You Must be the Lit Sis

"You are the light of this world, and a city built upon a hill cannot be hidden."

- Matthew 5:14

Hey there sisterfriends, and Happy 2020! It's been about a month since I've written, but I have so much to discuss, and I hope that you are here to listen.

I (like the start of many January 1ers) got excited about what was to come this year. I was so blessed to bring in the new year at my church home, and the word from God was spot on in what I'm expecting in my personal life. It is exciting to know that an anointed word (or a few words) can do so much to get your spirit stirring.

In this same sentiment, I was on go and ready to release all of my projects. From photos to illustrations and writing...I was ready.

Or so I thought.

You have the ideas. You have the skills and maybe even the plan, but somehow you have convinced yourself 16 days into the new year that maybe, what you want isn't attainable, and perhaps, you aren't talented enough to actually do it.

In full transparency, I have spent the last few months putting my purpose into what I don't have or what I lost when, in reality, I could have used that time to press into my gifts to better myself and my relationship with God. I know I may sound extra "churchy," but that is the reality of wasting time when you are called.

Whether you believe it right now or not (I hope that you will), each of us has a divine assignment given to us by Him. Now whether or not we tap into it is solely up to us.

I've discussed this on my podcast in our first episode, but seasons are constant as they come in waves, and this current season is teaching me that what I have now is what someone else is praying to have. Seriously, I have a breath to breathe on my own, and that alone deserves a thank you, Jesus. However, it isn't always like this. In the moments leading up to this, I can become ungrateful, sour, frustrated, and, most of all, stuck because I cannot adequately hear God's voice among my own thoughts of rejection.

If you experience this back and forth with yourself, understand this, you are entirely free to feel how you feel, as long as your emotions do not guide you. It is so important to be guided by what God has said about you and not what a fickle thought tells you to think. Now, as someone who experienced severe anxiety, that switch can be hard to turn off, but it is possible when you push into the goodness that is around you.

It was not until I slowed down to hear that "I am the light of this world." When you think of light, you generally think of this bright thing that provides an awakening or allows people to see clearer, but now I can add that light is something that is infinite and constant. Even when we lay our heads to rest at night, there is a light somewhere in this world glowing to provide sight to others.

You can be THAT light too. Actually, who are you not to be? You are allowed to take up space, tap into your greatness, your power, your skills, and your talents. When it is said that you are the light of this world, it means that you cannot be dimmed. The good thing about God and believing His word is that no matter how hard you or people try, your light cannot be hidden from anyone or anything -- which means that no one can stop you even if they tried!

Release your projects sis; you'll have more lovers than haters. Share your art with the world; you're going to inspire someone. Take a leap of faith and apply for that job; you're going to excel at it. Yes, you can finish your education no matter what level you're on because you're just that bomb. Maybe you were rejected, but God has something way better than what the world can give. You survived the unimaginable, the unthinkable, and now...you are unshakable. No matter what "it" is, go for it.

So what are you going to light up this year? Tell me about it by sharing this graphic on your IG stories and tagging me in it (@byceemaria)! We're on this journey together.