46. Now is a Good Time to Believe

In this episode of Heart Work with PBJ, Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson shares her focus word for the year 2022.  Do you have a word for the year?  How do you focus your behavior for a new year or new season?

Book Recommendation:  Grace Over Grind by Shae Bynes
(This is an Associate link which means I will receive a small compensation if you purchase the book using this link.  No additional cost to you, Friend.)

To connect with Dr. PBJ, go to www.aspoonfulofpbj.com

Do you need a dynamic transformational speaker?  Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson is ready to serve.  Check out Dr. PBJ Speaks

Follow me on IG @drpatricebucknerjackson for #aspoonfulofpbj every Monday.

Transcript

0:00

Hey, hey, hey, everybody, I am Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson. But you can call me PBJ. Welcome to another episode of Heart Work with PBJ, where we are disrupting cycles of burnout for people who serve from the heart. Yeah, I'm talking to you, I'm talking to those compassionate professionals, those people who give their time and their talent and their energy to take care of everybody else. And a lot of times, find yourself depleted, this space is for you, this time is for you to refill your cup to encourage your heart to give you what you need to continue serving your purpose, without paying an ultimate sacrifice. All my friends, I'm so grateful that you continue to join me here. It's just an honor. It's an honor to be a part of your life. And it's an honor to share this journey with you. Listen, would you do me a favor? Would you subscribe to this podcast, whether you are watching on YouTube, or whether you listen on any podcast platform that you desire? If you would subscribe, that would help me get this message out further faster. But also leave a comment. Let me know what you think. Give me your questions and your thoughts so that we can just really be community and have a conversation, I would really, really appreciate that. Thank y'all. So today, we are getting into our 46th episode. And this is our first episode of 2022. Can you believe it? Can you believe it? We are in the year 2022. Wow, wow. It's been interesting to say the least. And I know not just in my life, but all of our lives. And as we move into 2022, I know that many of us are cautiously optimistic. And we're hopeful that things will turn around and this will be a better year. And I'm determined to be hopeful, I decided to be hopeful. Even in 2020, when all of this pandemic started, my decision was to be hopeful and faithful and to believe that we will get through it. And we are we're getting through it slowly but surely, and that things would turn around. So I hope that you will believe with me. And speaking of belief, today, I want to talk to you all about my word for 2022. Now, let me tell you what I'm talking about. A couple of years ago, I started paying attention to several people would come out and say they had you know a word for that year or one word that they would focus on or a short phrase that they would focus on that would direct them. I know churches do this a lot. To have one one word, one vision for the year. And that made me curious. So I started seeking, you know, to have a word for my year. And if I'm honest, in the last couple of years, it's been kind of sloppy, I'm not sure that I necessarily had a specific word, I will say, there's definitely been vision, there's definitely been specific direction in 2020 and 2021. But I don't know that I necessarily had a specific word. I think the closest I got was last year in 2021. I was focused on ease and grace. And you know, I never really felt Yes, this is your word. This is what you need to hold on to. But I will tell you that they continue to come up in my life and in my readings and in my lessons in the way that I'm adjusting my life, and transforming the way that I approach life and work. I've learned so much about ease and grace in the last year. So I believe that and I know that those words have been impactful. To me. There's a book by Shay Bynes. And I'll note it in the show notes, but it's called Grace over grind. And Shay focuses on business, specifically Kingdom onto an entrepreneurship. So Christian, but more than Christian focused on God being the CEO. But when I read Grace over grant, I've read it a couple times and listen to the audio. It doesn't just apply to my business. It is something that I'm applying to my life. So I believe that ease and grace were significant for me, especially over the last couple of years. But this year, I've feel pretty confident about my word for 2022. And that's why I want to come share it with you all today is so interesting. Couple of days ago, right before the new year, um, someone mentioned their word and I thought, you know, I, I want to work, I want to work, there's a lot going on, as far as me transitioning full time into my business and serving in a different way. And, you know, there's just a lot of change going on. And, and I sincerely desire to have a focus and to have a word for this year. And as I thought that thought, as that thought came through my head, the word believe your word for 2022 is belief is what I heard in my spirit in my heart. So I said, Okay, I wrote it down in my phone in my notes. And I just kept going, I was like, Okay, if that's my word, then it'll be confirmed and, and I'll know for sure that it's my work. So I just wrote in my notes app, kept on doing what I was doing, I think I was washing dishes or cleaning the kitchen or something random, when this was going on. So the next day, as I was doing something else random in the house, a Scripture came to me that I remember, and it had to do with believe. And I knew I was not I was jacking up the words, but it was so familiar. So I started searching for it. And I found it. And as

