Tag Archives: business

How to Seek God

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Writing a book opens all kinds of doors.  And I love that.  More coaching clients, invitations to speak, seminars to present, and book signings to do. Opportunities to witness the move of God in the hearts and minds of so many new, as well as old friends.

I get so excited when the opportunity gets presented… and then, a few days, or the night before the event… a dread falls upon me.  I want to run away, disappear, and go into hiding.

At first, I thought something was wrong, or maybe I’m not supposed to do this, or…. and then, doubt about who I am takes over, and I even lose sight of why I’m doing this.  Quite frankly, it almost overwhelms me!

Has this ever happened to you, or is it just me?

And what is this dread about?

For me, imagined fears of being a failure, or being alone, of feeling like I’m ineffective, inadequate, and non-essential.  Old yukky thoughts still wanting to block and stop me from carrying out the mission God has placed within me.

But…ha-ha!   God is making me savvy.  I see the wiley ways of the enemy who stands to accuse and oppose me.

God is making me smart.  He exposes the plot, and reminds me who I am, and why I do what I do.


He shows me the thoughts that create the feeling of dread are not the thoughts of a highly favored woman of God, co-heir of the King, esteemed and deeply loved child of a Father who has said He would do “whatsoever” I ask.

He uses these times to train me, mentor me, and power me up.  I am then led to speak my agreement with Him.


“Yes, Lord, You are mighty and I am highly favored.  I am blessed to be a blessing.  In You, I am not a failure.  In You, I am not ineffective.  You have chosen me for such a time as this!  When I enter that arena, I will be full of Your love, wisdom, and anything else I need because You are faithful. You are already there, and at the same time, I bring You with me. Flow through me, and touch whoever needs Your touch.  I am grateful and excited to showcase Your love, Your favor, and Your energy.  Thank you for choosing me.”

Well, I am happy to report, the seminar I conducted after my last tangle with dread was sheer delight.  The Lord showed up in a marvelous way as He gave me the courage to transparently tell my embarrassing stories.   All the pieces of the study fell into place, and the ladies responded as baby birds, mouths wide open, hungry for what God was revealing.  It was apparent to all that He was there, at work, inspiring, motivating, and encouraging.  As a friend quoted from Veggie Tales, “I laughed. I cried.  It really touched me, Bob.”  Cute.

Consciously flowing in the favor of God could not happen if I did not “seek” Him.  Not some religious ritual, perfunctorily performed and then checked off, seeking Him is as simple as sharing our secrets with an intimate friend, or relaxing over coffee with a deeply interested relative.


And yet, there is a profundity to seeking Him, where He shares with us the inner workings of His heart and mind.  How secure He makes me feel knowing that every need I have, He has the answer and solution.

Where I once had difficulty carving out time to sit with Him because of all I had to get done, I now am so addicted to it, that everything else gets ordered around this part of my day.   Oh, how much easier, more productive, and satisfying life is!! For those of you who know what I’m talking about… let us rejoice together!

For the rest, oh, how I want that for you!

And so, I asked the Lord to speak to you today, and here is what He said,


“Come to Me as you are.  I know the details of your life intimately.   And I care about it all.  You don’t have to know anything other than I desire you and you desire me.  Sit with Me, and let Me show you My love.  Close your eyes, and look into Mine.  Do you see My delight for you?  You are My heartthrob.  You are My joy.  I know everything in your mind, your heart, your circumstances.. I know it all. I see the good in you, and all are trying to accomplish.  I see your fears, too. Come, let Me show you that I am on your side.

I desire to work with and through you, to give you ideas and what you need to accomplish them.  (I see the Lord lift up your face, and a radiant glow illuminates it, as He says…) I have things worked out for you.  Sit and rest awhile, and then follow my lead and I will show you the path.”

At that point the Lord held you close, until you were almost totally absorbed into Him.  Oh, the sweet satisfaction in His eyes as He held you!

How do we seek God?  Just show up, be ready to receive, and have a conversation.  He is waiting with eagerness and joy.


Have an amazing week!

How does the pain of rejection affect you?

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Ok.  I know this is not a popular topic.  Avoiding pain, of any kind, is a basic human motivation.  So, I understand if just the mention of this topic causes most of you to “runaway!”  (Sorry, can’t help but think of a segment in the movie, “Monty Python.”)

But some of you are fully aware that the pain of rejection is something you have indeed suffered, are suffering, or continue suffer.  You understand how it has affected you and driven you in various aspects of your life.

It is to you I address this post.  Read to the end…. there may be a free gift for you!

The Lord has impressed upon me recently just how significant this issue is and how it affects relationships, choices we make in our work, and endeavors we choose or don’t choose.  And thus, I am currently working on a project about the pain of rejection and how it directs our lives – positively and negatively.

Would you take just a few minutes and jot down some notes to me as to how it has affected you?  Would you mind sharing a story, a choice, and event where you have seen yourself do something or not in order to avoid the pain of rejection, or maybe how you reject yourself, or how you have tried to compensate for the pain?

For example,  because of being abused, abandoned, and rejected often as a child, I was motivated to become a lawyer.  Seems positive, right?  But once I had achieved my goal, I felt very depressed, rather than satisfied.   Why?  Because I was largely motivated to become a lawyer by my need to prove my worth and secure my future.  I wanted to be esteemed and wanted.

Well, I was esteemed, alright.  But I felt less wanted than ever!  People are scared of attorneys!  Girlfriends thought I was superior to them.  Guys thought I was too smart for them.  And on top of it, in the geographic area I lived in, being Asian, especially a smart Asian, was not a desirable trait.

The desire to avoid and compensate for the pain of rejection caused me to seek this career, but instead of being free of it, I added even more. (Thankfully God rescued me and showed me over many years, His love, esteem, and security that never fades and is in constant operation!)

Another example.  My husband has a business where he must invoice for services rendered.  For a long time we could not understand why he didn’t bill his clients on time, charge for the full extent of his work, or invoice at all!  Eventually the Lord shed light on it:  Gene perceived that the bill was a reflection of his worth.  If there was any challenge to his bill, which does happen in service businesses, it tapped into a hidden fear that he was not actually worth the money he charged.  This pain of feeling worth-less was enough to (subconsciously) keep or delay him from the billing process.  Of course, God pointed this out for Gene’s victory, but seeing and accepting this dynamic was not all that easy!

These are just 2 ways we have seen our choices affected by the pain of rejection.  There are so many more that relate to our relationships, our ministry, what we expect from life, God, and ourselves.

How about you?  Would you share with me how the pain of rejection has affected you and your choices in live?  Do you desire to be free and victorious of it as well?  In what ways are you already?

And here is the free gift part ….. share your story, and receive a $7 gift card to your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or department store!   You can send me an email privately, or you can add your story here!

Thanks so much!!

Cheers!

Maryann