I'm all for people living their dreams. Going for it. Pursuing what's in their hearts.
But I had a conversation the other day that made me realize something most people don't want to hear.
The enemy is cunning.
He's not always going to put someone in your face to tell you what you can't do. That's too obvious. Sometimes he will. But he's way more cunning than that.
Often, Satan himself comes wrapped in everything you thought you ever wanted.
Think about it.
How many people have you seen locked away in security, floating on a magic carpet of comfortability, while their purpose collects dust in the corner?
Has it ever dawned on you that maybe—just maybe—he allowed you to have the things of comfort so that you would sell out your purpose?
Some will disagree. But hear me out.
No one is ever going to stand in your face and say, "You can't do this." You may even think you're surrounded by an amazing support network. But how much more could you have accomplished if you had been fully focused?
Instead of someone saying what you couldn't do, you battled weaponized incompetence.
I know, especially as a Black woman, that we are resilient. We bounce back. We think on our feet. We do all of these things. But what I also had to learn was to look at the things that were not being said.
There was a period of my life where, from the outside looking in, I had it made. The more I began to excavate and look at the situation, the more I asked: Did I?
Weaponized incompetence is a powerful thing. Because although you think you're OK with it—you can handle it—it's draining you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
No one has to tell you what you can't do. You're just always preoccupied with ensuring that everyone else has what they need.
So whereas you could've accomplished 100 items, you're barely getting by with five or ten. And you're thankful for that.
See, the enemy knows that in you is unlimited possibility. So his goal is distraction—in any shape, form, or fashion he can manage.
The world says
comfort is the reward for hard work. But what if comfort is the cage that keeps you from the work you were actually called to do?
I think comfort and luxury are wonderful things. I'm not that person who believes
the poorer you are, the closer you are to God.
Not at all.
But what I also know is what happens when you sell out the very purpose He has for you—or delay it—reveling in what you supposedly don't have to do because you've been afforded comfort.
One of the things I love most about my life is the struggle.
Every single one.
Whereas I used to think struggling was embarrassing, now I see it differently. I love the fact that what was in me was so strong that I refused to give up and settle for the status quo.
The things I learned about myself in the process. Because you learn who a person truly is in the pressure.
Do they have character? Do they have a bridled tongue? Are they loyal?
These are all questions you learn so much about a person when they're in the press. And I can't say anything but thank you, God, for allowing me to have those experiences.
They say He gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers.
I used to resent that. I'd be like, "Man, God, are you serious?" But I understand it more now than ever.
So now, rather than ingesting it when I hear anyone say things like, "Wouldn't it be nice if you had this or that or whatever," I really don't entertain it.
Because what I understand is that whatever He puts in my hands, being the woman He's created me to be, I'm going to multiply it. And I'll spend the rest of my life encouraging others and speaking life into them, pushing them to do the same.
Comparison is the thief of joy. We are to be as meek as a lamb but as wise as a serpent (Matthew 10:16).
Don't get so caught up in the look and feel and operate in so much pride that you can't see when you've been hacked.
Now, before I go, just know that this conversation will conjure people's demons. Because the biggest thing we deal with as truth-tellers is that both sides of the aisle will be angry at you. They need everyone else to continue to believe the lie and the illusion.
That's why true transformation starts at the soul level.
Your soul is your mind, your will, and your intellect. The safest place you will ever find yourself is in the arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Him, you build the foundation for everything else.
The Soul Esteem book was written for moments like this—to help you excavate the places where comfort became a cage. To help you see the difference between what the world handed you and what God called you to.
Because once you see it, you can't unsee it. And that's when everything changes.
If you've never met me, my name is Jackie. If you're seeking and looking for a community, you stumbled upon the right place. Stick around for a while. I welcome you.
Share This: If you know someone who's comfortable but not fulfilled, send them this. It might be the wake-up call they've been avoiding.
