Where Have I Been?

   "She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said." (Luke 10:39)

    Hey friends! I realize that I have been M.I.A. for quite some time now. Don't worry, I'm still alive & I haven't forgotten about Be His Girl! So, what have I been up to.......

   I have been at the feet of Jesus. I realized that I needed so much more of Him & I was willing to unplug from social media, blogging, and bad relationships/friendships to get what I needed. I must say that these past few months have been challenging, but I have seen Jesus move in my life like never before. The intimacy with Him has been at a deeper level & it has been so refreshing. 

"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!'" (Luke 10:40)

    Many times we find ourselves in places where we need help. Our lives start spinning out of control, or we just feel hopeless. We need alone time with God, but instead of running to Him, we run to Facebook and scroll until our fingers get tired. We run to another guy hoping that he will love us better than the last guy. We run to the mall hoping to preoccupy our minds so that we're not focused on the real issue. We run to all of these things when we KNOW that they won't fill us! We'll wait until we reach the last straw before we run to God. 

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”(Luke 10:41-42)

    Know that in Christ is everything you need. Stop going to other things first & run to Him. Martha was so busy with everything that she totally missed her moment with Christ. She wasn't willing to glean from the one she was preparing for and He was right there!  Her sister knew that those other things were pointless because her right before her was everything that she needed. She wanted to embrace Jesus while she could. That's where our hearts should be. We should do whatever we can to hear from the Father while we still have a chance.

    If God is tugging on your heart to spend more alone time with Him, do it. If you are feeling empty & you need more, go to the Well that is never ending! Run to the Father & sit at His feet. Listen to what He is saying. Cast all of your cares upon Him. Allow Him to speak & heal you every where you hurt. Be like Mary & receive what God has for you. He's tired of seeing you down. He's tired of seeing you on "E". He wants to fill you, but you have to be willing to stop & choose Him.
  
    Can't wait for all that God has in store for this year. I've been writing, so I will definitely be back soon. Love you all!

 

Relationship.

 Relationship - "the state of being connected by blood or marriage."

    From the beginning of time, God created us to be His. He wanted us. He wanted us as His children. He wanted a relationship with us. That relationship was tainted when Adam and Eve gave into the deception of the serpent and disobeyed God. Ever since then, sin separated man from God, but that didn't stop Him from loving & desiring to be close to us. The Bible tells us in Romans 5:8 that God publicly displayed His love for us while we were still sinners by sending His son, Jesus Christ, to die for us.

His pursuit of us never stopped while we were caught up in our selfish ways!

    So, here we have God, the creator of all things, who desired to have us as His children, even though He knew we would disobey Him. In spite of us being us, He sent His Son to die for us so that we could be reconciled with Him. So that we could be related. 

   All of us have relationships, whether if it's with someone you like, your parents, friends, etc. We all know that in order to be in a relationship with someone, the two of you must be connected by some thing. This connection could be by blood, common interest, or marriage. The definition above says connected by blood or marriage. When Christ shed His blood, we were being reconnected with God. When He rose, we were given the opportunity to become His again.

 Relationship - the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the of being connected.

    How can we accept the opportunity to be in a relationship with God? By confessing our sins & declaring Him as Lord of our lives. Now, it doesn't stop there. We become His children by living righteous and holy (1 John 3:10). Now, seems like a big standard right? Right, but it is totally possible! The Bible tells us in Psalm 119:9 that a young person can keep their ways pure by living according to God's word.

 "Sadly, we have gotten to a place where our relationships with people are thriving while our relationship with God suffers severely." - Tasha Cobbs, Worship 101 

   Our relationships with Christ are suffering, unfortunately. We say we love Him, but we don't take the time to get to know Him. We're constantly filling our time with others things that aren't beneficial, such as social media, boyfriends, etc.  Not saying those things are bad because I've had all of them before, but there must be a balance and God must be above them all.

    There's no secret, hard formula for having a relationship with Christ. Your relationship with Him is what you put into it. If you desire to have a strong relationship with Him, you must communicate with Him daily through prayer & listening. You must study His word & live by it. We weren't meant to do this alone, so it is also good to surround yourself with other young believers to hold each other accountable.

    I know your feelings are telling you that a "cute relationship" is what you need to feel loved. I know the world is telling you that if you have 1000+ followers on Instagram, then you would be enough. That's not the case & the feelings that those things can give you are temporary! Trust me, I know from experience! What you need is to embrace the unfailing, never changing love of Christ & realize that He is enough.

    God loves YOU! He desires to be in a relationship with you. He desires to be everything that you need and want, but you have to do your part! It's time for us to disconnect from temporary sources of happiness and connect to the One who will give us complete joy and satisfaction: Christ.

I've Fallen...Now What?

It is often believed that once you're saved, you're free from temptation. That has to be the biggest misconception ever. When you surrender your life to Christ, things will not be all sun-shines & rainbows. Satan is going to try to do whatever he can to get you back on his team.

