I look at people who have had limbs removed and I sometimes wonder what type of adjustments they had to make in order for them to live afterwards. People like those who use to walk but are now confined to a wheelchair or those who lost a hand in a work accident. I would imagine that life would never be the same but at the same time; I would assume this change had to be made in order to save their life. If you had an infection in your finger, wouldn’t you cut it off to save your hand or if you had an infection in one toe, wouldn’t you cut it off to save your foot? I would guess the answer would be yes. You have to sometimes remove the dead or dying stuff from you in order for you to live and I found this to be the same in your spiritual life. The bible says in Matthew 5:30 “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” See, you are holding on to a boyfriend/girlfriend that means you no good they are slowly killing you. You know that boyfriend that comes around when you get paid and then sucks you dry and leave you and your children hungry and now you have to beg and borrow to live? He’s killing you. The girlfriend that always want this and need that and she doesn’t care that you have to work 16 hours to provide for her or even sometimes steal to satisfy her selfish need. She’s killing you. The job that is requiring almost every moment of your life, the 10 hours you work on the clock and then the 5 more you spend working at home; it’s killing you. You need to cut it/them off so that you can live. You do know stress can cause your hair to fall out, acne on your face, heart attacks, and strokes and even can make you go crazy? In other words, it can kill you. Cut it off. If your electric bill is through the roof, then cut off the lights. If your child (ren) can’t abide by your rules, cut them off. If your friends can’t get with the change you’ve made for yourself, cut them off. If the job can’t understand you have a life outside of work, cut them off. Stop trying to please everybody while you are slowly dying.
You’re riding in the car with your boy to go to a sports bar to watch a game and you know that he is always into trouble and has even gotten you into a little bit, but he’s your friend. While riding, you all get pulled over because the car tags are expired but before the officer can get to the window, he tells you he has a small bag of marijuana in the car. He doesn’t want to go to jail again, because he’s already on probation so he asks you to take the charge. What will you do? Or maybe it’s your girlfriend. She’s a little on the wild side but you all have been friends forever, so you can’t turn your back on her. She asks you to go to a party with her and you agree. You get to the party and realize, after walking in, that this could be a bad situation. She’s drinking like normal and is surrounded by a group of guys. You’re trying to watch her while also trying to be aware of your surroundings. She disappears for a while and you find her passed out upstairs in a room with 2 guys and the environment is quickly changing. You’re trying to fight these guys off to get her out of there and when you finally do, you’re shaking and in disbelief that she would actually put you in this type of situation. Then, you got to go home and explain all of this to your husband who is trying to figure out why 2 married women would be at a party like that anyway. But she’s your friend. Would you continue to hang out with her? Again the bible says in Mark 9:43, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.” See, while you are trying to hold on to that friend that keeps getting you in trouble or dangerous situations, you’d better cut them off. While you are trying to hang on to this person, they are causing you more harm than good and I’ve found out that a true friend will never put you in a bind or bad position. A true friend would know you and wouldn’t ever betray the trust that the 2 of you have. A true friend would know you don’t like crowded clubs and parties, so they wouldn’t invite you. A true friend would know that you don’t do drugs, so they wouldn’t do them around you. A true friend would know they can tell you anything and you wouldn’t tell a soul.
Sometimes you have to cut off things in order for you to move. If you got into a hot air balloon, the only way for it to fly you have to release the hot air and cut the strings that are holding it in place. It’s the same way with your Christian walk. In order for you to move to a higher level, you got to release the hot air and cut the strings that are holding you down. That person that keeps telling you that you won’t amount to nothing is blowing the hot air and they are holding you down because you’ve started to believe it. Now, every time you go to apply for a new job that’s a step up from the one you got, you hesitate. Cut the strings and release the hot air so that you can fly above. Isaiah 40:31 says “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Don’t you know that God is all you need? When folks mean stuff for your bad, God is working it out for your good. When folks keep pushing you back, God is saying just wait. When folks keep stepping on you, God is saying just hold on. When folks hate on you, God is saying let them do it because I got you covered. Deuteronomy 28:13 says “The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.” See, God is saying even though you maybe be at the end of the line now, it won’t last because I will turn the line around and make you first. Just because your name is at the bottom of the list, it doesn’t mean anything because I can make the last page first. Not everyone that is close to you are close to you. (You’ll get that later!) Let me repeat what I’ve said before. Somebody you know, that’s probably the closest to you, doesn’t think you deserve the job you got, but look at God. Somebody you know is still trying to figure out how you got approved for the house you got, but look at God working. Somebody is wondering how you made it through heart failure with the life you lived when others, they feel are better, died but look at God working this. Somebody is questioning how you manage to survive when you have no job but look at God working this thang! Somebody is even trying to see how God could have picked somebody like you, who use to be a drug addict, alcoholic and whoremonger, clean you up and now you’re the Youth Director of your church, but LOOK AT GOD WORKING THIS THANG OUT! See, while they are trying to figure it out, God has already worked it out. While they are counting your blessings, they are adding theirs to yours. While they are counting you out, God is simply adding pegs to your footstool and lifting you higher! So go on and tell them to talk about you, lie on you, scandalize your name, try to ruin your relationship, and keep on digging that ditch for you because when it’s all over with God has you covered so all is surely well! Because when I no longer look at what I used to be or how I use to look, I see how I am meant to be. God said he has made me the lender and not the borrower, so in this New Year, make a vow that all that means you no good will be cut off. All that hurts and hinders you from God’s will and stops you from being who you are destined to be needs to be cut off. Deuteronomy 28:12 says “The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.” Isn’t that good news? For God said, YOU WILL RULE OVER MANY NATIONS BUT NONE WILL RULE OVER YOU (Deuteronomy 15:6)! That makes me worthy of God’s calling on my life, what about you?
Lakisha, the Author 