by Team Soar Girls | Jun 25, 2022 | Christian Walk, Leadership
Have you ever been an attention seeker?
I know I have in my school days, when I would try to make everyone laugh and would love to hear people’s validations over my life until God had to change me.
In our school/college days all girls wanted attention – one would outdo in make-up, one in pranks, one in-jokes and so on. However, I have learned – To have King Jesus’ attention is far more worthy than to have people’s attention which is futile…
The attention for likes, comments, and validations from people is not what Soar Girls seek, but all we desire is God’s attention.
So, if you find yourself to be an attention seeker, let us learn from King Ahab’s life how to get the right attention.
In 1 Kings 21:25 -26 the Word of God says: There was none who sold Himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. He acted very abominably….
That means King Ahab was the worst sinner! He did the worst things in the eyes of the Lord that it really displeased God.
The Word and Consequences
What next ? God then sends Elijah the Tishbite to prophesy King Ahab’s doom.
I always believe when God sends you a Word, if you don’t it hear once, He sends it twice or thrice and that is God’s mercy. When God sends you someone to correct you, again it is God’s mercy for you. And when someone comes with that correction, know that someone really loves you.
But then if you don’t listen and refuse to hear, consequences of sin come upon you. Proverbs 1:29-31 (AMP) says:
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect],
They would not accept my counsel,
And they spurned all my rebuke.
“Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way
And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices.
The Response that counts
1 Kings 21:27 says And when Ahab heard those words , he tore his clothes and put a sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. _
And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite ,saying ,Have you seen how Ahab has humbled Himself before me , I will not bring the disaster in his days but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house._
I love how the Lord says to Elijah ” Have you seen how Ahab humbled himself before me“.
This is what I want to draw your attention to. King Ahab was the most wicked person living that time, and yet he could capture God’s attention because of his response to the Word of God delivered by Elijah.
If the most wicked king can get God’s attention by his response to the Word of God then how much more we?
When we humble ourselves before God and repent i.e. change our thinking, or change our ways, it gets God’s attention. Remember seeking the King’s attention is far greater than seeking the world’s attention.
This week may we be intentional in responding to His Word and changing our thinking! Will talk about this more in our next post.
XOXO
Alisha Jose
Stay Inspired! Join Our Community for Exclusive Content!
By signing up I agree to have my personal information transfered to Mad Mimi (more information)
by Team Soar Girls | Jun 18, 2022 | Christian Walk, Leadership
From a single woman with fewer worries and a lot of dreams, I transitioned to a wife with a little more responsibility and then to a mother of two with a lot more responsibilities. Time is more precious to me than ever before. As a single woman once, if I had seen into the future, I believe I would have done things a lot differently.
From this point in life, I want to share with you 4 precious tips for single girls before you marry.
Value Time
The time you have as a single woman will not come back once you get married, and even more so once you become a mother.
The world is designed to woo you into things with zero value. But I encourage you to utilize your time to learn and grow in every area.
Use your time to build your relationship with Jesus. Use it to learn new skills and strengthen what you already have. Don’t fall into the trap of temporary pleasures that do nothing except rob you of your time. When you value time, your own value increases.
Treasure your time with the Lord.
It will benefit you tremendously when you enter seasons of significant responsibilities.
I am incredibly grateful for the season before I became a mother, where I took time to grow in deeper intimacy with the Lord through the Word and prayer.
The time I sowed then into growing in the things of God helped me during the busy, tiring days to stand strong in the Lord.
Trust God and His timing.
Don’t fall into the pressure trap. Pressure from family and peers makes us feel obliged to get married. But I urge you to trust God and His timing.
Take a piece of paper and write down what you desire in your future husband. Now take that to the Lord and pray over it. Then believe Him to bring to you the right person at the right time. Meanwhile, work on yourself.
Work on yourself
Let me say this upfront: marriage doesn’t cover up your insecurities or weaknesses. Rather it exposes and, at times, amplifies what you haven’t dealt with.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas, be it a character problem or habitual problem, that you need to work on before entering marriage.
I’m not saying you have to be perfect before getting married. But when the Holy Spirit convicts you of an area that needs to be dealt with, it is best to deal with it.
Singlehood is a beautiful season. A season to grow and learn; a season of preparation.
For every good work you sow into in this season, you will reap a harvest in the next.
So, instead of looking down on yourself or comparing yourself to your peers who are getting married, embrace your season of being single, because it is a passing season.
I believe, dear single girls that this post has blessed you and that you will take heed to these 4 tips before you marry.
Do write back to us and let us know how this blogpost blessed you… You can reach us at [email protected]
XOXO
Ria Jobin
Stay Inspired! Join Our Community for Exclusive Content!
By signing up I agree to have my personal information transfered to Mad Mimi (more information)
by Kim D'Souza | Apr 15, 2021 | Friendships, Leadership
In your friends circle, I am sure you will find different kinds of friends.
There would be a friend who will know all your weaknesses and secrets.
