Having a printing publishing company allows me the
opportunity to meet so many people; ministry gifts, entrepreneurs and those who
are launching into their business/ministry.
With that great joy of seeing people birth their dream; I’ve also seen
people stop, shut down and go back to their familiar because the unforeseen “sucker
punch” that comes into their lives.
This blog was birthed out of the pain of seeing so many
people not being able to overcome the obstacles that take place after shifting
into a new season. Let me paint the
picture.
Over the years, I have had a couple of customers that came
out with new businesses, became authors, created websites and branded
themselves only to have a sucker punch like a divorce to come up. Maybe they lost their job or a deaf of a
loved one, after pursuing this great adventure of entrepreneurship. So many unforeseen things can transpire after
moving into a new endeavor; but God knew it was coming before they knew, but He
still calls us to move forward. Let me
explain.
We live in a place called “familiar”, “comfortable” and for
some of us “out of order”; yet those are the same areas that are our
normal. We know how to do life in those
places. We know how to maneuver in those
places. We know how to make things
happen in those places. However, when
God shifts us into a new season and we begin to pursue the dream and purpose in
us, we take those same “out of order” ways about us into that new season.
This became prevalent when I started working close with one
of my customers. He launched a book and
business at the same time. Doors were
opening, things were flowing, speaking engagements were coming in and he was in
hot demand. He came out the door running
into this new season hard. I was so
excited to see how many people supported him.
He even had several media coverage as it relates to what he was doing in
the community with his business. One
year later from the release of his first book he was making preparations to
launch a new book, blog talk radio show and we were about to develop his
message when something happened in his life that through him a curve ball.
It was at that moment that God showed me how many other
people started new adventures of entrepreneurship only to shut down the website
after paying for it for months and never making it live and/or never going to
print on their branded material that they paid for because something happened
in their lives. Although I reached out
and tried to help these people, whatever was going on had their attention more
than what I was imparting to them at the time.
Let me briefly share what is going on in the midst of these
“sucker punch” moments we all experience.
God gave me a vision for the friend I was working with… “I saw
him on the step right in front of the door of his destiny, but the baggage he
had been carrying was too much to go through the door.” Many of you who are reading this blog is
feeling the same pressure in your lives and you do not know what is going on. The weight of emotional baggage’s,
relationship baggage’s, financial stewardship baggage’s, baggage of being
out-of-order in different areas in your lives are the things God is trying to
deal with. You cannot go into new
endeavors that God is birthing through you with the same OLD HABITS that are
not producing in your life.
The “sucker punch” moments were not orchestrated by God, but
He allowed it, so you would press into Him, so He can begin to show you those
things you must confront. Many of us are
so distracted by the things that are taking place in our lives that we do not
see what God is trying to deal with US on.
It’s not the other person. It’s
not the boss or our spouse or the incident; it is YOU beloved that God is
trying to expose areas in your life and soul that needs your immediate
attention so God can catapult you into your destiny. Your destiny is awaiting you.
Just like a plant
that has to be trimmed or pruned in order for it to grow greater and fuller;
that is what we too must do. We have to
make adjustments in our lives because when we move forward into our destinies;
we cannot do everything we used to do.
We have to trim our associates and maybe some of the things we used to
entertain, has to be trimmed because you are in a new place, new season, new
level of entrepreneurship….and everything you used to do, you can’t do
anymore. Some of the frustration in our
lives is we are trying to do a new thing, and still hold on to old things and
habits.
How do you recover from a “sucker punch” – seek godly wise
counsel and recognize you can’t do everything yourselves. We live in a world where so many people are
isolated and live among their own counsel.
This is where the enemy plays tricks and deceives a person to thinking
that the decisions they are making are OK.
Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the
multitude of counselors there is safety.”
Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in
the multitude of counselors they are established.”
Also we must learn how to encourage and strengthen ourselves
when “sucker punch” moments occur in our lives.
1 Samuel 1-6 talks about how the enemy came in and destroyed the camp,
stole their property, and took their wives and children. To top that off, the men turned on David and
wanted to stone him. David had to
encourage himself in the midst of a very bad day and it was after that, that he
saw great victory. The secret to
overcoming “sucker punch” moments is to know how to encourage and strengthen
yourself in the Lord. The Lord is
faithful to show you how to overcome every situation so you can win every time.
Karen Presley
Pastor | CEO | Author | Mentor