So, what happens when you've been living for Christ strong, and then all of a sudden your weakness is thrown at you? You know that one ex-boyfriend that used to push you closer to sin is now blowing up your phone. Or, that one friend that you used to smoke and party with is now all of a sudden wanting to hang out again. You give in to that temptation & you do what you once told God that you would never do again. Now, you're feeling convicted. You're broken & the enemy is telling you that there's no way that God will forgive you now!

Let me just remind you that the devil is a liar!  

One of the greatest examples of forgiveness after a fall is David. David was highly favored in the Lord's eyes. He was called a man after God's own heart. One day, he slipped up & had relations with another man's wife. She then became pregnant. Once he found this out, he secretly plotted to have her husband killed! Crazy right?!? The Bible tells us in 2 Samuel 11:27 that God was not pleased with David at all, but was willing to give him another chance.

David confessed his sins after being rebuked by a friend. Soon after, God forgave David, but he had to face some consequences. God could've killed David, but instead He offered David His grace. 

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

David was a man after God's heart, but he was a man. In his pursuit of God, he made a detour because of his flesh. You may be like David. You want God & you desire to follow Him, but you have made a detour. You've made a mistake & now you're facing the consequences. There is hope for you. Know that God understands that we are nothing but mere mortals. He knew that we were going to make mistakes, but He still wanted to be in an intimate relationship with us. So much that He allowed His only son to be killed so that we could be reconciled with Him. 

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Like David did in Psalm 51, find a place & cry out to God for change. He is waiting for you with open arms! God wants to be close to you no matter the amount of sin you have committed. He just wants you to be willing to change your mind & repent. Don't believe all of those stupid lies that the enemy whispers in your ears. You are still loved by God! God still desires to be close to you! You can start over & receive grace!

God doesn't want you to just sit in your guilt. He wants you to reconnect with Him. Listen, there were many times when I lost my way & felt that God didn't want anything to do with me. I kept going to church & I kept reading His word. Through that, I was reassured that He still loved me! I cried out to Him & made a choice to never go back. Those things & people that I once loved was not worth missing Jesus. Just like He forgave me, He wants to do the same for you. There's no pit too deep for Him. If you call out with a sincere heart, He will pull you up, dust you off & give you a new name. God is waiting to hear your cry. Will you receive your forgiveness today?

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

Obedience.

Have you ever asked someone to do something important and they don't do it? For example, you ask your friends to R.S.V.P. for your party by a certain date, but they drag their feet and do it late. Now, you can't get the cheaper group rate that you wanted. Or, has your parents asked you to do something at a specific time, but you do it whenever you feel like it. Now, you're on punishment because you couldn't follow simple instructions (that was me a lot growing up).

Lately, I've been really frustrated with people because they don't do as I ask; I mean very important things. I was more frustrated with the fact that my plans had to change because of the lack of response. It felt like I was this invisible person & no one could hear me. One night, I began to dwell on my frustrations and I immediately thought about how God feels when He constantly tells us to do something and we never do it. Instantly, I was convicted and thought, "Am I making God frustrated because of my lack of response to His instructions?" I had to pray & ask God for forgiveness at that moment.

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)

This scripture often rests on my heart. How can I say I love God if I always disobey Him? How can I say I love God & I treat my neighbor like trash? How can I love God, but when He tells me to end that toxic relationship, I hold on to it as if He never said a word.

"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)

Loving and respecting God goes hand in hand with obeying God. Our obedience to His word proves our love for Him. If we truly love Him the way we proclaim to, then we would do what He tells us. Some of the things God instructs us to do are major, but a lot of times they are simple instructions. Simple instructions to help us become a better version of ourselves. Just like a parent, God wants the absolute best for your life. He wants you to experience everything that He has for you, but the only way you're going to experience it is if you live a life of obedience.

Now trust me, obedience to God isn't always easy, but I believe that it is worth it. God rewards us for our obedience, but most importantly, He is glorified when we obey Him! As Christians, we are to live our lives so that Christ is seen & glorified above all else (read Matthew 5:16)! It's all about Him shining & being glorified! 

So check this: in Acts 5:12-42, Peter and the disciples faced opposition for their obedience to God. They were ridiculed and hated, but they were determined to do exactly what God instructed them to do. They were thrown in jail & beat, but they STILL obeyed God! Because of their obedience, God always provided a way of escape for them & they continued to preach the Gospel! 

If the disciples decided to give up, like we do when the going gets tough, many people would not have known about God & His great love for us! Your obedience to God is not just for you! There is someone out there whose life is depending on you to be obedient to God. The things that He has told you to do will help win souls for His kingdom & set people free!

So, what are some things that God has been tugging at your heart about? I mean things He's told you recently, and even things He's told you years ago! Is it surrendering your all to Him? Is it that book He wants you to write? Is it spending less time on social media? Is it ministering to that unsaved friend? Whatever it is, God hasn't forgotten & He still wants you to do it! Don't be afraid, but show your love for Him by doing what He says. God doesn't want part of you, but He wants all of you! Will you walk in obedience?

Instagram!

Happy Friday, beautiful!

