The Author of Clarity and Peace
In the month of October, God is reminding His people that He isn't the author of confusion. He leads with clarity and peace. He is increasing people's discernment and leading them in the paths of righteousness. This is a time to draw a line in the sand on what you are unwilling to compromise on. Hold fast to the promises of God, and don't settle for "almost." Choose intimacy with the Lord over religious ideologies. In this season, it's important to remain close to the Holy Spirit in order to be guided by Him.
Wisdom and Discernment
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God." (1 John 4:1 ESV)
God isn't the author of confusion. If there's a lot of confusion, that's often an indication that something is outside of the Holy Spirit—either a decision, an agreement, or a spirit outside of alignment with Him. Have you ever been in a conversation with someone or walked into a building and you felt confused and swirly for no reason? Chances are there's a spiritual agreement or a spirit of confusion at play.
Right now, God is increasing people's discernment. You have been given spiritual senses. One of those spiritual senses is discernment. And the way you "feel" can often be the gift of discernment; it can feel like an intuitive sense or uneasiness with things that you can't fully explain, or a confident knowing you also can't explain. Discernment isn't for judgment or judging others; rather, it's for recognizing what is and isn't of God.
Pay attention to how you're doing before you're around someone and then how you are when you're with them. Did you notice a shift in your emotional state? Take notice. Do you feel a sense of unease, unsettledness, or any variation from your normal operating system? On the flip side, do you feel peace, calm, or joy? All of these notices can be the gift of discernment—both discerning what is of the Holy Spirit versus what is not. Does a certain person, location, or circumstance consistently make you feel confused, swirly, or chaotic? If so, recognize that something is out of alignment with the Holy Spirit.
Discernment is about protecting your peace and walking in alignment with the Holy Spirit. As you grow in discernment, invite wise friends into your experiences, friends with good discernment, and trustworthy people to process with. Declare that you will be led by peace and the Holy Spirit alone.
Off the Merry-Go-Round
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8 NIV) (Photo via Freerange Stock)
Have you ever been on a merry-go-round? You're spinning in circles, not going anywhere, and getting dizzier and dizzier by the moment. As a kid, this is incredibly fun... as an adult, it's often a recipe for insane nausea. Many people have been on spiritual merry-go-rounds—motion without forward movement, mindless motion that leaves you dizzy and confused, and busyness that's not going anywhere.
God is pouring out discernment right now to know what is busyness versus what is moving the needle. The Lord is pulling back the curtain and stripping away busyness for the sake of busyness and movement for the sake of movement.
There's an invitation to walk away from what's bright, flashy, and colorful but not of Him. Busyness can be a distraction. Right now, God is pulling us away from the distractions.
Now is the time to be still, get in His presence, and find clarity on what He's speaking. Sometimes when we get quiet and still, uncomfortable emotions come up—uncomfortable truths. This is good, and this is of God. It's letting go of the flashy in pursuit of what is authentic and not as pretty, bright, or colorful but what's honest and authentic. Let go of counterfeit connection and counterfeit purposes, and pick up your God purpose and God perspective. Authenticity is often messy and less perfectly curated, but it's good. Fix your eyes on Jesus, let go of the masks, and pursue authentic connection with Him and others.
Line in the Sand
"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17 ESV)
In Scripture, there are multiple stories of Abraham where he compromised on his beliefs or values out of fear. On more than one occasion, he was afraid for his life, so he told men that his wife was his sister. When they had waited a seemingly endless amount of time for a child, they took matters into their own hands. Abraham was a man of faith, and he was known as God's friend. Yet, he still struggled to trust God and hold onto His promises. Isn't this relatable? It's so easy to give into fear and doubt and compromise on what God has said. And yet... God is inviting us to live without compromise. Choose wisely. What are you unwilling to budge on? What will you be relentless about?
Compromise is important in relationships—the give and take and letting certain things go. But there are some things you cannot compromise on. Your values are one of those things. Right now is the time to get clear on your values so you don't abandon them for something easier. Get clear on God's promises so you don't compromise when things get hard. Get clear on trusting God so you don't resort to fear and self-protection. Where have you compromised your beliefs and values for what's convenient?
The root cause of compromising your values is almost always a lack of trust. We compromise when we don't trust God, or we don't fully believe God's promise. When there's a lack of trust, we're willing to budge on what we believe. Abraham took matters into his own hands when he had a child with Hagar.
Where are you compromising your values, your beliefs, or the promise for what feels convenient? Right now, you have an opportunity to trust Him and to put your faith in Him over what is easy, available, or "almost" like the promise. If you've been waiting and waiting and see a way to "technically" make things work, it's just settling on what's possible instead of God's best; it's a way around the promise. In the moment, it may not even seem wrong, but your spirit will recognize it's wrong. Trust in God even when it doesn't make sense. Trust God's timing. (Photo via Unsplash)
Relationship Over Religion
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27 ESV)
It's one thing to go to church every Sunday; it's another thing to know the heart of God for yourself. We were created for intimate friendship and connection with God. In the middle of the chaos and noise of the world, we need to get in the presence of Jesus. Scripture says, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 ESV). Getting in God's presence isn't optional. It's so important to go to the Lord and get His perspective on your situation, to discern the Holy Spirit when you go to pray, and to pursue His presence. This is how you'll know what to do. This is how you'll know what to pray. This is how you'll know where to go. The presence of God influences everything.
You need to know the Word of God and the presence of God in order to discern truth from error. In a world filled with anger, vitriol, and a hundred loud opinions, you need to know the voice of the Lord for yourself so you can stand confident on truth and His voice. In Exodus 33:15, Moses said, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" (NIV). Likewise, the presence of God must be the most important thing to us—more important than accolades, or comfort, or familiarity.
Come back to trust, friends. Seek His heart and surrender fully to Him. In the middle of all the noise, be still and know that He is God.
Declarations:
• God is increasing my wisdom and discernment.
• I move forward with intention and purpose.
• I remain uncompromising in my convictions.
• Intimacy with God is the foundation of all I do.
• I invite God into every area of my life.
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Katelyn Alexander
The Crowning Jewels
Website:Â www.thecrowningjewels.com
Email:Â hello@thecrowningjewels.com
Katelyn Alexander is a masterful teacher and coach with a passion for seeing people walk in the wholeness of who God created them to be. An actor, writer, and storyteller, Katelyn blends creativity and charisma with a solid foundation on the Word of God. Katelyn first worked with Anne and The Crowning Jewels in 2015 and now blogs, writes, and teaches for TCJ.
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Anne Jackson
The Crowning Jewels
Website:Â www.thecrowningjewels.com
Email:hello@thecrowningjewels.com
Texas-born Anne Jackson worked as a nurse for seventeen years before fully embracing her creative nature. Having grown up believing that God only spoke through the Bible, her life was transformed with the personal knowledge that He still speaks today. As she experienced a revelation of God's love for her and the power of words to transform and heal, she began designing jewelry, partnering with the Holy Spirit to create a tangible way to bring Heaven to Earth. This is where her prophetic jewelry company, The Crowning Jewels, was birthed. Many people recognize her company as a business-ministry hybrid. She is known as a prophetic visionary with the drive to accomplish her dreams. Her mandate is to champion others as they discover their God given identity and fulfill their divine purpose. After living in Redding, CA for ten years, she recently moved back home and currently resides in Texas.
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