Leadership article: Refusing to Quit, Even When All Hell Breaks Loose

I can't tell you the number of times I wanted to quit this work...

Back in 2016 when the Holy Spirit asked me to devote my full-time towards FKMinistries and our virtual work, I initially resisted the prodding.

"I'll go broke doing ministry," I contended. "And I don't like being broke. Plus, Your people are hard to deal with." (Of course, the Holy Spirit reassured me I wouldn't go broke, and in fact, He gave me creative ideas for generating wealth.)

Before 2010, I spent a large portion of my life serving in ministry. I was a leader in our youth group, I was on the praise team, I led a ministry dance team. 

I gave so much towards the work; and when my "7-year tribulation" emerged, I wanted nothing to do with the ministry. (It's something about the attacks that gave me a bad taste for "laboring in God's vineyard.")

Quite often, when we position ourselves as leaders in a movement, we become a target for ridicule, persecution, and the like. We inevitably set ourselves up to receive public criticism, and for most people, this is a major turnoff.

I'm sure you may have felt the same way, especially as you contemplated moving forward in your ministry. Maybe you're questioning if this is something you want to venture given all the troubles that arise; and if so, this teaching is just for you.

Within this empowering post, I want to teach how to stay in this "fight," even when all hell breaks loose.

This isn't your typical lesson, either. Throughout this teaching, I want to challenge you to see obstacles in a different light. As you will come to learn, your perspective will determine the outcomes and rewards you experience while walking in your calling.

So, let's jump right into this teaching.

Fear is What will Stop You 

One of the primary obstacles facing new ministers is fear:

• Fear of other people's opinions
• Fear of not knowing how to launch
• Fear of the unknown and more

In my case, I feared dealing with media all over again. I have a daughter, and the last thing I want is for her to see her mother bashed in media while she observes me trying to help people.

​Media are exceptionally powerful in shaping the public's view of folks. As Malcolm X once said, "The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses." 

Back in 2010, I watched as media changed the way my church family looked at me. They changed the way the public looked me, and at the time, I was a fairly well-known figure in Fairfield, CA. Media practically erased all the work and contributions I gave to my community; and the thought of being in media again bothered me.

This "fear" sat with me for many years. I found myself hiding in my "cave," and actually building a life and home for me and Aaliyah in that small setting.

So, when the Holy Spirit told me -- in His unique way -- to come out, I was hesitant and with good reason.

Faith is What will Empower You

Not many people in the Body of Christ understand what faith truly is.

It's more than blindly believing in something or someone.

Faith is a mental state, a mindset that pulls upon the positive emotions within us in order to manifest what we envision in our hearts and minds.

Faith is an actual substance; and when it is mixed with a burning passion or desire for something, faith causes us to perform actions that will make our ideas a reality.

The writer in Hebrews points to this fact: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1 KJV). There's absolutely nothing we can accomplish in this life until we first understand how to activate and employ faith in our lives.

​How does one accomplish this?

This is a lesson I teach my clients and students inside LiyahAmore University. Let's say you have a vision of writing a book. That vision or idea sits in your mind for a while until it becomes an obsession. As you constantly ponder on this idea, you develop a burning passion and desire to see that book come to life.

Once that passion is ignited, you begin confessing your idea to others (i.e. "I'm going to be a published author soon.") The more you speak this forth -- because the obsession won't leave you -- the more you start putting action behind your words.

Here is where faith fully manifests itself.

Pretty soon, you're looking for a writing coach; you're scouring the Internet to find articles about book publishing; you're talking to other authors about their process for publishing, etc.

In other words, what began as a simple idea eventually turned into immediate action because you developed a mindset full of faith, which said, "I will become a published author."

In like manner, the ministry you envision will, at some point, become an obsession. In other words, you won't find complete rest until you begin activating your God-given assignment. God will start sharing with you more dreams and visions regarding your part in this end-time revival. You'll see yourself standing in front of audiences or training a group of women or publishing several books.

After awhile, the vision will be like fire in your soul; it will not be quenched until you put it to work.

