I know that there’s probably something that you’ve been believing for, working towards, praying about or hoping will change. Not only have you been hoping that you’ll see your breakthrough, but you’ve been waiting for what seems to be like an eternity for it.

You’ve paid your dues. You’ve done the work. You’ve prayed and cried. You’ve witnessed others around you receive their breakthrough and you’re still waiting.

As a matter of fact, you’re starting to think that maybe it will never happen. At the top of the year, you were proclaiming that this is the year that you’ll see it happen and God will deliver on His promises. But after recent events, you’re thoughts are telling you, “Well, maybe this just isn’t for me. Maybe this just isn’t my time. Maybe this will never happen.”

You’re looking at everything that’s happening around you and as a result, you are totally discouraged.

And I get it! Things aren’t getting any better in the natural, as a matter of fact they may have gotten worse. You have every right to feel disappointed after what you’ve been through.

But what if what’s holding back the breakthrough is you and not the circumstances. What if the recent events in your life have been allowed to test you, to see if you’re really ready to walk into your land of fulfilled promises, miracles and breakthroughs?

While at dinner with one of my dearest friends the other night, I realized this. Or better yet, she made me realize that I was the one holding back the very thing I had been believing God for. I recognized that I had allowed recent events to rattle my faith. As a result, I would keep going around the same mountain until I learned to pass the test so that I could get to the other side. On the other side is every dream in my heart manifested. Nevertheless, I had to learn how to fight this battle a little differently.

Every breakthrough and every miracle in your life is going to be surrounded by warfare. What I mean is that it won’t be handed to you, you are going to have to fight for it. How?

By having bulldog faith!

Last week I shared that you have an enemy who seeks to steal, kill and destroy everything that matters to you and what the adversary is after most is your confidence, your peace and your joy.

Sometimes certain events are allowed in our lives to see if we’re ready to receive the breakthrough. God doesn’t want you to be so easily rattled by any little thing that seems to oppose whatever it is that you’re believing for. You can’t be so easily shaken and if you are, you are the one that’s holding back your breakthrough.

For example, let’s say that you’re believing for a promotion at work but your superiors tell you that it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get the coveted position. You decide to believe the superiors instead of pressing in on your faith and believe God. What sense does it make to ask God for something if you don’t believe that He’ll do it? Because you decided to believe them instead of having bulldog faith about your new role, you’ve failed your test and back around the mountain you go.

We go from faith to faith. Therefore, the reason why we have to pass these tests of faith is because the tests of faith will only get more challenging as we grow.

Let’s say that you’ve made a decision to quit your job to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams full-time. Now a few days before you put in your letter of resignation, you get offered a new job at another company making more money than you ever made in your life. Even though your heart’s true desire is to start your own business, you decide to take the new job because you want the financial security.

Saddle up baby girl because you’re getting ready to go around the same mountain!

That job offer was not a coincidence, it was a test to see if you were really ready to manifest that dream of becoming the owner of what could be that multi-million dollar brand.  Will you choose comfort or courage? You can’t always have both.

There are two types of test that will come that we must pass in order to see our greatest dreams and prayers fulfilled. The first test is the test of your faith. These are the nuances that happen that seemingly oppose what you’re believing for. The key is to not allow these nuances to distract, discourage or rattle you. You put the fear, doubt, anxiety under your feet. You look at the circumstance in the face and you are not even bothered by it, because you are totally confident that you will see your breakthrough.

The second type test is the test to see if you’re ready and if you really want whatever it is that you’re asking for. These tests usually come disguised as opportunities that want to serve you but are only traps to hold you back. My example with the job offer above is one of them. If you choose the job over your destiny then you’re not ready to become that entrepreneur because if you can’t trust God to provide for your financial needs now then you won’t be able to trust God later when you have to pay a staff of 25 employees. You’re not ready yet.

Let me give you another example of this type of test. Let’s say that you want to get married as you’re tired of kissing frogs. You are ready for Prince Charming. Well, you start meeting guys that have potential but in your heart, you know they are not the one. However, out of your loneliness, you decide to entertain these guys anyway. Saddle up, because you just failed the test. Instead of making room for your husband and focusing on become a wife, you decided to go after temporary pleasures. You are not ready.

Here’s a major key alert: Start to see yourself as whatever it is that you’re believing for. If you want to become a wife, then starting seeing yourself as one. If you want to be wealthy, then start seeing yourself wealthy. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, then start seeing yourself making those sales. If you want to be secure, then start seeing yourself as confident and whole. If you want live in that new home, start seeing yourself decorating.

It’s up to you if you will saddle up one more time and keep going around the same mountain or will you finally pass the tests and see 2017 be the year where you finally get to say, “This was the BEST year of my life!.”

XOXO,

Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
embraceherlegacy.com