Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 5/23/16 “It cost more to settle!”

Why are you settling? Don’t you know you are worthy of more? If not, then you need to start, today; at this very moment getting to know your worth. Stop settling for the first man or woman who tells you you’re cute/handsome. You ought to know this about yourself. Get through the sweet talk and search their heart. Overlook the batting of those fake lashes or the suave debonair of how he looks in a suit and find out if they can meet the need of being your helpmate. Quit settling for the first church you worship with simply because you enjoyed the service, that day, when you should ensure this is the place of worship where you fit and one that meets your spiritual needs. Stop settling for the first loan offer they give when you should be negotiating what fits your needs and your budget. Look, man or woman of God; you’ve been given everything you need to know your worth. How do I know? Well, God made you in His image and He’s appointed you an heir to His kingdom. This alone ought to increase your value! The bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people–none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.” Verse 11 says (This is the part where you shout), “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Chile, stop allowing folks to pay a thrift store price for you when you’ve been washed in the blood and are now valued at more than money can buy. Stop selling yourself for clearance prices that any ole body can afford when you should be put up for the one who is meant for you. For when this happens, the one you’re meant for won’t have to buy you anyway because you’ll willing offer yourself to him. You’ve got to stop settling! Ladies, stop settling because he drives a fancy car only to find out he isn’t even worth what it cost to fill it up with gas. Men, stop settling because you see the coke bottle shape only to later find out it was that good girdle that gave you the look you wanted and she isn’t worth the cost of it. When you begin to settle for anything, you lose your value and it’s then you’ll sell yourself to the one willing to pay for what you have to offer. But beloved, you’ve got to get to a place where you know and realize that you’re worth more than a $15 steak dinner, a paid cell phone bill or material stuff. Stop settling for what looks good at the moment because it won’t last. Get to know your self-worth in order to then be able to teach the little people you’re raising theirs. Because when you settle it leads to suffering oh but when you don’t, you satisfy the Savior by submitting to Him which then allows you to secure somebody who is spiritual enough to meet the standards of God’s will for your life. Stop settling!

Daily Devotional – 5/19/16 “God said it that settles it!”

Why do you need validation on what God has already promised you? Why do you need to call somebody to make sure the blessing you just received is real and it’s yours? If God sent it or said it, that should settle it! Why do you need the added blessing of Pooh nem to believe it? The first thing you post is, “I can’t believe the blessing I just got,” why not? Or you calling folk with, “Girl, you wouldn’t believe how God is working in my life,” why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t I believe that God has cured your sickness, vacated the death sentence man gave, dropped the charges, enlarged your territory, sent your husband, allowed your vision to go forth, impregnated you with purpose, dried your tears, calmed your fears and blew your mind? Why shouldn’t I believe that? Beloved, I know what God can do so every time He shows up, I am persuaded to believe Him. Why? Because He’s never let me down before. You got the nerve to be shocked when God has allowed you to make it until payday with $8 and half tank of gas. You’re blown away at the fact that you got the job you’ve been praying for. You’re amazed that you made it through the storm, survived when others didn’t and made it when you know you shouldn’t but why, tho? You know the power God possess and you ought to know the power He’s placed within you.

And while you’re calling folk, some of them don’t want to see you prosper no way and they will mess around and talk you out of your blessing. You call to tell them about the job offer and they say it’s too good to be true. You tell them about the car you were just approved for and they say the interest rate too high. You share with them the blessing of your new house and they start bad mouthing the neighborhood. They find out you’ve joined a new church and they start telling you stuff that happened there ten years ago. Let them find out you pay your tithes, go to Sunday school and bible study and support the vision of the pastor and they’ll start badmouthing him/her. And don’t let them see a change in you, they’ll assume it’s for your new boo and not you. Lose some weight and they’ll say stuff like, “You lost too much weight, you don’t look right.” Try to better yourself and they’ll start with, “You think you better than everybody else.” Do anything better today than you did yesterday and folk will start whispering your name. This is why you shouldn’t need your blessing validated by folk. If God has trusted you with it, you ought to trust yourself with it. Stop listening to everybody who says, “God told me to tell you,” especially if you don’t know the God they are serving. This is why 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, stop believing every spirit. Instead, test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” While you are waiting on them to validate your blessing, you may want to check the source of their strength because it may shock you. Trust God and take Him at His word because it never goes out void.

Daily Devotional – 5/18/16 “The hand you’ve been dealt!”

When you’re playing cards, no matter what type, you’re dealt a hand to play. No one knows what you have but you. Now you have the option to do one of two things, play the hand you’ve been dealt or throw it in. If you decide to play it and you’re a true player of the game, you’ll put your game face on. What is a game face? Well, it’s the face that make folk think you have a better hand than you do. It’s the face that looks at your partner and silently asks them the question, “You got this, right?” It’s the face you have to portray in order to throw off the other players. And it’s the face you make that allows you to trash talk your opponent even though you know it’s a possibility you may lose. So, what are you going to do? Yea, you can throw the cards in but then you’ll be forfeiting your chance to possibly win. After all, you don’t know what your partner has in his hands. Yes, you can throw the cards in but then you would have given the opponent the upper hand. So, I ask again, what are you going to do? Are you going to play the cards you’ve been dealt or are you contemplating throwing them in?

