God’s Gifts That Keep on Giving

Do you need to know if that potential mate or that business opportunity is from God? On the surface, that man or that new project appeals to your senses. That man is saying all of the right things and does a few good things. That business proposition offers a few answers to your prayers, mainly provision. However, is the man or the offer truly a gift from God? 

Below are some Bible verses that lend insight into God’s character through His giving. 

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Meditation: God does not give a good and perfect gift that comes from God will never be a lesser version of what you desire and need. His gift will always be better than what you’ve requested. 

James 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

 

Meditation: God does not require us to go out and get what we desire by any means necessary. You will not have to do anything wrong or think anything wrong to have the desires of your heart. Moreover, His gifts will not require you do anything that compromises your faith. 

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Meditation: God will never promise you anything and change His mind. He is perfectly incapable of lying to you or being flaky; why would He give you a gift that is a partial truth or that He intends on taking back? He wouldn’t. 

Psalm 85:12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase.

Meditation: God is the Perfect Giver. He gives gifts that will add to our lives and not take away.

God is sovereign, just and loving. He is above all, a magnificent Giver, who would not give you something that is imperfect to His plan for your life. If He believes you to be a precious pearl, then why would He give you anything unworthy of your stature in Him? He would not though we sometimes choose people and opportunities with the belief that He approves of those choices. Meditate on His Word to increase your discernment and your faith.

Ask Wynter: Heartbreak

I was in a four year relationship that just recently ended. I have been going through a lot of emotional pain and crying a lot. How do I get back to the woman that God created me to be? How do i get my self-esteem and confidence back? How do I get through the pain of it all without feel like im going to fall apart? Thank you.

Shayla
Houston, TX

Dear Shayla,

Thank you for submitting your question. I know that you are in the midst of, what feels like, a major whirlwind in your life. It’s truly just that, a whirlwind.  By definition a whirlwind is “a small rotating windstorm of limited extent”. This is not to say that what you’re currently enduring is small. I too was wounded by and recovered from a painful heart break as I mentioned in my book, I Am a Pearl: A Woman’s Guide to Understanding Her Pain, Process, and Purpose. But this is to say that no matter how painful, destructive, and violent a whirlwind is, it is still limited and temporary. The tears, the pain, the brokenness, and the self-doubt are all temporary. The things that we feel in moments of confusion and pain are like whirlwinds that manifest themselves but for a moment before we limit them by allowing the power of God to permeate in our lives.

You questioned how you can get back to the woman that God created you to be, but I believe that in this moment you are getting closer to being everything that God called you to be. The Bible reads in James Chapter 1 to “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” I believe that in this moment in your life God is producing wisdom, strength, perseverance, and a heart of compassion in you that will minister to lives of other women who may be going through similar trials.

During this time you should commit to replacing the time that you spent on that relationship with things that will help you get back to your first love, God. Read God’s word more, connect with Him through prayer, join a ministry at church if you’re not yet serving, fast for understanding, and commit to doing something for yourself that may have been inhibited by that relationship. Get back to God and He will move in a way that you have never before experienced. Fill those voided spaces in your heart with Him and watch Him move in a tremendous way in your life. The Bible says in Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” He will add peace unto you, purpose unto you, understanding unto you, and all that you need to be who He created you to be if you just devote yourself to Him at this time. I hope that this message blessed you. I truly believe that you have a new beginning on the horizon. Continue to seek Him!

God Bless You,
Wynter

Ask Wynter: Finding My Purpose

Hello Wynter, I saw you this morning on Debra Duncan's show...and by the way, Congrats on engagement! My question to you is, how do you find your true calling in life? I have been on the same job for 20 years and I am not happy at all. Financially I am no better off than 10 years ago. I have strong feeling that I am suppose to be doing something else, I've prayed and prayed and prayed and I get no answers.

 My family and friends say that I am a people person and that whatever I do; I should be in customer service. I manage a rental car company in Houston and so I'm dealing with customers all the time and although I do have a relationship with most of them, it's not something I'm just dying to keep doing!! How do I get direction in life, I feel so lost and about ready to give up on trying to do more. Again, I do pray and my prayers are not being answered.

Sheba, Houston, TX

Dear Sheba,

You are not alone; I too have struggled with understanding my purpose in the past. In fact, I believe that nearly every Christian at some point will question exactly what they were put on earth to do; especially when we understand that everything that God creates has purpose.

Don’t give up! Believe it or not you’re at a great place. The uneasiness in your spirit about your current situation is indicative that there is something greater for you.

Your purpose is tied to your passion. My advice to you is to continue to pray; in addition you might want to begin to start journaling a couple of times a week. Begin to search your heart about the things that burden your heart. What problem in the world would you love to solve? What groups of people are you most concerned about (i.e. seniors, children, women)? What do you love to do? What are your talents, skills, etc? In addition to your prayers, begin to ask yourself those questions and write your answers down. Use this as an opportunity to make some observations about yourself. Do this for a couple of weeks and revisit it. The answer usually lies somewhere in the information that you will be collecting about yourself.

We know that true faith requires some action (James 2:20); therefore do not take this task lightly. I believe God will begin to reveal to you exactly what you have been ordained to do. I commit to praying with you that your revelation comes sooner than later. Once you receive your revelation begin to pray for opportunities to put your purpose in action. Believe me, opportunities will come. 

May God bless you on your journey and please keep me informed on your progress.

Sincerely,

Wynter  L. Patterson

Feel free to share your thoughts.

I Don't Want to Write a Blog!!

Not long ago as I began to discover my purpose and understand my mission in life, I began to seek the advice of a mentor with a similar passion. Essentially we both embrace a desire to help God's people reach their fullest potential. She had already written 2 books, created a website and was continually coaching others to success, so I deemed her to be a pretty credible resource.

One morning we met for breakfast and I explained some of the things that God had placed on my heart. Her immediate response was, "you should start a blog." One problem: what is a blog??  Now before you shake your head at me, let me explain. Although I had read plenty of blogs, I had no idea how to write one, no desire to write one, and hardly a real understanding of what it was to be a blogger. Tweeting was easy, but blogging?!

My initial response was, "I don't want to write a blog." Instead of asking the questions I needed to ask, or doing the research, my first reaction was fear of the unknown.  She explained that blogging was a great tool to touch exponentially more people than you could ever reach by writing a book or a speaking engagement. Even after the explanation I was still fearful and asked for alternative suggestions.

In reviewing my reaction, and my reluctantly to start a blog (I received the suggestion nearly a year ago); I realized I was operating in fear. I didn't want to try something new because of my ignorance on the topic and my fear of rejection. After much prayer, I decided to follow my mentor's advice. After all, it's just a blog right? Lol.

Seriously, I had to let fear go in order to experience something new. Who knows who I will be blessed to connect with, how much I'll learn, or who will be blessed simply because I put fear aside.

I believe that many times we turn down opportunities because of fear. We don't dare to try new things because of fear. How many times have you almost ordered that exotic dish at a restaurant only to change your mind for fear of disappointment? If we're honest, it happens to the best of us on many different levels.  I'm so glad that I was able to overcome my fear and share my thoughts with you. The bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity, but of power! (2 Tim 1:7) 

I challenge you to evaluate your areas of fear. What fear is holding you back from pursuing your dreams? What ideas are prohibiting you from trying something new? As people of the Most High God we must recognize fear and put it aside because fear does not come from God. God has empowered us all to succeed, however at times it will require entering into unknown territory and taking calculated risks. I am committed to abolishing fear in my life.

What are your thoughts?