Killing Can’t

September 28, 2015 / Joshua Thomas / 1 Comment

Ever been told that you aren’t able to do something, or even worse when someone tells us we can’t do something? I’m not referencing a person telling you not to touch a hot oven (seriously, don’t do that!), I mean more on the lines of telling you not to follow after your dreams and aspirations. I think this happens almost on a daily basis for some of us, we run into situations where we have a bold idea or want to get better and take a risk. Then some force says, “You don’t have enough experience,” or, “you’ll never be able to do that.” Nothing will crush you worse than something like that, especially when it’s someone who knows us. I remember being in tenth grade of high school, I wasn’t the best student in the world, but I always tried my best. I was in a class where I was on the edge of failing and I was trying to get help from the teacher, my teacher wanted me and my mom to come in and meet. I felt relieved because I would be able to see how to do better in the class, unfortunately, it didn’t go that way. In the meeting my teacher was very hard on some paper and tests that I had done, I don’t remember all that was said, but there was one thing that I will never forget. She said to me, “If you don’t understand this, you will never be able to understand anything.” I was devastated. My teacher was supposed to help me learn, but she had no faith that I would be able to amount to anything. That took me a long time to move past, and to be completely honest, I still have fears about being a failure and not amounting to anything. The words that were said cut like a sword, and they were the words that said I can’t.

We all have moments in our lives where we remember the words that hurt us, and the people that told us we can’t, but God says we can. For me I clung to this truth, because over and over again we read in the word how God uses the people who feel hopeless. God uses the broken to heel the broken. Don’t believe me that God uses broken people? Read Paul’s story! If you have been keeping up with my blog for the past few months, you know that I have been reading through the life and writings of Paul. The thing that amazes me is how broken Paul was, he was a terrorist and a murderer, but God used him. God stopped him in his tracks and showed him how far he had gone, showing him the damage that he was doing. God used him. God gave him a new name, gave him a new identity. Paul is one of the most well-known leaders of the early church, and he was the most broken. No matter how broken you feel, or hurt others have done to you, there is always hope. That story above, that wasn’t a story of failure. I ended up passing the class, I continued to work hard at everything I did. I was rejected from universities when I applied, so I went to community college. I am now in my third year, and happily at the University of Greensboro. I didn’t do any of that on my own will, I trusted God and chose to not believe the lie that I can’t do something. No matter how many times you may be told you can’t do something, God says you can change the world. I want to share my mindset that God has taught me through my life because I believe that each and every one of us can be used for something bigger and better than we can even imagine.

Trust in God.

When Paul had an encounter with God, he was blinded by a light. This is such a perfect example of all of us, we are blind. Probably not physically, but we are all blind to what happens to us. Problems and struggles come against us all the time, and we can’t see them coming. God wants to guide us through life, he wants to be there with us when the problems arise. Because when the problems come against us, God will lead us through it. In my own life, struggles have come against me and my family a lot, the past year has been some of the hardest challenges we have ever had to face, but we have trusted God through it all. Things are still hard, and life hasn’t become perfect, but God has never left. When we trust God through all things, he shows us the blessings in life. I have seen people come together in the times of loss with my friends, I have seen the beginning of healing for those close, and I have learned to find the simple and beautiful joys all around me. I choose God, no matter what, I will always choose him. I will follow his ways forever, and no matter where life takes me, I know my future is in his hands. As I trust in God, I am secure in my talents and abilities, I will use them for his glory and not my own. When all of us choose to trust in him, the words that people say will never stop us from achieving the path set for our lives.

Work hard.

Throughout the bible, we see the stories of the broken being used to change the world, but it wasn’t easy for them. I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions about our awesome God, things don’t just fall into place, it requires hard work. Paul was a great leader because he chose to do the hard work. He traveled in order to spread the word, he was imprisoned, and he poured into the lives of people he mentored. So what does working hard look like? First we need to get rid of the idea that we are too spiritual to get dirty. That’s such a lie from Satan to hold us back! We need to be willing to let go of pride and serve others. Each week at my church, I see people serve one another and do the hard tasks for the kingdom. From dirty diapers to leading a small group, we need to be willing to do hard work. If you trust God and expect change to happen, have fun waiting, God wants us to do all we can to serve those around us. I sound pretty harsh because I want you to know how vital this part is, if a farmer never tended the fields, there would never be any produce of value! When people say you can’t do something, show them you can by working hard at everything you do. Actions speak louder than words, and in God, we can do all things.