Think about it for a moment because someone is sitting, right now, in a place looking at the cards life has dealt you. You’re trying to figure out if you can make it work or will it be better to just throw it all in. You’re looking at the fact that your children are acting like strangers, you’re on the verge of losing your job if you miss one more day, the bank is calling because you’ve been overdrawn too long, the title loan place is calling your family and friends, you can’t get any more check advances and at this moment, it looks better to just throw in the towel. And you can but why do that when you haven’t even looked up at your partner who may just have what you need. Why are you considering throwing in the hand when you haven’t even allowed your partner a say in the matter? Yes, it may look all bad and you don’t know how you can possibly win with this hand but have you checked with your partner? You do know, He’s never lost a game; don’t you? Chile, He’s the champ when it comes to winning; why won’t you try Him? When will you say like Psalm 31:14-15, “But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, “You are my God?” My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.” When will you put your game face on and trash talk your enemy? When will you put your game face on and tap into the strength you’ve been given? Understand this, your partner has what you need to win but He needs you to play the hand. Oh, it might get down to the last few minutes but trust your partner. Will you? Beloved, don’t give up at this point in the game because if you do what you can, the God we serve will do what we can’t.

Daily Devotional – 5/17/16 “Prepare for the position!”

I am convinced that not everybody has the ability to lead. Yea, I am thoroughly persuaded of this. Look, just because you’ve been called to minister, it doesn’t mean you are called to Pastor. Just because you have a degree behind your name, it doesn’t mean you have what it takes to be a leader. Just because you have the experience, it doesn’t mean you are qualified to be a manager. Being in a leadership position takes a lot more than just the experience on paper, it takes preparation. You have to be able to deal with 100 different types of personalities (especially when some folk have 2-3 themselves). You have to be able to give helpful criticism and not your fleshly thoughts. You have to be able to take yourself out of the equation because it’s not about you, all the time. You have to be able to resolve conflict without it getting blown out of proportion. And most of all, you have to be able to shut up and keep some stuff to yourself! Not everything said to you is repeatable. Not everything shared with you is sharable. Being a leader is much more than having a title. It means you may have some longer days and some hard nights. It means you may get more phone calls and text messages than you like. It means you may have to visit the hospital, checking on folk, more than you’d wish. It means you may have to be the one to deliver bad news. It means you may be the one folk look up to, so you have to govern yourself accordingly. It means, again, it won’t always be about you. Oh, it may not always pay well either. Will you be alright with that?

The bible says in Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Beloved, you have to love what you do. Regardless of the pay or even the stress level sometime, you have to want to do it. 1 Timothy 3:1 says, “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.” Now get this, an overseer is defined as a person who supervises others, especially workers. So when I share this scripture, I’m not just speaking in the church. This is why you have to be prepared for the position. Then you have to be careful the role you seek to fill, especially if you aren’t ready because the bible says whoever aspires to be an overseer is yearning for a worthy assignment. But get this … It won’t always seem worth it. Can you handle it? Chile, the worst thing an “overseer” can do is get into a position and then ruin the morale of the people he/she is overseeing. That’s why you have to be respectable (decent), hospitable (friendly), self-controlled (put together), with thick skin, able to teach and teachable. And before you seek a role, look into your spouse to ensure they are able to handle it. Not everyone is capable of handling the role of “First lady/man” or even the role of being married to a leader, no matter the position. It’s hard work that might pay off with man but it’ll definitely pay off with God.

Daily Devotional – 5/16/16 “Do what you can!”

I’ve often wondered, a lot lately, why is it that you can give folks all you have and they still expect more or they aren’t satisfied. Well, as of today, I’ve decided this … I’m only willing to give you what I want and if it’s not enough for you or it’s not to your liking, so be it! See, you can do so much for others that you end up losing yourself and your stuff in the process. I posted on Facebook this morning that all I have to offer ungrateful children, in this place of my life, is the door. I refuse to keep anyone who doesn’t want to be kept (I’m speaking on children). Please understand, I am being transparent because I need you to realize that just because I am a preacher; it’s not all glitz and glamour. We face issues too. Am I ashamed? Not in the least. I refuse to act as if everything is going great in my life. I mean, how can I tell you how to endure through your storm if I never go through mine? Baby, I need prayers just like everybody else but I’ve learned can’t everybody pray for you. Some folk are praying for your defeat. But chile, I’ve seen too many victories. However, I’m not writing this devotional for prayers or pity, but I’m sharing my moment to let you know that you have to get to a point where you give folks what you decide and be okay with it. If it doesn’t fit their liking, so be it. If it’s not what they want, tell them to take it or leave it. If they can’t get with it, offer them the door.

My husband and I have two teenagers who think they can do it better outside our home, so we showed them the door. We’ve worked too hard to give them everything they’ve needed and yet they still yell and scream, it’s not enough. Well baby, I’m tapped out. All I have to offer them now, as they stand on the outside of the door, is Jesus and prayer. And I am alright with it. I always say, I’ll fight for you as long as you fight for yourself but when you start fighting me; I get out of the ring. And you need to do the same thing with whomever you’re consistently trying to please, I know I’m not the only one. You have to stop getting drug through the fire to end up the only one with burns. You’ve got to stop trying to help others fight, especially when you’re the only one that leave with bruises. You’ve got to quit trying to be the knight in shining armor and all you get is arrows through the heart. At some point and time, you’ve got to stop offering them everything or giving them all they asked for and start giving them what you want them to have. If it’s not enough, that’s alright because you’ve done all you can. If it doesn’t meet their approval, cancel it and move on. Do what you can and be good with it!