Shifting Focus

The Waiting Series

#1 September

Shifting Focus 

Have you ever had feelings for someone or let’s say a crush on someone for so long that it got you really worried?

  Well, I have! Laugh out loud (Lol). By God’s grace I’ll be sharing my experience and how the Lord helped me through that phase. In addition, I pray and believe that you will learn how you can shift focus like I did.

When you’re uncertain about your emotions and perceptions, remember HEBREWS 4:15.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

-HEBREWS 4:15

 

  Alright, there was this fine looking dude (lol), who was just an acquaintance. I mean no serious conversations ever. We just sort of suddenly started ‘talking’ after a very long period of just being acquaintances. This still did not mean anything more than casual friendship. Right in the middle of the little conversations, I started having butterflies in my belly for this guy. Initially, I thought to myself, ‘this too shall pass.’ On the contrary, this feeling persisted for days, I became uncomfortable and decided to talk to Dad (God) about it. I literally just told Him exactly how I felt about the guy. There seemed to be no response, so I started getting more uncomfortable about it. I just wanted to hear a YES or NO.

  I journal a lot, so I wrote how I felt in my prayer journal and asked God to completely take away the feelings if the guy in question was not the one for me. Days turned into weeks, somewhere along the line I had to tell my prayer partner back then in school (a lady). She laughed so hard when I told her what I wrote in my journal. She asked that I pray more about it. I also confided in a couple of close friends who I believe had a good level of spiritual maturity and wouldn’t spread the matter to the world. I did this because I wanted to be held accountable about the whole thing. I ensured the matter was not discussed with someone who knew the guy in question.  

My lovely people, days rolled into weeks, and weeks into months! All along the feeling remained. I tell you, it became a major challenge for me. Mehn, in between those months, only God knows how many times I deleted his number and saved again (As childish as that sounds, trust me the struggle was real!). You know, it got to a point when I began to feel like, ‘Maybe this person might actually be the one.’ Seriously, I literally cried at times. I cried because I just couldn’t get rid of this guy from my mind, no matter how hard I tried.

All along, it seemed like God was silent about the issue, or maybe I was just too scared to hear God speak. Lol. You know why? Quite complicated though, but the bottom line is I was too scared to hear a NO and even ready to doubt a YES because I was so attracted to this person and I concluded that perceiving a YES might be a mere work of emotions.

Lol, here was my dear Ifeoluwa (my humble self) literally killing herself over someone that wasn’t specifically showing interest in her, better put, this guy had not asked her out. We were just acquaintances, though prior to the outburst of emotions, he sort of became more caring and unusually nice (eyes rolled up) and this in a way intrigued me!

Anyways, I didn’t stop talking to God about my emotions and the whole thing, but I must confess that I wasn’t ready to LISTEN (selah).

Funny.

Serious!

Lol.

 I believe so strongly that God seeing how helpless I was with my so many thoughts and perceptions, reordered my steps back to His Word. Hallelujah? Amen! One major scripture that the Holy Spirit kept reaffirming in my Spirit talks about delighting oneself in the Lord He kept on reminding me of His Words, for instance, Jeremiah 29:11 which talks about God’s plan for us as the best. Also, in my Spirit there was an affirmation of God being my Shepherd, who is able to lead and guide me aright. I believe so strongly that the Lord was teaching me to shift attention from whatever I was feeling to the real deal – His Word.  The moment I intentionally began to pay close attention to those scriptures and even others, light flooded my path. Then the Lord started dealing with me –  He opened my eyes to so many areas where I needed to be refined. Too many details, I may not be able to write all.

You know, all of my experiences in that season showed me even more clearly that the Lord was calling me to His refiner’s fire and into a deeper walk with Him. In confirmation, a wonderful sister and friend of mine messaged me one day and said it was impressed on her heart to send me a particular song, which affirmed even more the season I was in. I didn’t fully understand at the time why she sent me the song, until later on. The title of the song is Refiner by Maverick City Music.

Sincerely, I tell you that the moment I completely surrendered my heart afresh to God on the matter, I experienced so great a peace. I came to a place of complete trust in God, so much that it did not matter anymore the outcome of the issue. In time the butterflies in my belly found their way out! Atleast about 95% of them flew out of my belly. Lol, yeah, I think like 5% are still there because in a way I believe that if it is meant to be, then it will be! But I’m not bothered about that! Not at all. If it is meant to be, then God Himself will work it out. He will show me to the person and have him pursue me, and trust me that is more beautiful. And if eventually, this guy in question isn’t the one God has for me, then I am safe because I am in the hands of my Father trusting Him to write my beautiful love story, all to His glory.

I don’t have to be bothered if I trust God enough. It is good to note that trusting God may not always be an easy thing to do, however, it is always worth it. So while I wait and trust God for His will to be done, I will watch LED TV like Brother John in the Mount Zion movie, Gbemi. Lol.    

 

Conclusion and Encouragements

  Feelings can be beautiful. God gave us the ability to feel. Notwithstanding, we have to sincerely and completely subject our feelings and emotions to God’s Word at all times.

There is a peace which passes all understanding that comes from subjecting an issue to the God who knows all. So whatever you have going on right now; whether a feeling that has lasted longer than a normal crush or a perception that someone is going to be your spouse, put it to test. Test it by the Word of God. Please, take the issue to God in prayer. Allow the Word of God drive you and not your feelings. Truth is, your feelings can be terrible and destructive drivers sometimes.

  Be led by the Word of God. One way to be led by His Word is to shift focus from how you feel to the Creator of all feelings. Remember that Jesus is the Word. Fall in love with Him. Spend more time with Him. Be real with Him. In due time, He will send His son who will love you soooo! And just so you know, His son will gracefully pursue you and the Holy Spirit will make it clear to you without any form of confusion because He is the Spirit of Truth.

 

For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and IS A DISCERNER OF THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF THE HEART.

- Hebrews 4:12

 

The more you focus on God’s Word, the more clearly you see.