This is why faith has the ability to empower you, even when you feel like quitting. For some reason, no matter how tough the journey is, your faith will drive you to complete the task so you experience the rewards that come from your labor.

This is the lesson I learned back when I was in Sacramento, hiding in my cave. Recall from the previous section that my greatest fear was dealing with media again. I conquered that fear when I realized I had the power to make media bend to my will. In other words, I learned to master media, using it as a tool to control my own narrative. (This is something I teach my clients to do as they prepare to launch their political careers through book publishing.) 

Overcoming this fear would not have been possible had I not cultivated faith or the mindset that tells me, "All things are possible." Over time, you will learn to do the same within your virtual ministry.

The Gates of Hell Have Their Limitations

Let's revisit Job's story for a moment.

We read in chapter 1 that God gave Satan permission to attack Job; but he had one limit: Satan could not kill Job.

Quite often, when we encounter our own version of hell, we feel like death is but a second away. We believe we are losing in this fight, and we struggle to see how anything good will come of our experiences.

But there's a principle we must learn here: the gates of hell have their limits. In other words, the kingdom of darkness can only go so far as ABBA will let it, and even then, ABBA intends to use that experience to elevate you.

Perhaps you've felt like Job did when he encountered his turmoil.

Obliterate the day I was born.
    Blank out the night I was conceived!
Let it be a black hole in space.
    May God above forget it ever happened.
    Erase it from the books!
May the day of my birth be buried in deep darkness,
    shrouded by the fog,
    swallowed by the night.
And the night of my conception—the devil take it!
    Rip the date off the calendar,
    delete it from the almanac.
Oh, turn that night into pure nothingness--
    no sounds of pleasure from that night, ever!
May those who are good at cursing curse that day.
    Unleash the sea beast, Leviathan, on it.
May its morning stars turn to black cinders,
    waiting for a daylight that never comes,
    never once seeing the first light of dawn.
And why? Because it released me from my mother’s womb
    into a life with so much trouble. (Job 3:3-10 MSG)

Like Job, when we find ourselves dealing with troubles, we long for relief. Our first inclination is to quit the mission or abort the plan. Most times we curse the day we were born or the day we decided to say yes to the call.

This is a feeling I encountered during my "7-year tribulation." Let me tell you: I hated the day I decided to pursue education. I hated myself for choosing that career pathway. I could have been this or that or the other. I could have done so many other things, so why I did I choose that career pathway?

I coupled those feelings with bitterness and resentment towards God's people and ministry altogether. Who in their right mind would give so much to people who would kick you when you're already down?

In fact, I had become so disenchanted with my calling that I tried my hand in other ventures: 

• "Maybe I'll go into the fashion industry and be a consultant...
• "Maybe I'll go into corporate America and be a trainer...
• "Maybe I'll work inside the criminal justice and prison system and teach folks how to do something..."

Even if I had gone those pathways, notice the gift and calling were still present: the gift of teaching and the passion to empower others would have manifested in whatever industry I encountered.

You see, when it comes to your ministry, you aren't doing things to impress people or to win their favor. 

You're doing the work of ministry because it's in you. Everywhere you go -- no matter the industry or the market -- you will find yourself manifesting the gift and calling that were placed in you before you were born. The more you develop into your calling, the greater impact you have on the multitudes.

And where's there's impact, there's resistance, guaranteed!

Satan doesn't bother himself with attacking the average, mundane Christian...the one who never opens her mouth to tell others about Yeshua.

He's coming for the leaders who threaten his mission. That's you and me.

But Yeshua has already promised us this one thing: "the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18 ESV). You can insert your name and your ministry if you like, because you are the Church and you are a part of this great Kingdom work.

​And I can assure you: the gates of hell have their limitation when it comes to attacking you.

A Persistent Spirit is Needed When It Comes to Effective Ministry

Here's the truth: You will experience hardships, persecutions, and troubles if you make the choice to walk in your calling and to build your virtual ministry. There's no way around this.

And when it comes to the Internet, people will use this space to create blog posts and videos and social media posts about you and your work the more you increase in your impact. 

The best thing you can do is accept that fact.