Testimony brings life.

Everyone has a story. Big or small, simple or complex, each of us have a story to tell. Paul’s story is one of brokenness to redemption, and that spoke to countless numbers of people. Imagine the people you could comfort with your story. Think of a few people right now. Do it? Good. Now think about what would happen if you shared your story with them, I guarantee they can relate to it. We all have a story, so why not use it? One of my favorite things about a small group is having a group of people share with one another the things they are going through, as a leader you want to have all the answers and help them, but nine times out of ten, someone else in the group speaks up and is able to comfort that other person. No matter how old or young you are, you have a story that will speak to someone else. Your testimony in an example of how you can make it through, how you can be influential, it kills the can’t we fight in life. Your testimony brings life.

I know it’s hard sometimes. It can feel like people around you just keep telling you no, or that you’ll never be anything. It can feel like it may be true, or that you can’t change now. Worries, fears, and doubts, we all face them. I face them every day. In all of this, know this one truth. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” The truth is that you can. We can because God says we can. Does that mean it will happen now? Probably not. Will it take experience and trial? It will. Is it worth it? Absolutely. God made each of us with purpose, we weren’t made to just exist. We were made to change the world. No matter what you’ve done or if you feel like your age holds you back, know that God will use you where you are to change the world. You are special. You are beautifully made. You can do all things with Christ. So step into the identity God made for you, trust him, work hard, and use your story to show love to everyone around you.

Kill the can’t in your life.

-Joshua Thomas

Eliminate the Toxins

September 21, 2015 / Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

I have found myself recently in a bit of a quagmire, or in other words a confusing funk. The past year has been a crazy one, but through it I feel like God is showing me my purpose. He has continually been revealing me skills and providing me with opportunity, even during the hard times. I think the same is true for all of us as we really focus in on what God is trying to tell us, we can learn so much if we just stop to listen. So why is it that we get into a funk? This funk being that we have a vision of what we believe God has for our lives, but we feel held back. There’s nothing worse than knowing what you want and not being able to grasp it. It feels like an invisible force is trying to keep me where I am, but it’s not invisible or unknown. In Daystar Kids, this month has been talking about initiative, seeing what needs to be done and doing it, and is exemplified by Nehemiah. The story of Nehemiah is the perfect example of someone who was given a purpose, and uncovered what these invisible forces that hold each of us back and completed his purpose. Three simple things, that not only helped him fulfill his purpose, but eliminated the toxins from his life. The truths that Nehemiah discovered hundreds of years ago, are still the same truths today that will help us live in confidence and step into the vision for our life.

These are things that I have dealt with and still deal with, that’s why I’m sharing what I’ve learned with you. I think each of us have struggles, let’s face it, if you didn’t you would be a super human. We aren’t perfect super humans, we all want to quit, we all have to face opposition, and we all have to make a choice between what we know is worthy and what we know will ultimately hurt us. I say all this because I’m nowhere near perfect, I just have a vision for how God wants to use all of us for something greater than all of us. So let’s step into something greater.

Combating fear.

Nehemiah was afraid. His people in Jerusalem were unprotected because their great wall had fallen, which left them open for destruction. Nehemiah felt the tug on his heart to do something about it, but what could he do? He was a cupbearer for the king, not of noble descent or of any great political power, but he had a vision. That’s true for all of us. Most of us aren’t bajillionares or celebrities (if you are you should totally promote my blog, yo), we are all simple people with a great vision. The sad truth of it is, most of us would just stop here, have a picture of greater things but be afraid of taking the jump to attain it. Nehemiah was brave, he had favor with the king because of his attitude, and decided to approach the king. Now just in case you don’t know, a cupbearer takes the first sip of the kings drink to make sure it isn’t poisoned, a job very low on the totem pole. Nehemiah trusted God and asked to be brave, and it paid off. Not only did the king support Nehemiah’s wanting to rebuild the wall and lead that mission, he supported him with more than he needed to make this happen. This is so true of our own lives, when we trust God and take a leap of faith, he rewards us even more than we could imagine. When we are brave, we combat fear and cleanse ourselves of the first toxin.

Battle the negative relationships.