Luke 1: 6:34

45. And it says, Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord will fulfill his promises to her, Luke one and 45. And when that came to me, and I wasn't even in the midst of reading scripture, I was cleaning or doing something and, and it came to me blessed is she that believed that the Lord would keep him fulfill his promises to her. So I went back to Luke and I read that chapter to get the context of that scripture. And this scripture is in this in the space where Mary has been visited by the angel. She knows that she's carrying the Messiah. And she finds out that her cousin Elizabeth is also expecting. And she goes to visit Elizabeth. And in Luke chapter one, it tells us that as Mary approached, as Mary approached Elizabeth, her baby began to leap in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And as Mary got closer, Elizabeth began to greet her and acknowledge what was going on on the inside of Mary. They had not even had a conversation yet. But Elizabeth immediately knew what was going on. And a part of her greeting, a part of her greeting to Mary is blessed as she who has believed that the lawyer will fulfill his promises to her. And that scripture just blessed me again, I just wrote it down, I wrote it down in my notes app, and kept going, but it just kept ringing in my spirit, blessed is she, that believed that the lawyer will fulfill his promises to her. You know, it's one thing for us to hear or feel or think that there's a promise that God has for us have something burning in our heart. But it's another thing to believe. It's another thing to believe it, that it's real, you know, as another thing, it's one thing to think maybe, I don't know, possibly, but it's another thing to choose to believe. And that's what belief is, it's a choice. I choose to trust and rely on adhere to have faith in, you know, when when you look at the definition of that word, belief, that's what it means, to adhere to, to trust in to rely on and have faith in. And I'll be honest with you all, I've always considered myself a woman of faith. I've never considered that I struggle in faith, I believe God, I believe in miracles. You know, I believe what he's called me to do. But if I'm honest, if I'm honest, because scripture says that faith without works is dead. I'm really good at the works part. Really good at performing really good at working hard, really good at putting in long hours. Really good at going above and beyond. And sometimes my Mac or my bend towards work, interrupts my faith. Sometimes I'm so willing to do the work, that I don't leave room for God. Sometimes I take the responsibility on myself. Instead of trusting that my father who called me to the work, who created me would do what he said he would do, and that he doesn't need my A plus he doesn't need my overworking he doesn't need my anxiety. He needs my faith. And he needs my trust, to adhere to, to rely on. That's the part I struggle with. I consider myself a pretty independent woman. There are a lot of things in my life that have crafted me in that way. I'll take care of business, I'll handle it. But your independence can be a barrier. It can be a stumbling block, when it's out of order. And I will be the first to admit that sometimes my neck towards work my neck towards independence, can be a stumbling block to God being God in my life, to him being a father, in my life. So I believe that this year of belief for me is to learn to rely on God, to learn to rely on God. So there was one more confirmation, wrote that scripture down, meditated on it looked up the definition, the biblical definition of belief, wrote that down, meditated on it, then we went to church, on New Year's Eve, we went to church on New Year's Eve, and our theme at church for this year is I'm different. It means I'm set apart, I do things God's way. And our pastor was giving us the message or the word about being different. And he read from John chapter six. And he began reading verses 28 and 29. Verse 28, says, Then they asked him, What are we to do, so that we may habitually be doing the works of God? Verse 29, Jesus answered, this is the work of God, that you believe and hear to trust and rely on and have faith in the One home he has set. So this scripture goes back to, again, this is John chapter six. So Jesus fed the multitude to fish, five loaves of bread, he fed 5000 Men, plus women and children. And after that time, he went away to be alone, and sent the disciples away as well. And the people started looking for him, where's Jesus had, you know, he just, he was here, one moment gone, and next, like where to go, we want to find him. So they get in boats, and they go to the other side, and they find Jesus there and just kind of hey, what you know, how long have you may hear Jesus like, how did you get here? And