There would be a friend who will have similar hobbies and likes like yours.
Then there are office friends, college friends and school friends.
But there is one kind of friend that you cannot afford to miss. “I got a word for you” friend. Because this kind of friend will come to you at a time when you have a need (and probably nobody knows), and say, ” I got a word for you”.
Cherish this friend!
Because this is a friend who is praying for you, and talking to God about you. She will bring a Word from the Lord for you, which will be able to sustain you in the season you are going through.
In the Old testament we read about Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were always together in standing for the Lord in every challenge that they faced. When the king of Babylon had a dream and no one could interpret, he issued a decree to put all the wise men to death. When Daniel comes to know about this, he returns to his house and explains the matter to his friends. He urges them to pray for it and during the night the mystery gets revealed to Daniel in a vision. (Daniel 2:17-19).
After Daniel interprets the dream for the king and he is bestowed with honour and royal goodies, he gives the king a recommendation to make his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon.(Daniel 2:49)
This is such a beautiful example of godly friendships.
A friend who runs behind Jesus
I am not talking about someone who fakes religion, but who genuinely loves Jesus and is walking with Him, like Daniel and his friends.
This friend will encourage you to run behind Jesus. This friend will not put your fire off, but stir you up to walk in God’s ways.
This friend will not be scared to confront you when you are going wrong, like Prophet Nathan who confronted his friend David when David committed adultery and was going in the wrong direction.
Do you have a friend like this? If yes, how about sharing this post to that friend and thanking her. If not, you become that kind of friend for someone, and God will bring one for you 🙂
Stay Inspired! Join Our Community for Exclusive Content!
By signing up I agree to have my personal information transfered to Mad Mimi (more information)
by Pastor Kim DSouza | Mar 8, 2018 | Leadership
Three Ways the Enemy Attacks a Leader’s Calling
Nehemiah is one of my favourite leaders in the Bible and it’s amazing every time I meditate on the book of Nehemiah, there are so many things to learn!
Through this post, I want to encourage all those who are in leadership and draw your attention to three prominent ways in which the devil attacks a leader’s calling. These are three D’s – Discouragement, Distraction and Discredit.
Discouragement
Every leader has to go through discouragement and criticism. This comes from two sources – people who have walked the same path before you and from people who have never been in your shoes. Not everyone will agree to your way of doing things and will have an opinion about everything you do, but be humble when it comes to accepting Godly correction and be resilient when it comes to obeying God, regardless of what people say. Many will slander and gossip behind your back, but if God puts something in your heart, just do it.
When God put a purpose in Nehemiah’s heart, he had to go through insults and ridicule (Nehemiah 4:2-3). There was also discouragement from his very own people who complained saying, “Our strength is giving out.” To add on to this, the Jews confessed “Ten times over” that the enemy will overpower them. (Nehemiah 4:10,12). But all this didn’t demotivate Nehemiah. He encouraged himself and others saying, “Don’t be afraid. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome and fight (Nehemiah 4:14).
Distraction
As leaders, don’t get distracted by failures or even by your successes. Be focused on your calling because distraction is another tool that the devil can use to pull you down.
When Nehemiah was overseeing the work of the walls, there were people from the enemy camp trying to meet Nehemiah, They said, “Come let us meet together. Come down on the plain.” But Nehemiah figured out that there was a hidden agenda. And he said, “I cannot go down”.
Dangerous D’s of the enemy – Discouragement, Distraction and Discredit
Dear leader, don’t go down. Don’t go back to from where you have come. Don’t get off course. Don’t go back to your past. Don’t be ruled by man’s empty praise, lest pride takes over. Also, be careful who you associate with. Discern what and who is pulling you down. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Remember, the life of a person who is called out by God is very lonely because not many will understand you. But know that He who has promised is faithful.
Discredit
When discouragement and distraction didn’t work for Nehemiah, the enemy camp tried to push Nehemiah to commit a sin, so they would give a bad name to Nehemiah and discredit him ( Nehemiah 6:10-13).
Let us beware of the devil’s schemes, he will always try to malign your character and discredit you because when a godly leader falls from grace, the repercussions can be drastic on the people who look up to to him. As Rev. Billy Graham said, “When character is lost, all is lost.” Graham and his close-knit team determined that integrity would be the hallmark of their ministry. He had four predominant rules for his team: Operate with financial transparency, Avoid even the appearance of sexual immorality, avoid criticizing other pastors and churches and be painstakingly honest in all publicity.
We ought to guard our character and walk with the Lord ferociously. You see, at the end of it, what matters is not how well we began, but how well we finished!
To conclude let Micah 6:8 be guiding principle of your life –
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
for guest writers. text will come here
by Pastor Kim DSouza | Feb 12, 2016 | Christian Walk, Leadership
It is impossible to live a life that is unaffected by other people. Your association/friends can take you closer to your God destiny or far away from it. Their attitudes and opinions, like pollen, blow into our lives, shaping our perspective and influencing our decisions.