Nehemiah was opposed. People didn’t like what Nehemiah was doing, he was standing up for what was right and the people in Jerusalem were so thankful, but others opposed him. I know this is definitely true in my life, whenever I try to follow my vision people around me are so quick to chime in on their “opinions.” We’ve all dealt with this, the comment that gets under your skin, talking behind your back, or the lovely you’re not equipped for this. I say again, Nehemiah was a cupbearer, not an architect, yet God used him. Nehemiah’s opposition was way worse than anything you and I have probably faced, they wanted to kill him and the workers on the wall. That’s pretty serious, and would have been easy for Nehemiah to quit and not complete his vision, but Nehemiah had God and a close community beside him. They stationed soldiers alongside the workers on the wall, so as the wall was completed, the guards protected the mission. So often in my life I want to focus on the negative actions of people and I miss the people that God has placed in my life to walk with me. I listen to the words of the enemy when the life giving people are right next to me. Nehemiah prayed to God and said that any curse spoken against the people of Jerusalem would be turned back on their enemies. Nehemiah knew that he couldn’t stop the voices, but he trusted God to handle it and protected his people. We need to give God control and protect ourselves from the negative words. The negative relationships in your life need to go, trust God and eliminate the toxin of life taking relationships. We were made to be so much more than to be trapped in friendships or romantic relationships that hurt us rather than build up our lives.

Dedicate the wall.

The wall was built and the people were safe, but Nehemiah knew there was one more objective to complete. He had faced all the odds and completed the purpose for his life, and he dedicated his work to the Lord. So often we forget to thank God for the work he has done, we’re quick to pat ourselves on the back and we lose sight of our powerful creator that gave us the passion to begin with. Nehemiah 12:43 says, “and they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy…The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.” Our lives should be shouting to everyone around us who gave us the strength to be the best we can be, to say that I am powerless, but he has made me brave. The final part to getting rid of the toxicity that holds us back, is to dedicate our lives to the one who created all things.

In our fear and in the hurt we make excuses as to why we can’t do something, but God says we can. Over and over again we all have a vision of where we want to be and what we want to do, but we are held back by such insignificant things. No matter what you’ve done before, how old or young you are, I think that each of us is made for something so much bigger. We all have a story and we play such a small part in God’s large plan. Even though life may hurt, and believe me it does, there is so much more for each of us. My vision is to help the next generation see that they are so much more valuable than they can even imagine. I want to help you be the best you can be. We all have purpose and we all have to fight daily to be brave and refuse to listen to the toxic lies our enemy uses to stop us. You were made by God to do great things.

Step into your legacy.

-Joshua Thomas

What is your vision? How has God been using you? I’d love to hear from what you guys think. Leave a comment, share the blog, and most importantly, think about it. Thanks for reading!

Destiny Awaits

September 14, 2015 / Joshua Thomas / Leave a comment

Everyone has a yearning for something greater, we all have been given a drive to leave our mark on this world. I think about this a lot, like a lot a lot (too many lots?). I know I’m not the only one whose mind is drawn to be something greater, because I know that God made us to be more than where we are. There is a problem that can come up, we look to the wrong things to pursue. Isn’t that the terrible truth, we want to find our passion and purpose, but we lose sight of the path that God has placed us on. While thinking about this, I began to watch one of the greatest movies of all time, Star Wars. The movie is filled with great truths that can be applied many ways, but one theme jumped out to me that had never before. Our main character Luke, in the beginning is a simple farm boy on a distant planet, and later becomes the warrior that he was called to be to bring peace and justice. That’s a pretty great calling, we all want to become great, to save others and bring peace to those around us, but Luke didn’t want to do this. The first time we see Luke, it is apparent to see that he doesn’t want to be a farmer, he wants to be a pilot. Not a bad passion to pursue, but when we see the old Ben Kenobi, he tells Luke that he was made for so much more. Like all of us, Luke is so focused on what he wants, that he almost misses his true purpose. Now I know some of you may have glazed over while I was talking about this amazing movie, but the fact is, the movie reveals something that we all fight.

We all have an enemy actively working against us (See previous post for more on that topic), but we also fight ourselves. So often this thing called pride jumps in our way when we ask God what he wants of us. We begin to idolize our pursuits. This could be the pursuit of a job that may make you more money, but take away your influence and doing what you enjoy. It could also mean pursuing an unhealthy relationship when you really should know better, our idolizing the idea of needing a relationship to be complete. This could be a pursuit of earthly pleasure rather than seeking God for our joy. We begin to believe that our way is better, that maybe this is what God wants me to do. We stop listening to the Ben Kenobi’s in our life that have gone before us and have wisdom we can’t even imagine. Pride makes us want to be a space pilot rather than a hero of the universe. Today I want to talk about some ways that God has taught me to fight against pride, and these are things that I still have to actively press into, because none of us are perfect. I want to help you to find what God has for you rather than your own plans, because God has given me a greater vision for my own life.

