Don't Take It Personal
Are you aware that your desire to grow and your desire to evolve may offend others? Personal development is indeed personal and many wont understand, but it is vital for your purpose.
I know for some of you reading this you may hear the song by recording artist Monica " Don't Take It Personal" and can hum some of the lyrics to the song. She states "Don't take it personal, I just want to be all alone and you think I treat you wrong". Now, we know this song this is not about Jesus but this is how God brought the subject of this blog to me. To address the battle of people misunderstanding or taking personal of your growth process.
You may ask, "How can someone be offended with growth? growth is a great thing!". Growth is indeed a great thing but the process is not always pretty. If you think about the growth cycle of plants and things that grow in nature, the seed planted has to actually die before sprouting roots. Let me put a pin in that fact alone. We will all have to die in order for our purposes to sprout. Die to old ways, habits, relationships. Die to our plans and how we think life should go and what we think we deserve, and our desires. In a nutshell we have to die to our own flesh! Whew! This may offend others because they may be the ones that have to go into the burial ground. Some may even know their time of access to you is coming up and will do anything that they can to sabotage.
We have to be careful and watchful when the traps and sabotages come. When it feels like you are making progress in your prayer life, your study life, and your pursuit of holiness it can get uncomfortable for awhile because you are transforming into a new creature. Like the butterfly! How surreal is that process!? You were once this caterpillar limited to one way of movement, limited to the ground and only things that you can attach your legs to and now you have to go into this cocoon, pretty much closing yourself off from the world in order to transform. When the process is done you are this beautiful butterfly and the sky becomes the limit. There are more places for you to go and more places for you to show off the beauty (the Light) that God gives you. I believe so much that is the reason of the butterfly. To remind us that even God places glory on the butterfly so that it can glorify Him and that He can transform you into something that is unrecognizable. You wont look like your past!
The scripture states in 2 Corinthians 5:17 :
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
I am telling you, nature will sometimes preach the Word better than anyone ever can if you choose to listen!
Some of you may be in a cocoon and people are offended! They can't see exactly what is going on but they know something is abreast. They may feel left out, they may feel that you are becoming too different to relate anymore, they also don't understand that growth and evolution is inevitable as you are in Christ. Those that are in Christ face these growing pains more so than others. Christ is our template as Christians and He has often offended many pursuing and walking into His ministry. I am reminded in the Bible when Jesus was at the age of 12 and His family were looking for Him after a festival after traveling some miles to find that Jesus was not with them. They later found Him and He told them in Luke 2:49 :
“Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?”
Even those that know God, that care for you, and are common with you may grow offended. And sometimes you may have to remind some that you are about your Father's business as you evolve.
I can go on and on regarding transition and the pains that come with it. Everyone wont be pleased, everyone wont understand, and it can get lonely. You pray that that no one takes it personal but sometimes you have to just be vocal about it. After being vocal those that are meant for your life should understand and respect your process.
So for those that may be offended with other's growth I want to drop these few things that someone evolving may be encountering and even what the caterpillar in a cocoon wishes he could tell his other caterpillar friends that are not there YET, ( I decree and declare that you are preparing for what is inevitable)
Don't take it personal, they are in their prayer closet
Don't take it personal, they are about their Father's business
Don't take it personal, they are trying to learn from past mistakes
Don't take it personal, they are gaining strength
Don't take it personal, they are healing
Don't take it personal, they are growing confident
Don't take it personal, they are learning to love themselves
Don't take it personal, they are getting their houses in order
Don't take it personal, they are preparing to make room for purpose
Don't take it personal, they are growing!
Don't take it personal, they are evolving!
For those that are scared of the repercussions of your growth and the people that may leave you and the things that you may be left out of:
God commands you to GROW!
Go ahead and GROW!
Allow God to make room for your purpose, you have no idea what it looks like! You have know idea how prepared you have to be. Let Him do it! Let Him have control of your GROWTH!
Get comfortable being uncomfortable!
There may be some that are convinced and decided on misunderstanding you and there is nothing you can say to make them understand. Grow anyways! Don't take it personal women and men of God. It is inevitable!
I pray that this blog encouraged someone, I pray that it broke through some ice and hard places in your heart. For those headed for the cocoon, don't worry about what is indeed God's job to handle. For those that have yet to enter into that phase. Don't take it personal if who you are close to goes through the process of becoming a butterfly before you. Remember, its inevitable! Have patience and prepare!
God Bless