Have you been asking God to bless something you’re not willing to even begin? Have you been waiting for him to confirm something you were never told to do? Have you been expecting him to increase the very thing you haven’t been faithful with? God isn’t here to do magic. He’s here to continue the good works he began in you. (Philippians 1:6 “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.) The continuation of his work requires your participation at all times. Not just when you feel like it, not just when you’re getting the proper recognition, not just when it’s fun or easily fits into your schedule … all the time. God is waiting on your continual participation in this one life he has given you, to live up to the potential he created you for. But here’s what we do … we watch everyone else live their lives, then grow a wild hair up our butt thinking we want to be just like someone else and do what they do, then start asking God to bless that. You know why we sometimes identify with that imposter syndrome… Maybe it’s because sometimes we’re totally trying to be somebody we’re not. Maybe it’s because we’re so freaking fake we make our own selves sick. Maybe it’s because we know what our life really looks like without the filter. We know behind the scenes. But we’re pouring all our time and energy into this facade of being someone else, asking God to bless our fake image of who we’re trying to be. Girl, God cannot bless who you were never created to be. He can’t bless who you’re pretending to be. He can’t bless all you’re trying to become that’s out of alignment with his vision for your life. Maybe, just maybe, your obsession with being someone else with all the things and all the show is blocking God’s intended blessings on your life. I was never created to be a singer or dancer. Like ever. How do I know? I don’t have the talent. It’s not within my gifting. I could hire the best coaches and train for years and still never be a superstar. I could pray every day and beg for God to give me a voice and moves like Beyonce, but girl, that ain’t happening. I could grow angry at God for not answering my prayers and giving me what I want, but the reality is my life has a purpose, and not all purposes are meant for me. God doesn’t need me to be another Beyonce, so he can’t bless my desire to be one. But he can bless my desire to discover who I am created to be. He can bless my work to perfect my own skills and talents. He can bless me to become the best version of who he envisioned me to be. Have you asked God to help you discover who you were created to be? Have you asked him for a glimpse of the vision he has for your life? Have you asked him to help you get better at becoming the best version of the hand-crafted original you are? Now God can get behind that and bless it! His power is fully unleashed when you decide you simply want to be all he designed you to be. When you get in alignment with his desire for your life and put your best effort behind it …. oh girl watch out … that’s where the good stuff is! God cannot bless who you pretend to be, he can only bless who you are. The real you can receive supernatural strength and heavenly provision … but this pretend you is ineligible for the blessing. This pretend you is totally getting in the way of the greatness God is trying to do in your life. Won’t you just drop her now? God doesn’t need your filter, he needs your faith.