​As I'm writing this post, we are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.  Our city, as are most cities is in shut down mode.  he times now are very uncertain.  Businesses  have closed down and individuals have lost their jobs.  

There are statistics online everday, reporting new coronavirus cases and new deaths due to the virus.  You can go on social media and read about all kinds of conspiracy theories.  All the media is focusing on is disease and death.  

​​I've written about focus and how it is a faith seed.  Focus is very powerful.  I've also written about lower level focus.  Lower level focus is a very powerful root of fear.  

If  you have higher level focus, it leads you into faith.  Lower level focus will lead you into fear and intimidation.  

There is a good story in scripture illustrating this very powerful truth.  In the gospel of Mark 4:35-39,  Jesus and the disciples got into a boat to cross to the other side of a lake.  Soon after getting in the boat and sailing to the other side, a fierce storm arose.  High waves were breaking in the boat.  The boat had water coming in it. 

Jesus was in the back of the boat sleeping.  The story says the disciples woke Jesus and shouting, "Master, don't you care that we're going to drown?"  The story goes on to say that Jesus woke up.  When He did, He rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Silence!  Be still!  Suddenly the wind stopped and there was a great calm.  

I knew I had been away for awhile.  It wasn't until I took a look at my blog posts that I realized exactly how long I'd been away.  Here it is 2020 and I have been gone since June of 2018!  June of 2018????  Yes, exactly!  That's 559 days!!!  559 days?? Yes, 559 days.  

The last post I wrote (June 6,2018) was titled; "I Have Faith, Why Am I Stuck?"  That sounds like a very credible post, doesn't it?  "...Why Am I Stuck?".  Then I'm 559 days to my next post. Credible?  Really??  Not so much, it seems. It looks like I should be the very definitition of stuck.  Heck, I could probably write a book on being stuck.  

The best question to ask then, is why was I stuck?  Why did it take me so long to get into the groove and write again?  The reason is...I simply lost my "why".  Some may then ask, "you lost your why?"  What in the heck does that mean?  

Simply, I lost track of my reason for moving forward.  I lost my motivator.  You see, what happened was that I was doing that thing, then I was doing that thing.  Then I'd jump over to another task.  Then I jumped over and started building a course on "Hearing God's Voice".  I'm still working on that by the way.  Then I jumped over and worked on that book.  Then I thought of another book.  

I was doing all these things.  But, I they were just things I was doing.  They were tasks I felt I needed to do.  But, why was I doing them?  I kept on doing them and thought of why I was.  But, I didn't have a definite "why" that was driving me..pushing me.  

"Well, you're doing those things for the Lord, aren't you?", I'd ask myself.  I wasn't even sure if I was.  People had told me those were good things.  But, I kept wondering, "has God actually called me to those things?"  

Then I went back over my whole life story from childhood until now.  I rediscovered those things and situations that made me feel alive and also those things and situations that drained me.  God had given me signposts all along that had been leading me to what I was to be doing now.  

God had been given me signposts all along, but somehow, I'd missed some of them.  The biggest signpost had to do with my own life.  My life career wise, over the last 4 or 5 years has been a transition.  If it wasn't for my stubborness, it would have been a shorter period of time. 

When I was laid off from my position in the corporate world, I went through a struggle, both professionally and with my identity.  I'd discovered others were going through the same thing.  Most Christians, probably at least in the 80% range, have no clue what God has called them to.  This is much the same struggle I had had.  

So, my "why" was to help others to manage their transitions, discover their gifts and callings and manage their mindsets and live in their identity in order to go into what I call eight spheres of influence and fulfill the destiny God has for them in their spheres.  A deeper explanation of this is for a deeper time and place.  But that is my "why".  That is what I'm about.  It'll take over fear and get into to faith. 

So many of us try to work so hard.  We work so hard in trying to believe The Bible, what Jesus said and what Paul wrote.  So many have worked so hard and given up to the extent they've created their own belief system, based on their own perceptions. 

We're like the father who had the demon possessed son.  He told Jesus that if He could do anything to please help his son.  Jesus then responded "If you can?  All things are possible to him who believes".  The father then responded, "I believe, but help me in my unbelief."

That's where many of us are in this walk of faith we're taking.  Intellectually, we believe what the Bible and what Jesus said.  But, in our hearts, down where it really  matters, we struggle with unbelief.  Some of us struggle mightily with unbelief.  

Why do you struggle so much?  Why do I struggle so much?  We want so much to believe, yet we find it so hard to believe at the same time.  You look around and see the way things are in the world or perhaps even your own life, and those things you see, really cause you to struggle. 

But there's great news.  Faith doesn't have to be that kind of a struggle.  Keep in mind, I didn't say faith would come easy or that we'll have the kind of faith we need all the time in every single situation.  But, faith doesn't have to be the struggle you and I often think it is. 

Often our Christian journey is full of ups and downs.  I'm sure you've had times where you were going through trials and asked God why you were going through that. 

​I remember when I was laid off from my corporate job.  My reviews were good.  I was told, I was doing a good job.  Yet, I received a call from my manager stating that my job was eliminated and she told me about the severance package I would receive. 

That was shocker and  really caused me to scratch my head.  I never saw it coming.  On the other hand, who ever does see that kind of thing coming.  It's not like they announce it before it happens.  

I began to ask myself why.  I thought back over the course of my time with the company and wondered why it  happened.  They told me it wasn't because of my  performance, but that due to cuts, my job was eliminated.  

I then began to ask God why?  Why did He take my job from me?  Why did He allow this to happen? Wasn't He supposed to be our provider?  Wasn't He supposed to be taking care of me?  I asked God "why" plenty of times. 

Can you identify with that?  Have you ever asked God "why" when you've been through a challenge?  If you're like me, you have.  I'm sure we all have.  

But, to ask God "why" something happens to us is a question a victim would ask and it causes to feel even more like a victim.  You are not a victim.  

God doesn't see you as a victim nor does He see me as one.  He sees us as His children, royal heirs.  God refuses to speak to the spirit of fear.  

The right question to ask God is:

1. What does this mean?
2. What should I do?

These questions free us for our purpose rather than keep us in bondage to our past. 

So, don't ask God "why"?  Ask Him "what"?

​Blessings