For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
Hey! I am back! It’s been a while and I’m super excited to get back to blogging.
I hope you’ve been well :)
So, imagine it’s been about 6 months since I began this blog platform and consistently posting?!
We’ve grown so much, I have learnt so much and more than anything, God has WORKED on me A LOT through this space.
In today’s post, I would love to share with you guys some things I have learnt from blogging over the past 6 months and I believe these are lessons you can also apply in your life.
1. It’s not about me
One of the things that God has taught me a lot through this space is selflessness and taking my eyes off of me.
I am here as a steward of the good work God has given me to do, and to serve people. At times, I have had to put my own reservations, insecurities, fears and doubts aside and be vulnerable, because my vulnerability could just be someone’s breakthrough.
2. Gifting is great, but discipline matters too A LOT
This year, God has taught me a lot about discipline. To me, discipline is like a muscle, it only gets stronger if it’s worked on.
I can also describe it as doing something that needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like it. You can be gifted in something, like for me, I believe that I am gifted in creativity that finds expression through writing, giving wise counsel and solving problems. But it’s not all the time that I want to work out these gifts to serve people. It’s not all the time that I feel like writing a post, or doing research or seek out resources to sharpen my skills. But having discipline means doing the needful things even when my feelings are contradicting.
It hurts and isn’t fun in the moment, but the results are outlasting. I am sure there’s one, two, five? Things that you KNOW you need to do but haven’t cause of lack of discipline, just do it. Taking action is how you become more disciplined.
3. Overcoming laziness and procrastination
For this point, I will have to create a whole other blog post. Through this platform, God highlighted to me how lazy I had become in some areas of my life, and how I had made procrastinating a constant bad habit.
He began highlighting it in my daily life, i.e. my sleeping habits and how I spend my time.
I used to struggle a lot with waking up on time, and that was caused by sleeping late, later than I needed to.
It was a vicious cycle, I would sleep late, probably watching Netflix, then I would oversleep, wake up late the next day and my day would feel like it was in shambles, and I hated that, but I kept on doing the same thing.
I had to surrender to God and I’m glad I did. He was very practical and guided me on what to do, such as;
-limit my Netflix watching time, and replace that with more sleep.
-having slept enough, waking up early became easier.
-instead of checking my phone first thing and waste time in bed, I choose to actually get up.
-having a solid morning routine including a Morning Prayer walk, a workout and some reading/journaling/meditation before officially starting my day.
-while I am working/schooling or doing something that needs concentration, I keep all distractions aside, therefore I am more focused and manage my time well.
-planning the previous evening so I know what my agenda for the next day is and more…
These are just some of the practical actions I have chosen to take to help me overcome laziness, procrastination and succumbing to distractions that waste time.
I have a long way to go, but I’m definitely better than where I was in the past, and all glory goes to God.
Truth is, we don’t have forever, the days are evil and are moving fast. We don’t have as much time as we think we do, so let’s steward the time we do have faithfully. :)
4. God is faithful to bring the right people around you
No cap! (No lie)
I never told anyone about this blog until I got the release from God to make it public. So for about 8 months (September 2020-April 2021), it was just between God and I. I stepped out in faith and trusted that God would provide everything that I would need. Not only materially, but He would bring the right people around me to help, support, advise, critique, pray and declare God’s promises over me.
A friend of mine, her name is Sayo :). She’s also a blogger (though she’s been doing this longer than I have), please check out her blog here and her YouTube channel here and follow her Instagram page here, all named Cradle of Hope.
She reached out to me, and shared that God had actually placed it in her heart to create a support forum for bloggers and asked me if I would be open to be part of it. I was super excited and honored and since then, been able to meet (virtually) and interact with bloggers like me, view their platforms, read their posts and learn so much from them.
Having a support system of any kind is such a game-changer. Even if you have that one friend cheering you on in whatever you’re doing, treasure them. We all need that push sometimes.
5. Embrace the process, stay faithful and be patient
Good things take time and I personally do not believe there is something like overnight success. I respect things that have been built from the ground up, and people who have gone through process, who have had humble beginnings, days of being overlooked, and have overcome struggles to get to where they are today.
Just to divert a bit, for anyone who has gained some sort of overnight fame, have you ever noticed they never last? Unless they leverage that fame or use it strategically to stay relevant, a few months down the line, you never hear of them again. Anyway…
Process and time builds endurance. Those hours and work invested in the vision in private will turn into public victories. Remember to be faithful with the little, so that by the time the more comes your way, you've been trained enough in faithfulness.
A breath of fresh air is still a baby, it’s still a few months old, BUT God has placed some big dreams in my heart for this space. I can’t wait for them to come to pass, but for now, I choose to obey God in every step, embrace the process, stay faithful even when nobody’s watching and be patient, while believing that any investment in this good work is never in vain.
I always remember this pretty much every day, and some bible verses fuel this fire in me and are my source of encouragement when the vision isn’t clear or when my soul gets weary;
Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.
For he that sows to his flesh reaps corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit reaps life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not
Galatians 6:7-9
Also,
For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherited the promises.
Hebrews 6:10-12
You can apply this to your life. Maybe you feel overlooked, or things are moving slow or you’re just tired. But remember why you started. Take some time and allow God to remind you why you started. Let Him breath new vision and clarity to your spirit. Allow Him to quicken your body so that you may have the energy to execute what He’s instructing you to do, and stay faithful. Keep showing up even when nobody’s watching. Your investment in private will show in your future public victories :).
Guys, thank you if you’ve reached the end of this post. Hope this inspired you in some way, and you’ve gotten a glimpse of my journey in blogging from the beginning to where I am now. Onwards and upwards from here right?!
Thank you for your support, love and encouragement in whatever way you’ve expressed it. For subscribing (shoutout to my e-mail people!), for sharing and even liking this or any other post, on here and on my socials. Thank you!
I’ll see you on the next one!
Xoxo
BK.
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