It’s not about us.

This is the first thing we need to understand in order to step into purpose. God made you with a specific purpose to be a beautiful man and woman after his image, but you are not the most important person in the world. My mom used to say to my sister and I, “The world doesn’t revolve around you.” Now twelve year old Joshua would get mad, but it’s true, and it’s something the bible says very clearly. Galatians 6:3 says, “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Now don’t feel depressed and think that you don’t have a purpose, that’s another lie. The truth is, in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” You play an important role for the kingdom, you were designed from the start for something big. It’s not about us, because it is about Jesus. Once we live into that truth, we are on our way to beating pride.

Humility Brings wisdom.

What we just learned is the basis for living a humble life. Pride hurts us and causes us to be foolish, but when we live in humility, we gain wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble comes wisdom.” Wisdom is such an important virtue to apply to your life. When we are living wisely, each decision we make is looked at through a different lens, we choose what will help and what will hurt. So when we live wisely, we think about how that new career will change us, or that maybe this relationship shouldn’t go any further, wisdom reveals what God wants for us, rather than blindly following what we think we know. We get wisdom from God’s word. That’s the reason we have the bible and the reason why people say you should read it, because it is so important for your life! Wisdom comes from the understanding of what God freely gives. Be humble and let God speak.

Listen to wise people.

This is the last piece of the arsenal to combat pride. God has placed people in your life strategically to help you make the best choices. Even in wisdom and humility, it can get hard to see if what you begin to pursue, really is the place for you. When you find yourself in situations like this, stop, look around you, and ask. Everyone, no matter how perfect they may seem, has someone they go to talk about ideas with and ask for help. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” In Star Wars, Luke chose to follow his true path and he had Ben Kenobi train him. In any movie, book, or important person in life, all of them have a mentor. Finding one may seem daunting, but trust me when I tell you it will be the best thing you could ever do. Over and over again I find myself in situations where I don’t know what to do, or why the world feels like it’s crashing down around me. In those moments I know I can talk to my mentor, and even if they don’t know the answer, they always join me in prayer to fight against the things I am facing. We are warriors, we all need sensei’s.

The world is big and filled with unknowns. We are all made for so much more, God designed each and every one of us to do great things. You may feel like you don’t know where you’re headed or if where you’re going is where you know you should be. Don’t fear the unknown, trust on the one thing you can know is constant through all things. You have a destiny that will play a part in things you can’t even imagine. You will influence people in ways you may have never even fathomed, and you may not see the effect of what you have done. Take heart, God will use you, because he made you to be exactly who you are. I know for me it’s hard to believe that you were made for a purpose, because I have had to face adversity and people telling me I’m not good enough or strong enough to do anything important. This is the biggest lie, and if anyone says something like that to you, know this: You are special, you can do all things, you are important, and you are unique. No matter how many people would say things that cut like a sword, and sometimes still do, my family always reminded me that God made me. When you live into your royalty of Christ, no one can ever stop you from achieving your destiny. So be unique, be different, be who God made you to be.

Your destiny awaits.

-Joshua Thomas

Knowing Is Half the Battle

September 7, 2015 / Joshua Thomas / 1 Comment

In 80’s and 90’s cartoons, the phrase “knowing is half the battle,” was a well-known psa ranging from G.I. Joe to Transformers. It taught kids the dangers of things like not wearing a seatbelt or talking to strangers and would always end in saying, “and knowing is half the battle.” In life this is also true, we have dangers that can come at any moment, and yes wearing a seatbelt is important, but that’s not what I’m talking about. What I’m talking about is our enemy, yup that guy, the devil. Contrary to popular Halloween costumes and cartoons, our enemy doesn’t run around with horns and a little red pitchfork, he is much worse than that. He is actively working against you to stop you from reaching your potential, and the rules of war don’t apply to him. Our mutual enemy will stop at nothing to bring us down. How do I know this? Well John 10:10 says, “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This is Jesus speaking and he uses “thief” to describe our enemy, because a thief takes without caring. Thankfully, Jesus ends that verse by saying he came to help us live life to our fullest potential, but that won’t prevent you from being attacked again and again by the thief.

