Who’s Pushing You?

Originally posted 2015-12-10 11:37:07.

Hi!

Are you afraid to expand?  Do you dream of success; but the very thought of what comes along with success frightens you?  When it comes to putting yourself out there and allowing people to see your work or product; do you have apprehensions; even though what you are doing is not about you?  Do you arrive at functions early so that people won’t look at you?  Or do you arrive late so that you can just melt into the crowd?  Do you question what you wear to work, church, dinner, or to a picnic for fear of people’s comments about you?   Or, the opposite:  Do you arrive fashionably late so that people will look at you in awe?  Well!  ….The good thing about these scenarios is that you are a prime candidate for being pushed.  So the question is:   “What’s pushing you?”

Wait!  ….Don’t the “what” AND the “who” push you?

Many of us often concentrate on what is causing the push.  Your frustration with finances can push you to go on and accept that low paying job offer; while you search for more income streams.  Displaced finances can also cause you to discipline yourself; finally write a budget, stop overspending, pay those bills on time, make sacrifices and save.  Continually feeling dissatisfied on your job or with your career choice can push you to go on and start that business, change careers or go back to school.  Your becoming tired of multiple false starts can push you to finally work towards completing that goal.  Your continual feelings of uselessness can cause you to seek God for His Will for your life and pursue your purpose.  These instances describe what pushes you.  But don’t allow the what’s to block you in.  Think about it.   God can send people into your life to push you.  Then the question becomes:  “Who is pushing you?”

Your pushers are diverse!

I believe that The Lord is everybody’s primary pusher.  He pushes us in our good times.  He pushes us in our trials.  He pushes us when we hear His Word.  He pushes us when we allow His Word to lead us through becoming a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway. (cf. Psalm 119:105)   …Yet The Lord sends people to push us.   We don’t readily receive the push from certain people for multiple reasons.  The person could be someone we have known for years and we don’t view them as an authority.  Perhaps we see the person as being too young, too old, unfamiliar, or in opposition of you or the program that you are a part of.  But, don’t be surprised of who pushes you.  Your children, your parents, your cousins, your ministry leaders, your coworkers, your employees, your friends, or even your enemies can push you.

This site’s conception occurred over three years ago.  I told my daughter, about the thought, and she continuously told me to go on and start the blog.  But, now that she has passed away, my sons push me through our conversations.  They challenge me to think more.  A couple of days ago, my oldest son, and I talked about a proposed title to a post, and he said, “Mama you want your titles to express encouragement to people.  Maybe you can use that as your opening line.”  He causes me to think more about the readers.  My youngest son pushes me by his saying, “Hey girl! Or Hey lady!”  He reminds me of the girl in me that is yet a lady.  The question is:  “Who’s pushing you?”

When I allowed fear to hinder me from writing my first post; Ki pushed me through setting up my social media profiles.  She also, repeatedly told me to go on and start posting on the blog.  She even put up the site’s layout so that I could drop the excuses.  She pushed me to press past my fears.  I was at a fellowship dinner the other night and Olivia pushed me with an idea about a book.  And now, just yesterday morning, I went on social media and saw my name and face on a beautiful flyer with this blog’s name on it.  My cousin Stephanie created the picture without me knowing about it.  She pushed me to push past my fears.   The question is:  Who’s pushing you?”

Is your push really a pull?

Do you remember when you were in grade school and how you would react when someone pushed you?  How did it make you feel?  Did you immediately push them back or at least you wanted to?  Could that have been the start of you becoming strong enough to not allow someone to push you around?  What about a team-mate who challenges everything that you say?  Use it as a push to not feed into foolishness; or a push to make sure that you are secure in your knowledge and thoughts; but open to criticism.  Your push is your pull.   Your push is your help over hurdles until you can speak to the mountain with your faith and the Word of God.  …Some years ago, I moved one of my sons to a new school.  He was in the first or second grade.  When we arrived at his classroom door, he turned around with a tear in his eye and said, “Mama.”  I told him, “Go on.”  Then he walked in that class room with a pimp in his step.  All he needed was a push to pull him into independence.  My friends, what is pushing you?  Who is pushing you?  Is your push really a pull?

My friends, I’d like to leave you with Biblical narratives to think about it.  Didn’t Naomi push Ruth? (The Book of Ruth) ….Didn’t Mordecai push Esther? (The Book of Esther)  …..Didn’t Paul push Timothy?  (1 and 2 Timothy) …..Didn’t Jesus push Peter?  (Mark 1:17; Matthew 4:19)  ….Who’s pushing you?

Thank you for joining me in these Thursday thoughts.  I’ll leave you with two questions?  Who’s pushing you for the better?  And, are you receptive to the push?   What are your thoughts.  Join me in conversation.  I’d love to hear from you.  We’ll talk soon.

Blessings!

Rochelle