I am excited to announce that Be His Girl has officially joined Instagram! Yes, we're on Instaaaa! lol Follow @behisgirl for more inspirational posts. Be sure to share with your friends! 

We're also on Facebook, so like the page! (https://www.facebook.com/behisgirl)

Thank you for your continuous support & love! Enjoy your 3 day weekend!

-Jamilya

Free from Me.

May I be really honest with you all? I remember looking in the mirror & saying "you're stupid". I remember beating myself up terribly after making a mistake. I remember hating everything about Jamilya. Everything about me was wrong. I never did anything right according to myself. I allowed myself to tear me down. Nothing I said or thought about me was positive. No one knew my struggles. I was a really insecure girl. I hated myself. 

 Then, I had an encounter with Jesus.

We hear the story about Jesus dying on the cross all the time. It is the greatest story ever heard, but the mindset of "it's just a story" has caused us to be blind to its power. Once I grasped the power of what was done on the cross, I realized how special & important I was to God. He loved me so much that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for my sins. He knew I would mess up. He knew I would make dumb decisions, but that didn't & it won't stop Him from loving me!

God loves me flaws & all!

And He loves you the same! You don't have to be perfect! Stop beating yourself up. Stop verbally abusing yourself. You are going to make mistakes, and that's okay. Please know that there is a God who is willing to help & accept you. He desires to be close to you because He adores you!

All of our flaws & mistakes were crucified on the cross when they nailed Him to the wood. When He rose, we gained the gift of grace, which allows us to live daily & be forgiven.

 Now, there are days when I just want to walk around & throw a pity party because of the unwise decisions that I have made, but He won't let me. It's all a lesson. Daily, I'm learning to love myself & my flaws. We all have to learn to accept our flaws & mistakes, place them in the hands of Jesus, and keep going. We can't keep holding ourselves down!

So, here's to being free from ourselves. Never again will we look in the mirror & say "I hate you". Never  again will we beat ourselves up. We won't forget that God loves us regardless of what we've done. We won't allow feed into the silly thoughts the enemy places in our heads that will cause us to crumble. No, our minds are free! We're free from our emotions. They will not control us & make us feel worthless. We will believe & trust in what God says about us. We are not defined by our flaws.

You are beautiful. You are unique. You are His.

Her WORDS: Cursing

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be."

   "Who in here used to cuss?" I raised my hand & the response was, "Jamilya, you used to cuss?!?". Everyone in the room was so surprised! Yes, I used to curse. Now, I wasn't someone who cursed all the time. I would only curse at school when my parents weren't around. You know that goes lol. I cursed because all of the "cool kids" were doing it, and I wanted to fit in.

   When I surrendered my life to Christ, I knew that there were some things that had to change, and cursing was one of those things. I knew that if Jesus Christ was walking next to me in human form, I would not say those words. Why? Because curse words are filthy and they are used in negative ways. Why would I say those things around a holy God? 

    The Bible tells us that God is omnipresent, meaning that He's everywhere at the same time. He sees, knows, and hears all things. He knows it all. Everything that we think we get away with, He sees and hears it. So many of us are living double lives. We act holy on social media & at church, but behind closed doors we curse out our peers and cause chaos everywhere we go. God sees everything and He knows your heart. 

 "But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them." (Matthew 15:18)

   When people had an encounter with Jesus in the Bible, their lives were changed for the better. I mean no one left the way they came. People were healed, restored and changed because of their encounter with Christ. The only people that weren't changed were the Pharisees and their followers, people that were very religious and traditional. They were so stuck in their ways that they missed their opportunity to experience God's truth.

 "The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught." (Isaiah 29:13)

   A lot of us are stuck in our religious and traditional ways. We believe that if we go to church, sing about the Lord, or dance, then we're doing the right thing. Because we're still stuck, we never open our hearts to have a true encounter with the Lord. Religion has consumed our hearts so much that we believe that having a relationship with God is defined by listening to a sermon on Sunday & serving in church. The next 6 days of the week, we feed our spirits garbage & never seek God for ourselves. That's why we're so comfortable cursing and doing other things that are contrary to God's word. 

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)

   As Christians, we're supposed to be lights in the world; images of Christ in this evil world. We are supposed to stand out, but we blend in. The world can't tell that you're a true follower of Christ because your language resembles theirs! Yes, no one is perfect, but God is. If we claim to be His children and claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit, then we should be transformed daily as we follow Him.

   I know that so many of us have a habit of cursing. Some of you desire to break this bad habit because you desire to be closer to Christ. Good news, God is able & willing to help you get rid of it. It is a process, but His grace will keep you! Each day, pray & study God's word. Feed your spirit with things of God. The more you eat, the more you'll be like Him. Each day, I ask God to create in me a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). I know that if my heart is pure, then my words will be pure. I challenge you to pray the same thing & watch God move.

   Always remember that your words are powerful. Always remember that God has called you to be peculiar. He's called you to stand out & to be an example of Him on this earth. Jesus didn't walk around using profanity, so why are we doing it?