So, you may be asking, “What should I do to protect myself?” This is something I have been asking myself for the past year. You see, the past year has felt like an unrelenting attack against myself and my family. I have seen friends walk away, friends pass away, and have to see my brother struggle with heavy oppression from the thief. My family has been hit with a barrage from the thief, trying to do anything to bring us down. Now, this isn’t me fishing to get compliments or asking for special help. This is just me showing you that you’re not the only one, I have never liked feeling alone and isolated, and when the enemy attacks, it can feel like we are the only one. I want to sit here and tell you it’s going to be alright, because we know how the enemy will come at us, and knowing is half the battle.

Over the next few paragraphs, I will break down each of the three steps the thief will try and stop you, and show you how God equips us with all that we need and more.

The thief wants to steal your innocence.

This is such a small step that can hurt us so deeply. This is the first lie that we are told, even from the start of our childhood. You can spot this fairly easily once we start looking for it, the thought of, “it’s not that bad.” I can’t tell you how many times this lie has gone into my head to justify what I’m doing. We live in a fallen world and it can be hard not to be exposed to things we wish we couldn’t have seen or heard, and it starts happening earlier and earlier in age. A banner add on a website pops up with a scantily clad woman advertising some silly game, television gets more comfortable with using adult language and themes, video games meant for older people get played by seven year olds. Now before you think I’m some snob who hates anything not rainbows and gummy bears, on the contrary. I think the internet is incredible for information and communication, television can convey themes and emotions like nothing else, and video games are a beautiful art form. What I’m saying is, the things in this world can turn so quickly if we live with the idea of it’s not that bad. When we see things like this, we get adblockers and accountability software on our computers, we turn the tv off when that show comes on or when that Victoria’s Secret commercial comes on, and we become responsible adults and look at the ratings before we buy games for our kids. We need to guard our minds so the enemy can’t steal our innocence. We do this by filling our minds with things that are good and pleasing. Guard your mind.

The thief wants to kill you.

That’s kind of intense, and yes it is, we have an enemy that doesn’t have your best interest in mind. This is when the thief tries to hurt the things around you. A friend dies, you lose your job, and you feel as if you can’t get anything right. In this moment you have a choice, do you run towards or away from God? This is all on you, this decision I have faced and I have seen friends in the same situation. I have chosen to run away, how an all-powerful God could let this happen is beyond me. I think you have done this as well, all too often, just like me. Nothing good has ever come from this decision. We feel lost, we lose the joys that life once gave, and we feel utterly alone. Don’t choose this, because I have begun to choose the second option, run towards him. It seems foolish, but this is the wisest decision anyone could ever make. You begin to step into your purpose, using your story as a testimony. You gain more joy than you could ever imagine, even when it hurts. You feel surrounded by friends and those you call family. You have chosen to guard your heart. In times when it feels like you are walking through hell and your heart aches, guard it by choosing to run into the Father’s embrace. Guard your heart.

The thief wants to destroy you.

This is the final attack, not only does he want your mind and kill your heart, he wants to utterly destroy you and everything around you. The word destroy means to leave things in rubble. This is the one that hurts me the most. I have seen friends lose their mind and heart, and once they had nothing left, they took their life. This brings me to tears, even now in this coffee shop, because this is the biggest lie of all. Even in your brokenness, God has designed you for a beautiful purpose. Never give up. No matter what happens to you or to those you love, God wants to bring you out of the pit and make you a king and queen, you are royalty. The enemy only wants to decimate you and those around you, but he has no control over you. You make the final choice, so guard your life by choosing it. In Christ we find love and protection over all opposition because he has already won, he beat death so we could have life. Guard your life.

My prayer this year has been that God would take me on an adventure, to face the odds and find the treasure that is held in life. This has definitely been filled and then some. The enemy has tried to steal from me, kill me and destroy me; but God has not left me. He gave me the wisdom to know how the enemy will come at me, and knowing is half the battle. The final half is choosing to guard my mind, heart, and life with everything in me. I urge you, when life throws pain at you and when the enemy tries to decimate all that you are, place your eyes towards heaven and run towards the one who gives you life. We are all on the adventure, we all face harsh weather and mountains to climb, but we are never alone and we are never unprepared. My heart is to help the next generation see that they are valued and to help everyone see that they can do all things through Christ. So guard your mind, guard your heart, and guard your life; because Jesus came that we may have life, and life to the full.

Live life to the fullest.

-Joshua Thomas