Now, in studying, I did find that Vashti came from a royal lineage. The thing is the royalty that she was associated with had been conquered. So, with all of her royal blood, it meant nothing until she married into a family that still had power.

As much power as you think you have, you’ve got to remember you only have it because you married into the family. We are the bride of Christ. Without our bridegroom, we are nothing. His great love for us has empowered us to be people of affluence and influence. It is nothing that we have done. It is all Him. If we forget that, then we land ourselves in the seat of Vashti. We allow ourselves to get so wrapped up in what we are doing that when God calls us to do something we tell Him no. I am reminded of a scripture, Isaiah 45:9, that says, “Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?” Just because God graced you with a position you never gain the ability to second guess His instructions.

This is the Vashti complex. It is a mindset that believes it has arrived but forgot the means by which it got there. Unfortunately, this is something that is happening quite a bit in the body of Christ. We have people that have been called to preach and have forgotten just who called them. They’re trying to strike a compromise with God about something that He’s told them to do because it is possibly an inconvenience for them. See, the thing we must be careful of is being graced with a position then not seeking the Lord about what we are to do when we get there. When we began to make our own plans in a place where God has put us, disappointment is surely to come. Why? There is a purpose for the reason God positioned you where he did. If you fail to plan based around the purpose of God, when it is time for His purpose to be made manifest it will incite a struggle between your will and God’s will.

God positions us strategically for His purpose. We must never lose sight of that purpose and get beside ourselves. We must walk in obedience. Our ears and hearts must be sensitive to the voice and move of God if we desire to stay in the position that He has given us. In the words of Beyonce, “don’t you ever for a second get to thinking, you’re irreplaceable.” Stay on The Path.

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About the Author: Path contributing writer Calvin Walker has been writing editorial content for Path MEGAzine since 2007. Calvin’s ability to break down the word of God with thought provoking analogies and real life analysis makes an impact on Christians seeking a closer walk with God. An accomplished author, Walker released his debut book titled “The Gallery” early 2010. Click here to read excerpts and purchase Walkers’ book. 
 

The favor of God graces you with a gift or an assignment or a call. Gaining favor with man often has everything to do with how graciously you handle the God given assignment, gift or call. Favor has become the irrevocable backstage pass in some of our sermons. We have screamed that the enemy cannot hold you back because of the favor of God that is on your life. While it is true that the enemy cannot defeat you if God is for you, it is important that we understand that we can’t act unruly just because we are favored.

What I love about Esther is that when God graced her to be on a platform that should’ve been unheard of for her, she acted humble. This is what we must learn to do. When God graces us with a platform, we cannot become haughty. We must remain humble of spirit because it is this humility that will cause man to see the gift of God that is in us. Now, they want to help us so that the gift, the call, the purpose that has been placed on our lives can be fulfilled. When Esther found favor with the Eunuch, he made sure that Esther received special care. Esther received more beauty treatments than the rest of the girls. He gave her special food. He assigned her seven maids, the number of completion, selected from the king’s palace. Then, he moved her and her maids to the best place.

It is amazing what doors will be open to us if we would learn to walk in humility. It was the grace of God that landed her in the palace. Furthermore, it was God that allowed her to be under the care of Hegai. Yet, it was her countenance that gained Hegai’s favor. You never know who God has assigned to help you get to your purposed place. This is why it is so important to always walk with the understanding that no matter how high I go, I’m only here by the grace of God. Stay humble! Stay on The Path!

To purchase your copy of Calvin J. Walker’s hit debut book, The Gallery, please go to booklocker.com/books/4374.html 

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About the Author: Path contributing writer Calvin Walker has been writing editorial content for Path MEGAzine since 2007. Calvin’s ability to break down the word of God with thought provoking analogies and real life analysis makes an impact on Christians seeking a closer walk with God. An accomplished author, Walker released his debut book titled “The Gallery” early 2010. Click here to read excerpts and purchase Walkers’ book.

In order for the body of Christ to truly advance, we must move past this work based faith and their wealth based rewards. We must understand that favor may come with benefits but above all it comes with instructions. In the bible, favor is often used interchangeably with the word that we know to be grace. What is grace? Webster’s describes it as unmerited (not earned) divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. Another definition is approval.

One of my favorite scriptures comes in the form of Psalm 41:11. It says, “By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.” In this scripture favor means desire. This is one of the most profound statements in the bible. I know that He desires me because in the midst of all that I have gone through He hasn’t allowed my enemies to triumph over me. Being favored of God does not always mean that you are wealthy but it does mean that He has approved you and will cause you to triumph in the midst of adversity.

Favor is not this fanciful, spiritual credit card that you can go swipe when you want something. We have attempted to use it like that though. We go to the car lot and try to swipe our favor even though He never told us to go. We go into different endeavors and try to use favor even though it was not His will for our lives. But, because we have not understood the principal of favor we have become frustrated. Favor is God’s desire for your life. When people are favored to do something they have the approval and assistance of God to accomplish a task that He created them for. And, because they are abiding in the obedience of their call, you will see these people walk in the blessing and benefits of the Lord. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” God’s righteousness is that which He approves.