Jesus as he did, as he often did, Jesus was real swift with the truth. He began to tell them, he said, You You're not looking for me because you understood the miracle. You are looking for me because I fit, you're looking for the food, you're not looking for the truth. And as he called them out, really, he called their motives out. He called their motives out. And we'll come back to that in a minute. As he called their motives out, then they asked this question, what are we to do, so that we may habitually be doing the works of God? And his answer was not what I would expect he would say. He said, This is the work of God that you believe in the one whom he has said that you adhere to trust and rely on and have faith in the One that he has sent. He didn't say you need to go out and do miracles. He didn't say you need to preach all over the streets. He didn't say you need to do this heavy lift do this. We're making a never missed him. He didn't say that. He said, Your the way that you do the work of God, is that you believe in the one that he sent. It goes back to what is your motive? I have to admit this sometimes in my overworking and in my performing, I put the mask of serving God. But sometimes their work is to serve me. Sometimes it's for recognition. Sometimes it's for income. But refocusing on believe, I am going to focus on serving God and His purpose for my life, so that when I come to him, My motive is not about what he can give me. But my motive is pure, to rely on, to trust in to adhere to Jesus Christ, the one that God sent. So, my word is belief. My word is believe, and I'm going to share with you four ways that I am going to apply this word to my life. And I want you all to hold me accountable. And I'll keep you updated as we go. But here are four ways that I'm going to believe in 2020 to one, I'm going to align my behavior with what I say I believe. I'll give you an example. So in the last couple of days of I've been battling with some anxiety, I sat down to look at my calendar for January and February. And you know, when you transition off of a traditional job and into entrepreneurship, you may have this idea that you're going to have all this free time on your hands, at least that's what I thought, you know, I'm going to be in control of my time and, and begin to look at January and February, like, Oh, what happened? I literally had to close. I had to close the calendar and breathe. Because honestly, I'm thinking, I don't know how I'm gonna do all this. How do all this get here? How do I get obligated to all of these things? How am I going to do it. And I begin to feel overwhelmed and anxious thinking about all the things to come. Thinking about all the things that I'm responsible for now, and how to keep it all going? Well, the way that I decided to align my behavior, with what I believe is today, I decided that I am going to speak the word of God over my life, I'm not going to live in overwhelm, I'm not going to take it upon myself to fix it to rearrange it to try to make it better. It's not my responsibility. Everything that I took on, I pray before I say, yes, every single thing that's on that calendar, I prayed before I said yes. So I believe that it should be there, or he's going to move it somewhere. So instead of living in that overwhelm, and trying to fix it myself, I'm aligning my behavior with my belief. And I am letting go of that anxiety. And I'm holding on to the Word of God. So I went, and I found all of the scriptures, Matthew six and 33 in Philippians, four, Be anxious for nothing, where it tells us not to worry and not to be anxious in it. It tells us if God cares, you know, for the field, the daisies in the field and the birds of the air, how much more is he going to care for us, and if I seek His kingdom first, and His righteousness, everything I need, and not just physical things, but peace that I need. Wisdom that I need, everything that I need will be added unto me. And if I focus on him, and if I make my petitions known, with thanksgiving, if I say specifically pray specifically for what I need, and thank him for what he's done in the peace that surpasses all understanding will stand guard around the heart and my mind, I begin to read the scriptures out loud, but I also begin to write them with my hand, and I begin to say them with my mouth. And the more I speak that word, the more peace I feel flood my heart. And the more clearly I can see just what I need to do for today. I'm just going to look at at today that doesn't mean we don't plan that doesn't mean we don't look at our calendar. But when you're looking at that calendar and it feels overwhelming, and it begins to steal your peace of begins to overshadow you, then it's time to shut that down and come back to what you need today. He promised us daily bread and he also said when we