Deciphering Godly Themes and Messages In Our Lives

I've been off of here for a little while. Life, my upcoming book launch, and everything else has just gotten the better of me.

It's been awhile since I've even written, I feel a little rusty, but I'll do my best.

In July I did a series on #Holyconfidence here on the blog, and even though I didn't know it at the time, it was something that I would need to go back to and remind of again and again.

There have been other themes that have come up again lately as well. Such as:

the importance of repentance

going back to the basics (our love for God)

the idea that busyness does not equal fruitfulness

These reminders are from the Holy Spirit and through practice and discipline I've learned how to lean into these themes (even not-so-fun-ones like repentance) to dig deeper to find out what God wants to teach me and how He wants me to apply these truths into my everyday life.

I want to share with you not what I know, but rather what He has revealed to me.

First, let me just encourage you NOT to ignore themes that repeatedly come up in your life.

I'll even take it one step further, do NOT ignore elements of God's creation that also carry a significance for you. These could be birds, mountains, oceans, or if you're like me, butterflies.

So what can you do when you start to sense a word, verse or theme being brought to your attention?

1.Write it down in as much detail as you possibly can.

For me, God uses words, themes in the form of pictures, illustrations or examples.

This is how my book, The Butterfly Blueprint: How to Renew Your Mind and Grow Your Faith came about.

One of my first blog posts I ever wrote was about the significance of the butterfly in my life. My mom, grandmother and great grandmother all love butterflies, and we even had a butterfly release at my wedding! The butterfly has always been special to me and I didn't really know what it was all about until it became the name of my coaching ministry, and incidentally the main idea behind my book! (You can read the original post HERE)

When you write something down you have record of it (so glad I was able to pull up a post from 2016!) This benefits you in being able to keep information accurate and specific, but also allows God to use the messages, themes or ideas YOU WROTE to minister to you and help you take what He has shown you to share with others.

2. Speak it out loud to yourself and share with others (but be careful who you share with)

Sometimes when things click, or there seems to be a coincidence that was "God thing", we are excited and want to share the news with anyone who will listen, but often times our listeners don't share our excitement.

If there is one thing I've learned from taking messages from my heart to other people is that when God gives us a word, message or symbol that carries weight, we are to careful discern who to share this with and when to share.

Not many people know that God promised me back in 2016 that I would write a book, and He gave me a vision on the way to a Christian writing and speaking conference that I would have an actual book signing in a bookstore. It was one of these desires of my heart that I knew He would fulfill in His time. I went to that conference full of excitement and absorbed all that I could about being a writer and a speaker (funny story about that...I had ZERO desire to be a speaker back then, but God changed my heart)

That seems to be another theme in my life actually that "never say never" because you never know what God is up to.. I always say that God has a funny sense of humor.

But after the conference, I was overwhelmed with information, and overloaded from all the social interaction (that's when I realized I am more introverted that I thought and this was pre COVID, where we could meet in large gatherings)

I say all of that to say, that God will plant the seeds in your heart, and in the hearts of those you share with. Fast forward to now and a few of my connections made from that conference have been active in helping me share about my book and talk about how reading my book has transformed their own relationship with God and how they see themselves.

Not only will God plant the seeds in those relationships, but He will use those relationships to strengthen and expand on the revelation He has given you.

Remember the theme I shared of going back to the basics (our love God)?

I recently had a coffee/play date with a friend of mine. (We had coffee and our kids played) As our normal times go, we started sharing what God has been showing us lately, and much to my surprise, my friend shares her heart's desire to, seek God for Himself, not to seek Him for what He can do/give her.

She then also painted a beautiful picture of crawling up onto God's lap and spending time with Him, noticing that there was a wrapped present above them, but eager to draw close to God to spend time with Him, knowing that in time He will give her the "wrapped gift" that He has promised her.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

When she shared that illustration with me, I felt such a sense of joy and peace. A reminder that in God's time all things that He purposes come to pass.

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Of course when we receive these reminders or themes, we have a tendency to want to try to figure it out on our own, and I want to encourage you to instead wait for God to connect the dots.

3. Allow God to reveal His plan in His timing (don't rush the process!)

We are so quick to think that we are missing the mark or missing what God has placed inside of us, but His word tells us that even when we are trying to put two pieces together and make sense of the world around, He is working to ensure His purpose prevails.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

With my book, The Butterfly Blueprint, it had nothing to do with a butterfly at first. Instead I was focusing on a list of keys/ areas for spiritual growth and transformation. In fact, had I not gotten pregnant and put the book on hold last year, the book as it is now, would not have came to be.

When we are in our cocoons as painful as they may be, they are where God wants us. He is calling us into deep relationship with Him whether we are in dry or abundant season of life.

A few people have been reading my book in advance for the launch team like I have mentioned before. Several of the ladies have said that the book is for everybody, and it is relatable in a way that encourages spiritual growth in every area and transformation through every season of life. The very fact that someone picks up my book reflects that God intends to show them something wonderful and life-giving (your curiosity is often peaked when you feel like you're missing something).

I talk so much more about how when you follow that nudge or that prompt to follow Jesus and share your story with others, you start to live the life He has called you to be.

4. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it is also what fuels your passion and motivation.

Typically when I have a theme or verse on my heart I will notice it, write it down, and maybe share it with another person (after praying about it). What happens after is I am usually bombarded with confirmation, hearing that verse elsewhere, seeing it on facebook, hearing our pastor preach about it, etc.

What I take from seeing that verse or theme everywhere is God reassuring me that I'm on the right track, and it provides a sense of comfort and peace.

My book was easy to write when it came down to it. I just sat and typed and the words flowed. What has been the hardest part has been talking about it and marketing it and spreading the message of the book.

On one hand I don't like promoting myself, and on the other hand, I can easily get caught up in what a successful book launch would look like based on numbers or statistics.

But by obeying the call God placed on my heart to write my book and share my story, He is using that obedience to transform the lives of others.

That's a big deal. I talk more about obedience not only being mine, but also being yours to demonstrate through your daily actions in the book.

The truth is, I have felt discouraged lately and had all those not-so-wonderful thoughts of feeling unequipped and unqualified to write a book, much less have it published!

But in God's perfect timing, someone has reached out to me while I'm in that state of doubt and tells me how much they are enjoying the book and what they are getting out of it. I even had someone say they are using it to talk to a friend who doesn't yet know Christ!

I'm awestuck on what God plans to do with this book, and the curiosity to know more and do more and serve more (along with the reassurance He sends me) is what keeps me going.

I say all of this to remind you that Godly themes or messages serve a purpose in your life and it is up to you to lean into Him for those to be revealed.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you Matthew 6:33