Eyes Focused On Jesus

                                                                     Eyes Focused On Jesus

It is easy to have faith when everything in your life is going well. But when a storm hits, it may put you in a position where you are sinking and crying out, Lord save me!

I can hear Jesus saying “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?”

As Christians, we all have times in our lives when we encounter various storms such as, finance, divorce, poverty, death, anxiety, etc.. And we begin to sink in fear and doubt.

As the storm take us under, once again I hear Jesus saying “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?”

How many times has Jesus come through for you? Why do you doubt now?

James 1:2 tells us to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trails, know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

Your storm is producing something great in you. What do not kill you will only make you stronger.

I bet If Peter would have kept his eyes on Jesus, instead of the storm; he would have not begun to sink

What are your eyes focusing on?

The storm in your life, or Jesus

Look closely...What do you see?

 

 

Why do we let others pick a category to identity who we are?

I am more than what their eyes can see. I am more than a check box that puts me in a limited category, as an African American male, age 26, height 5”10.

Ok, I lied about the height.

Who am I? I identify myself as a Christian first.

Then, I am also a husband, a father, a brother, an educated individual, a motivator, a coach, a mentor, a continuous learner and much more.

I am more than a color. I am more than what people are limited to see.  

Mother Story Inspires Son

                                                          

Last night I asked my mother about our family history. She told me that it all started in Haiti. As a child, my mother grew up in a single-family household. She never knew her father. Her mother, my grandmother, was raised by her older brother. Her parents died when my grandmother was a few years old.

During the war in Haiti, my grandmother decided to travel to the US to look for a better life for her family. She left my mother and my mother’s sister in the hands of friends for about a year. My grandmother later sent someone to bring my mother and her sister to the US. My mother mentioned that her journey to the US on a boat with hundreds of people, she did not eat. She also mentioned that she believed the cause of her sister death was due to the food that was giving to her.

My mother is a strong woman. I can’t imagine what it was like for her as a child to be in a boat, hungry and with no family.  I can imagine every day her mind was telling her to give up, but her determination and will to make it was stronger.

There are days when I want to give up. There are also days when I feel very alone.  

 

Last night, my mom's story helped me realize that our family members are not quitters. It doesn’t matter what struggles I go through, my determination and will is too powerful to give up even if my mind thinks otherwise.

I love my mother!!!!!

If God did it for me He can do it for you.

There are a lot of stories about victims who became victorious. I grew up in poverty and was raised by a single mother. There were time when my brothers and I had no electricity or food in our home. At a young age, we were in the house alone for weeks raising ourselves. At an early age I learned how to hustle. I lied, manipulated, stole; whatever it took to get what I needed. 

One of the challenges I remember was during my senior year in high school. On my way home from taking senior pictures I was in a car crash with my best friend. On a two way street a car tried to pass another car and hit us head on. My best friend tried to avoid the car, but the car crashed into us anyways. Bracing myself, I hit the dashboard. Thinking the car would explode, I jumped out of the car and fell to the ground. A few seconds later I heard a loud cry, Anderson! My best friend thought I went out the window. By the grace of God we both survived the crash.

Another challenge I remember was during my senior year in college. I was dealing with a lot of things. I had family issues at home and my girlfriend at the time was pregnant. With all of the challenges, I was invited to church by a fraternity brother. That day the pastor said all of the right things. I was tired of struggling, doing things on my own, not knowing my purpose and being frustrated about life. 

That day I threw in the towels, and told God YES! If God did it for me, He can do it for you.

Never Give Up

Have you ever sat and thought about life’s challenges you have come through in your Christian walk?  Well this morning was one of those days for me. As I was driving to the gym I started to think of my life struggles. And I began to count the blessings God has granted me. We know that everyone goes through some type of adversity. But not everyone makes it out to share the story of their victory!

Here is what helped me to overcome my struggles. I hope that it will encourage you.

1.       Prayer- Psalm 34:4 says “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears”. I am not saying only pray when you go through struggles. I am just saying that when you call upon the Lord He will be there.

2.       People- To go quickly, go alone. To go far, go together- African Proverb

3.       Personal Attitude- Never, never, never give up