"Keep Moving"

I noticed something about Jesus before and after the crucifixion. He was always moving! I had to pause and think about my own dreams and goals, and I suddenly realize the importance of moving. Stagnation is not a part of productivity and progress. If you are to be about the business plan of God, you have to move. And in order to move, your body and mind have to be free of barriers that keep them from functioning properly and slowing down/stopping the move. In other words, your mind and your body have to both be prepared for the purpose. God has given you a purpose and a call. That purpose and call are known as God's business. Jesus mentioned many times how He had to be about His Father's business. Jesus was saying He had somethings God wanted Him to handle. Once God gives you the purpose (or once it is clearly revealed to you), He will start to give you visions and dreams about your destiny, purpose, and calling. He normally does this in bits and portions. He never seems to reveal all the details at the same time. So, we need a relationship with Him and rely on our faith to move us in the right directions and make the right moves at the right times. This is called the plan. The trick to the plan is hearing God clearly and obeying Him quickly! Details come randomly! This is why your mind has to be in a good place and your body has to be in good shape physically. God requires us to move! Prepare our minds and bodies for what we've been praying for. We must be ready to handle the business plan. Practical steps include keeping your physical body in shape by movement and action and avoiding doing things that slow you down physically. Recognize the foods that make you sluggish and heavy. This sluggishness and heaviness are a hindrance to your momentum. In addition, you must keep your mind and spirit free from things that weigh you down. This includes toxic people.

Sometimes, it can be hard to identify those who are toxic because we are around them so frequently, that we have adapted to their poisonous environments. One way to identify the toxic people in your life is to take note of the way you feel when they enter your presence, open their mouths to speak, and after they leave. I had a friend who would always leave me in a bad mood every time we ended a conversation. He would always call to tell me about the number of people who did not like me or something bad someone said about me. I didn't realize that it at the time, but he rarely believed anything I said and would always question the validity of things I claimed. I also noticed that my feelings were never acknowledged or accepted. The tricky part about being weighed down by a toxic person is that you never really pay much attention to it when you're in it. It is much easier for me to identify toxicity from an individual now. I always advise people to stop an analyze your conversations whenever you are feeling heavy. Many times, something someone has said rubbed you the wrong way and dampened your spirit without your even realizing it. In my case, I completely cut off all communication with this "friend". You may not be able to cut every toxic person from your life as some of them could be very close family. However, you have a responsibility to move. This means you may have to set some boundaries or limit the time you spend with these weighty individuals. Whatever you decide, it must be done.

So, as I continue to observe the actions of Jesus during the trial and crucifixion, today, I noticed that He simply moved. In His human body before death, He moved around a lot because He always had something to do. When you are given a business plan from The Father, you will always have something to do. You cannot afford to be stagnant; you must move. Although you're moving, your physical body and mind must have a time to rest. Rest helps you recharge. We get the right amount of sleep & relaxation for our bodies. We eat the right foods and take care of our bodies. Breaks are necessary. However, be sure not to confuse rest with stagnation. Real rest is refreshing and recharging. Stagnation is you lying around wasting time on meaningless activities and slowing down progress because you are lazy or confused or physically heavy from neglecting to nurture yourself. Your mind must be nurtured because a cluttered and heavy mind weighs on the body. Nurturing yourself is preparation. Rest and relaxation are fuel. Stagnation is emptiness and heaviness. This is how you will know the difference. If your downtime is fulfilling and fueling, then you are resting. You are preparing yourself and thinking and meditating and mentally revisiting and listening for the next steps of the business plan. But if you are lying around to escape clutter and defeat and turmoil of your mind; if you are drinking, smoking, overeating, or scrolling social media as an escape from fear or disappointment and trying to numb pain or avoid realities and work; if you are doing other things (such as pleasurables I just named) in order to avoid the challenging tasks that are meant to move you forward and progress you in the business plan, you are not resting. You are escaping and you are stagnant.