God- Sent, Not Counterfeit

 Opportunities come in different forms and ways in our lives. Opportunities are a chance for advancement or progress. It could be a relationship, job, new experience, travel, or a chance to learn something new, among many other things. Some opportunities are good for us, while others are not good for us. I believe that we can learn from every opportunity and take the lessons from it 🙏. What could be a good opportunity may not be for me. I'm also learning that it may be for me, but it's the wrong timing. I've learned to examine opportunities real close. At some point in our lives, we probably have all seen play money. You may have played with it as a kid or seen kids play with it. Perhaps you are a teacher and you have used it to teach students about Math 😊. Fake money feels different than real money. When I've paid with cash at the stores with certain bills, I have noticed the cashier raising the bill up and taking a close look at it to make sure it's real. Unfortunately, I'm sure they have dealt with situations where customers gave them counterfeit money. I'm sure they're also trained to look at the money carefully and from all angles. In our lives, we need to look at opportunities that come our way carefully 😊. Opportunities are better when they're God sent, not counterfeit. There is a difference between the two. To know the difference, we first must pray (I Thessalonians 5:17). Then, we need to shine the light of God's Word on it. It will reveal what it is. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." When it's not from God, there will be confusion and lack of peace. When it's sent from God, you will have peace and clarity 💗. When we're walking on God's path, He will not lead us wrong. There are times we immediately say "yes" to the opportunity because we already been praying and preparing for it and we know that this is the right thing to do. There are other times that are response is to wait before answering and then give a response or make a particular action. Then, there are still times that we know the answer needs to be "no." This could be for different reasons, such as not having peace about it, knowing you're not prepared, or can't commit fully. Have I said yes to opportunities I shouldn't have? Oh yes! You probably have too! Looking back, I can definitely say I learned lessons from them and it helped me grow. Now, even after saying yes to an opportunity you know you should, it doesn't mean you won't have moments of doubt and uncertainty. It doesn't mean you won't want to feel like quitting and not completing the experience/goal. You will be able to keep going and accomplish what you need to because God is with you and will provide resources and strength 🙏. He will allow it to work out! I'm a witness as I'm many of you are too! You see, when it's counterfeit, it may look good at first, but then you see signs that something is not right and uneasiness sets in. Sometimes, this is seen right away and we say yes anyway knowing it's not right. I've been there too! I'm so glad God gives us another chance 👏!! So, let's be aware of counterfeits as they come in the form of opportunities, but also in people and relationships. They won't help us at all. They will definitely show us what we don't want or need. As we continue to go into 2025, I simply want to encourage us to only embrace the God given opportunities that come our way 💗. These opportunities will bring you peace, joy, and growth. They will add value to your life and benefit you! They will help you become your best self 😊. That's how you'll know it's God-sent. So, let's train our eyes to look up close and personal and see things from all angles like the money we talked about earlier. This year, let's embrace the God-sent, not the counterfeit! God bless you all!