Touré Roberts - The Power of Clarity

I believe some clarity is needed. In fact, today’s installment of the series «Starting Over» is the power of clarity. What I want to do is bring you into my experience. I wasn’t going to give you a homework assignment, and I didn’t do it myself. So, I want to share my thoughts, my heart, my journal, and my experience as I contemplated these eight questions, and I believe there will be something in it for you. Thank you so much for participating; now let’s dig right into it. I want to invite you into my journey—you’re coming into PT’s head.

So, what were the questions? There were eight questions: What did I learn? What did I gain? What did I lose? What did I love, and did it love me back? Where did I find personal value, and was it healthy? What were my priorities, and were they profitable? Who am I now? And then, what do I need to do daily to maintain that identity and live out that destiny?

So, what did I learn? Maybe our answers will be similar; maybe there will be a line. I learned that God can provide for, sustain, and prosper me in any season. Let me say it again: I learned a lot of things, but one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that our God can provide for me, sustain me, and prosper me in any season. This is such a valuable lesson. We serve a God who is not restricted by circumstances. Someone needs to know that God can put His favor on you in the middle of a famine, that He can protect you in the midst of a protest, that God can cover you, prosper you, and advance you in a time of great disadvantage.

This is what I learned about God: I learned that God operates outside of my feelings. I learned that God operates outside of my circumstances. I learned that God is so much more than I feel; that’s why there might be someone watching right now who’s going through something, and everything outside of you looks bigger than you. There’s nothing around you that appears to align with what God promised you. I hear God saying that He is getting ready to show you that He cannot be limited by circumstance.

I want to teach you how to praise Him in difficult times. I want to teach you how to find joy even in the midst of sorrow because He will do what He says He will do. There is no devil, no struggle, no opposition, no bad leader—there is nothing at all that can stop Him when He has determined to bless you. If that’s your word, put it in the comments: «That’s for me, PT; I receive it!»

I learned this because God wants us to come off the emotional rollercoaster dictated by circumstance. One day you’re up; the next day you’re down. You’re full of faith one day, and the next you don’t know if you’ll make it. God wants to stabilize you and me. Oftentimes, in order to get us to that place of stability, He has to allow the storms to come, the winds to blow, and the hurricanes to rage so that He can show you that you’re built to last. Do me a favor: put it in the comments, «I’m built to last, baby!»

So, I learned that about God. I learned that God can bring forth water from a rock. I learned that God can produce manna from heaven. I learned that I am not sustained by circumstance; I am sustained by God and His word over my life. Someone needs to hear that, so that’s the biggest thing that I learned.

The second question is, «What did I gain?» I had to think about that—what did I gain? Although I gained a lot, the biggest thing that I gained was an appreciation for the things that matter most. Come on, that’s some of your testimony too. Some of you are in the same position. Didn’t you gain an appreciation for what matters most?

It’s interesting for me: things that formerly mattered more now matter less, and things that formerly mattered less now matter more. So, I gained perspective. There were things that were my everything—activities, relationships, and dynamics—that I felt I really needed. God got me down to bare bones; when you get down to bare bones, you realize what’s important. You realize that oftentimes, the things that matter the least are the things you give the most attention to. Are you tracking with me? But I know you learned that too.

What did I lose? That was a good one. I had to think about that. I think I lost what most people lost—I lost normal. Normal went bye-bye. I was thinking about that: what did I lose? I lost normal. I lost a friend, but I gained a witness. What do you mean by that? Well, I lost a friend and I lost the way I connected with that particular friend, but now I connect with that friend in a different way.