So, when you are walking in the place that the Lord desires you to walk in you will be blessed. However, it won’t just be because you have this magical favor. It will be because you are walking in obedience to the word and will of God for your life. Stick around, next time we will discuss some people of favor and see how their obedience or disobedience worked out for them. Walk in God’s purpose for your life. Stay on the Path!

About the Author: Path contributing writer Calvin Walker has been writing editorial content for Path MEGAzine since 2007. Calvin’s ability to break down the word of God with thought provoking analogies and real life analysis makes an impact on Christians seeking a closer walk with God. An accomplished author, Walker released his debut book titled “The Gallery” early 2010. Click here to read excerpts and purchase Walkers’ book.

All throughout the bible it is apparent that God’s blessings have a way of hitting nations, families and groups of people that are dwelling in unity. Psalm 133 states, “¹How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!  ² It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. ³ It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”

As we see in the scripture, the Lord bestows His blessing when His people are dwelling together in unity. This is not just an Old Testament thing. We can go over to Acts 2:1. On the Day of Pentecost, all the believers were together in one place. The sound came from heaven and filled the whole house. In the Greek, the word for whole is holos. It means that all parts are present and working as a whole.

We have desired the move and power of God. However, we have been walking around extremely DIM. All the parts of the body are not present. All of the parts are not working as a whole. The “greater works” power from God has not come because we are not operating properly. It doesn’t matter if you have a great gift with no power. It doesn’t matter if you have a large congregation but it causes no change. We have been so worried about our needs and our stuff and our things that we have forgotten that we don’t have to do this alone. Ministry is hard enough without shouldering any extra burdens. We have attempted to go at this alone too long. The body of Christ must operate as a unit. We must operate as one. If you have a mindset that you don’t need anyone your vision is dimmed. This is not a good place to be. You’ve got to get back to a place where you realize the need to be connected with your fellow brothers and sisters. You can’t afford to forsake the fellowship of the bretheren if you truly want to see the success that God had in store for you. That fellowship keeps you sharp and strengthened and in-line. The enemy would seek to move you out of fellowship because he wants you to walk in error. But, I’ve come to tell you, no matter who you are, that you are too important to the rest of us for us to allow you to walk in error. The body of Christ must be the unified front that God is calling it to be. Words like “my” and “mine” must be traded in for “ours” and “we.” For it is then, when we have our hearts set to seek after His kingdom that we will see true manifestation. And, the blessing of the Lord will be bestowed upon His people. Stay connected. Stay on The Path!

I started this article off by quoting a very familiar passage of scripture. This scripture speaks to the force that comes against a spirit of heaviness. For we must understand, even though depression is a medical term, this is still a spiritual condition. Depression is a manifestation of the spirit of heaviness. The spirit of heaviness comes to dim your vision. It does not allow you to see truth clearly. The scripture says that the garment of praise counteracts that spirit. In the Old Testament, clothing was usually symbolic of a mindset or a way of thinking. It is a mindset of praise, thanksgiving and gratefulness that combats this beast.

In the midst of hardship, what do I have to be grateful about? As cliché as it sounds, the fact that you are still breathing is something to be thankful about. Every moment you are still around gives God another opportunity to do just what He has said concerning your life. It is an insult to the enemy when you begin to give praise to God after an attack. It speaks of God’s Lordship in your life. It boldly says, “whatever you did may’ve stung but He is still God.” With this realization intact, the realization that He is still God, you can begin to see clearly. Your thoughts began to shift from hopeless to hopeful. You began to remember that “greater is he that is in me.” (1 John 4:4).

Sustained gratefulness is often that is something that is greatly overlooked in our teaching. Learning how to continuously be grateful connects with so many other principles. One of these principles is stewardship. When you have wrapped your mind around sustained gratefulness, you are likely to become a better steward. Why? The definition of gratefulness is being appreciative of benefits received. When you are continually grateful, it means that you continually acknowledge His benefits. Psalm 103:2-5 speaks of his benefits: forgiveness from iniquity, healing, redemption from the pit, a crown of steadfast love and mercy and the satisfying of your soul with that which is good. When you understand His benefits, you refuse to waste your life being upset about what you don’t have. You also begin to value the things that you do have. Depression often finds its roots in a sense of diminished value. When you begin to understand the riches that have been afforded to you through Calvary, you will see how much God thinks of you. You will clearly understand how much you are worth to Him! Be Grateful! Walk in joy! Stay on The Path!

ALSO READ: Unlocking Potential by Overcoming Depression Pt. 1

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 About the Author: Path contributing writer Calvin Walker has been writing editorial content for Path MEGAzine since 2007.  Calvin’s ability to break down the word of God with thought provoking analogies and real life analysis makes an impact on Christians seeking a closer walk with God.  An accomplished author, Walker released his debut book titled “The Gallery” early 2010.  Click here to read excerpts and purchase Walkers’ book.