive or in life eternal).

There may be a few who might question God as to why it’s taking so long to be at the place where WE think we ought to be. Well, think about this: Paul was a tent-maker (that was his profession and where he received his income), but he also held down a ministry. God still provided for Paul and demonstrated His faithfulness to him during his life. I said that to say that for some of you, this might be the path God is taking you on.

Now for some of us, we may be on a course in life, and God may have to divert your plan in life for His plan and purpose for your life. Be faithful to His plan, because there’s a blessing waiting ahead for you because He is faithful.

For some, we may have done foolish things to cause us to be in a pit, drowning in our own sin (self-induced, you might say). If you come to yourself, and return to His love, a blessing is waiting for you because He is faithful.

And for some, we may have to go through a nightmare (financially, loss of a loved one, the devil terrorizing your life, and the list goes on), continue to bless the name of the Lord, because there’s a double blessing waiting for you, knowing in your heart and soul that your Redeemer lives and He is faithful.

Don’t fret, rejoice and continue to demonstrate your faithfulness to Him because He IS good and He is faithful to every promise He made. I can tell you straight up, that my, my, my God is faithful.

In closing: remember that He who started the work in you will be faithful to complete it in you.

Walking In Integrity

I am privileged & honored to have my editor Shantae A. Charles write a column for my blog. I know many people (including me) will benefit from this post. She needs no introduction, so receive a blessing from what she has to say.

Walking In Integrity

            Integrity: This word is bandied about freely but seems to be in great demand in our present day society. I've been doing a study on this concept and principle and I'd like to share a few insights with you.

            1. Integrity doesn't stem from an external judgment but from an internal examination by God of man's heart. Evil people perform charitable deeds all the time. That does not mean that they themselves are walking in the path that God deems as integrous.

            2. Integrity is tied to our motives. David said, test my motives and my heart, and see if there be any evil way in me, once again pointing to integrity being an internal work, not as many preach, an external show.

            3. Integrity opens the door to mercy. God really does look at our heart condition. Many people in this failing economy are finding themselves out of work, their homes in foreclosure, their cars repossessed. Their credit rating is so low it is no longer in numbers, but in words: pay us. Does this mean that they are bad, disreputable people? No, life happened, but now their character is being decided by Equifax and TransUnion. But, this is where mercy comes in. God will show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are towards him.

           4. No amount of anointing will make up for lack of integrity. As one writer stated, "If a man has integrity, nothing else matters. If a man doesn't have integrity, nothing else matters." Ask Saul, chosen of God and totally lacking in moral fiber. Rather than completely follow God's directions, he decided to be king and priest without God's permission, to appease the people. The result was the loss of his kingdom.

           5. Integrity cannot flow out of dishonesty. You are either wholly integrous or wholly dishonest. Integrity will not allow you to present a business plan to someone and then renege on your part of the contract. The Bible speaks of keeping your word, even to your own hurt. There has been many times when I undervalued a service to a client. I didn't demand more on the back end. I absorbed the cost of miscalculation and revised my contract for the future.

6. You can injure your inner-self by doing what costs too much to your soul: compromise. Many people have felt totally disillusioned after losing their integrity and felt that it could not be restored. Ask Judas. He repented after he sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, but no one was willing to receive his repentance. He took his own life as a result. Please know that if you feel this way, there is HOPE. God will restore you willingly. Confess to God how you fell short. Allow His grace to restore your soul and then allow the Holy Spirit to fill you freely, and empower you to live a life of integrity.

          7. Integrity is one thing that the enemy desires from you, so that he may make a mockery of God. See. Job 2:1-9 After Job had gone through his second round of loss with bodily affliction, his wife posed this question: "Still you maintain your integrity? Why don't you curse God and die?" You see, the one thing the enemy is after is not your children, or your home, or your money. He's after your integrity. He's after that part of you that God is measuring, that opens the doors of mercy on your behalf.

         8. Your integrity can speak so loudly, that God will remain silent during your greatest trials. Have you felt lately like God wasn't speaking and everything wrong that could happen has happened? Let me suggest to you, that God is taking measure of your heart. He likes what He sees, and maybe, just maybe, He might be holding testimony service with you as the subject matter. Let that sink in.

         I encourage you to walk in integrity (Ps. 26). It may cost you but God will repay in mercy towards your situation. There is nothing you lose in this life that God cannot restore. If you've ever done what you promised God you would never do, cheer up. You're in good company (just ask Peter). Grace is still available in this season to make it right. Blessings and Church Love!

Shantae A. Charles is a Publisher, Editor, Artist, Teacher, and Author of the Church Love Novel Series, available on Kindle, Nook, Books-A-Million, and Barnes & Noble. For more info, visit her blog, www.legsclosedmindopen.blogspot.com.