get to tomorrow, he'll be there and everything that we need will be there. So I'm aligning my behavior with what I believe by speaking the Word of God over my life, letting go of overwhelm, letting go of the anxiety and receiving God's peace. So aligning my behavior with what I believe and focusing on being led instead of leading. Oh, this is a big one for me. I was created a leader I teach leadership is a part of who I am. My mentors are leaders, the people that I learned from our leaders, it's easier for me to lead them to follow. But I am intentionally learning how to be led. That means I'm checking in with God every day and sometimes all day I am putting a pause on my yes before I respond affirmatively, quickly, I'm going to put a pause, make space to ask God, wait for his answer and then give my response so that I'm not taking on things that he didn't assign to my hands in the season. So I am learning how to be led daily, I'm seeking Him, what do I need to do today? How do I respond to this need today? What would you have for me to do today, and I don't plan. You know, I'm a planner, I like to look six months out, and that kind of thing, but I'm learning for me, I'm learning that in this season, is important for me to take this walk with God, day by day. And to go day, by day, I'm going to focus on being led. And instead of leading, I will trust the voice number three, I will trust the voice inside of me the first time and will receive grace with ease when I mess it up. I can be pretty hard on myself, when I feel like I've gotten it wrong or even when I'm seeking God, is that what you're saying? Is that what you said it that I'm so focused on getting it right? That sometimes I miss or add extra pressure to myself, and I'm so quick to tell everybody else. God knows how to speak to you. He knows how to talk to you. He he's not in heaven, wringing his hands, wondering how he's going to get a message down to you. He knows how to speak to each one of us in a way that we will hear him. So I'm going to receive that for myself. God knows how to speak to me. And he knows how to make sure I hear him. So I am going to practice following the voice of God the first time. And when and if I miss it, or mess it up, I'm going to receive His grace with ease. I'm not going to sit in condemnation, I am not going to, you know just wallow in regret, or self loathing, but I'm going to let that thing go and receive the gift of grace that is afforded to me every day. Because either It either works or it's a lesson. Either way, I win. Either way I win. And that is a new mentality for me, because my mentality normally is do it right, get it right, excellence, but sometimes right is not what we expect, right? It's going to be sometimes that lesson is exactly what you needed. So I am going to trust the voice, I'm going to trust the voice of God. And when I mess it up, I'm going to receive His grace with ease. And finally, I'm going to submit to the process. Whatever that process is, part of me believing is not to find the path of least resistance. Part of me believing is not to avoid the heart thing. Part of me believing is to be as vulnerable as I need to be. And as honest as I need to be. And trust the process. My normal approach often is to try to get ahead of the process to make the process more easy to make sure I get it right to make sure I missed the mark. But I am going to breathe and relax and walk through the process of from where I am today to where I'm going. And that's in business that's in family. That's personally that's unhealed, I am going to not avoid the process. I'm going to submit to the process and trust that I will be exactly where I'm supposed to be and where I need to be when I need to be there. So that's it Friends. My word for 2022 is belief is belief I am going to adhere to trust in rely on and have faith in the one that God sent. And I am going to believe that He who promised is faithful to fulfill every promise, every promise. Well, what are the promises the Scripture is full of them full of them. Scripture is full of them. So I'm going to hang on to those promises. And I'm going to trust him better this time. I'm on trust him better this time. And I encourage you to do the same This is a good time to believe it's a good time to believe. We don't wait until the pandemic is over. We don't wait until the numbers go down. We don't wait until the economy is fixed. We don't wait until the provision comes in. You don't need faith for that. That's reality. Faith means I believe now. I believe now, before it comes. So why don't you join me? Why don't you join me? Let's choose to believe now's a good time. Now's a good time to believe. Alright, friends, that's what I got for you today. As always know that you are powerful. You are significant. And you are loved. Love always, PBJ