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If you were to receive a letter or package in the mail that doesn’t belong to you, normally, the postal service will allow you to write “return to sender” on it; they will return it to the original sender at no cost. This is an antidote for life. When it comes to receiving anything that isn’t authorized by God Almighty Himself, it needs to go back to where it came from. Whether it’s a job, a new relationship, or even financial increases, you want to make sure that anything and everything new in your life has your name on it, that it’s been stamped by the Lord Jesus Christ and is completely orchestrated by Heaven above.
You may think that’s going a bit over-board, but really when it comes to our lives, we can’t afford to make costly mistakes, because they consume a lot of time. They deplete our stamina and cause us to lose momentum on our Christian journeys. We can regain stamina and momentum, but time is lost forever; so, we need to be careful about the decisions and choices we make. Regardless of what it may be, you want God’s approval above all else.
My father would say to my sisters and me, “When you lay your heads down on your pillow at night, you are the ones that have to be happy and at peace with whatever choices and decisions you’ve made today.” This piece of wisdom has stuck in the recesses of my mind for many, many years, because it cuts straight to the chase of the monumental effect that one simple choice can have on one’s life.
Some years ago, a close acquaintance was in the real estate business and owned quite a number of properties. He was very well known as a savvy and successful business man. I told him I was in the process of looking to purchase my first home, and he was very eager to assist. He even went so far as to set up a meeting for me with one of his top associates to discuss different options for first-time home buyers. Once it came down to signing some paper work, my spirit whispered that this was not the right move, and that working with my friend was not the right direction.
I thought, “Why am I second guessing this?” It seemed logical. My friend had been in this real-estate game for many years. He knows all the ins and outs of home-buying, and he had seemingly popped back in my sphere at a very opportune moment. At first glance, it looked as if my friend was sent by God for the purpose of helping me navigate this big purchase, but internally, the Holy Spirit was not confirming the package. While God certainly can move and work through anyone to bless His people, our first responsibility as His children is to be attentive to His Spirit, and the indwelling Holy Spirit was nudging me to examine the package I had received more closely. It didn’t have my name on it.
The enemy is insidious and will use even well-meaning individuals to counterfeit a blessing and trick us into accepting something that was never meant for us. In John 8:32(NLT), Jesus Christ said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” He’s telling us about the confirmation of the truth; it makes us free. There’s a feeling of peace associated with this freedom, and whenever we don’t have it, the Spirit will call attention to the absence of it. He, the indwelling Holy Spirit, was pulling me in another direction, and I chose to follow Him. I trusted God to steer me, and of course, He backed my faith every step of the way. This is how many single women have to be when it comes to new relationships with someone that is seemingly delivered into their lives. We can’t assume this person is sent from God. We must be patient and wait for the Lord’s confirmation.
God tells us through the Apostle Peter in 1Peter 5:8(NLT), “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” As God’s people, our posture should always be one of alertness, paying attention to what is happening internally, in our spirit-man, and externally to anything sent our way.
Psalm 37:5 (NLT) tells us, “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” Life is filled with complex choices and challenges, and this is why we must seek God first in all that we do, and commit everything to Him. As His children, we only want to invest in those things that He has put His stamp of approval on. If He hasn’t, the Holy Spirit will let us know, and we can then mark it “return to sender” at no cost. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Return to Sender!”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
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