The parable of weeds in Matthew 13:24-30 tells us about two types of seed: 1. Children of God (good seed) and 2. Sons of the evil one (weeds). Both were planted for one reason – to add influence. Many people do no realise the power of influence and therefore they are caught unawares by people who leave their seeds of slander, back biting, gripping, complaining, pride, gossiping, etc. They wake up one day all of a sudden and see their garden with all sorts of weeds that choke the Word of God in their lives.
Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4).
The Bible also warns, Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ (1 Corinthians 15:33).
On the other hand, when one godly person’s life sharpens another’s, it’s a good thing (Proverbs 27:17). It yields a harvest of mature fruit over time.
Don’t compromise your destiny for company
One principle that I have learnt with bad company is that it is progressive. If you are not careful you will be moving down a slippery path that ends in shame, disgrace, worthlessness, loneliness and every evil work. Psalm 1 hints at the three progression stage of association that leads to sin: It first begins with standing (casually listening), then walking (intentional listening) and finally sitting (living) with wickedness.
I like what Pastor Steven Furtick says, “Don’t compromise your destiny for company.”
The Bible says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Proverbs 13:20).
I am not talking about associating with the world alone, but even in terms of believers who claim to walk with God.
Here are some guidelines about who you should stick to, or stay away from:
Stay away from:
1. Fools, or the know-it-alls, who are wise in their own eyes. (Proverbs 1:7)
2. Gossipers, grumblers, drunkards, immoral, boasters, hot tempered men (1 Corinthians 5:11), (Proverbs 22:24,25).
3. Those who cause quarrels and fights, backbiters, unsubmissive to authorities (Romans 16:17)
4. Those who are lovers of the world (James 4:3,4).
5. Those who are lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-9)
Stick to:
1. Those who are wise. Not in the ways of the world, but in the knowledge of God’s Word (Proverbs 13:20).
2. Lovers of Jesus, those who boast in Jesus (1 Corinthians 8:3)
3. Visionaries, who have a vision for their lives, who have an action plan and who are pursuing it, who are not mere talkers, but doers. (Proverbs 29:18).
4. Those who are humble, hardworking and who never stop learning. (1 Peter 5:5)
5. Who correct and counsel you according to the Word of God (Proverbs 3:12)
I can think of a lot of examples in the Bible and in my life where I see people influenced or rather allowing themselves to be influenced by bad company and I can tell you that it will corrupt the good character (seed) placed in your life. It will always make the journey to your destiny harder, tougher, lengthier and you will also end up hurting many people along the way both family and friends. So watch out!
by Pastor Kim DSouza | Apr 2, 2015 | Christian Walk, Leadership
In the previous post, we addressed brokenness as a means to chasing God’s heart and in this post we will look at the heart of repentance.
God loves the heart that is quick to repent and runs after Him everytime it messes up.
Brokenness brings repentance, weeping, humility and sensitivity to the things of the Spirit.
David, tagged as the man after God’s heart fell terribly in his life. But everytime he broke God’s heart, he was always quick to repent and weep, almost shamelessly and publicly at times.
As soon as Nathan confronted David after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, David didn’t try and give excuses about his act, but in the immediate next verse we read, he repented (2 Samuel 12: 13). In another instance when he counted the fighting men in Israel against the will of God, soon the Bible says that he was conscience stricken and said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done.”
Every time David messed up, his heart wept in repentance unlike his predecessor Saul who was quick to give excuses.
But I did obey the Lord (1 Samuel 15:20)…..was Saul’s song.
And David was worried about pleasing the Lord in situations when no one saw, nor no one knew (1 Samuel 26:12).
David knew how to weep
When I was reading the account of David, I was amazed at how many times David wept. If fact no other Bible hero’s account has so many scriptures on weeping like him.
David wept the most…( 1 Samuel 20: 41); David wept aloud ( 1 Samuel 30:4); Mourned and wept (1 Samuel 1: 12); wept aloud ( 2 Samuel 3:32); David wept ( 2 Samuel 12:22); wept very bitterly ( 2 Samuel 13: 36); He went weeping ( 2 Samuel 15: 30); he went over the gateway and wept ( 2 Samuel 18:33); cried out aloud ( 2 Samuel 19:4).
Of course, he wept for different reasons and in different situations but his heart was always sensitive to the convictions of God.
Untiring Pursuit
I was talking to a man of God and he had this to say, “David actually messed up more than any average man. So then it was not his acts that made him a man after God’s own heart. It should certainly be his desire to please God even after messing up. After God’s own heart surely then refers to the untiring pursuit after His heart.”
A broken heart and a contrite spirit are the key attributes of a God chaser, and he doesn’t get bogged down by his folly in seeking God’s heart but chooses to run after Him no matter what.
In the concluding post of this – After Your Heart series, I will share with you a vision that God showed me, which I am sure will encourage you.
Meanwhile you can share your views on my above post on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