But always remember that if Yeshua went through it -- and the Internet can't stop talking about Him and His ministry -- then you can go through it, too. A persistent spirit will keep you in the struggle. A persistent spirit is what's needed when it comes to effective ministry.

Persistence manifests at the exact moment when you feel like quitting.

Persistence is connected to your faith and your unyielding confidence in the vision God has given you.

Persistence is a driving force that so few people walk in.

Persistence (or the lack thereof) is often the deciding factor between those who succeed and those who fail.

If you struggle in this area, you can strengthen your resolve through various means:

1. Recite your ministry's vision or mission statement each day. Don't neglect the vision. The more you retain it, the more courage you have to run with it.
2. Focus on your "why:" In other words, remind yourself of why you have chosen to say yes to the calling.
3. Visit your plans: Sometimes when we contemplate quitting, it's because we don't know which direction to go. Go back to your action plans, and start working on the details of your virtual ministry (writing a new blog post, adding another video, etc.) so you regain traction.
4. Connect to other upcoming virtual ministers and coaches: This is why I constructed The Holy Ghost and You Ministry Class. You can network with other women who have the same drive and passion to empower others using their stories and the online space.
5. Contribute to your work of ministry each day: Whether this is writing a blog post a day or sharing a powerful, engaging social media post, do something!  

Resist the temptation to throw in the towel. There are people in the virtual space, eager to receive from your ministry; but you must be persistent in this cause.

Your Story is a Weapon...Now Use It Against the Enemy

Before 2016, you would never hear me speak about my story. I wanted nothing to do with that phase in my life because it was so traumatic.

But today, I have no problem addressing it. Why? Because it's my weapon. In many cases, it's my key to accessing other levels. People are always intrigued by a hero's tale. They love observing folks who have gone through hell and emerged unscathed. They especially love watching people who may have scandalous stories, and somehow those individuals still desire to be a blessing to the world.

I've learned to use my story to impact women like you, women who are too afraid to speak their truth because they fear what others will say. 

But the only person who ought to fear your story is the enemy.

Revelation 12:11 gives us a clear understanding of why this is so: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." 

Take note: It was the WORD of their testimony -- in other words, their declared STORY -- that caused them to triumph. 

Is it any wonder the enemy would use shame, guilt, condemnation, ridicule, mockery, and the like just to prevent you from sharing your story with others? Of course he will do that, because with each testimony, we destroy his power.

I mentioned in the introduction of this post that I wanted you to see your obstacles in a new way. Instead of fearing the challenges, or succumbing to the temptation to quit, position yourself calmly in the eye of the story. When you rest there -- even when everything is crumbling -- you will discover powerful lessons and teachings that can be delivered to the people you are called to serve.

So, Beloved, I pray this teaching blessed you. If you're looking to deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit, and you want to learn the practical steps for building a virtual ministry using your story, I encourage you to join me and my team of coaches inside a sub-ministry in FKMinistries.

​Join Us Inside The Holy Ghost and You Ministry, Located in FKMinistries, and Receive Powerful Teachings from Our Ministry's Coaches

​The Holy Ghost and You is a branch of FKMinistries, whose mission is to train and equip women to build powerful virtual ministries that bring deliverance and healing to others using their stories. Our ministry focuses on women who were despised, rejected, humiliated, and scorned; and we empower them to walk in virtue, health, strength, and might.

As a member of FKMinistries and a partner in The Holy Ghost and You Movement, you will connect with other dynamic women of faith. You will also learn:

• what it takes to build a virtual ministry using your authorship from this year's experts (and you don't need a ministry license to operate in this calling);
• how to use your story to empower other people;
• how to break free from shame and guilt;
• how to develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit, who will empower you for this work.​

Special Guest Speaker and Ministry Class Coach, Dianna "Lady Di" Lovelace

Dianna "Lady Di" resides in Sacramento, California with her husband, Dr. Parnell M. Lovelace, Jr., D.Min. She is the mother of one son and nurtures and cares for her niece.
Dianna is a very creative, motivational speaker. She has ministered at Women’s Conferences, Fellowships and Brunches. She is the CEO of the First Ladies Academy of Sacramento, a nurturing and developmental ministry for senior pastors’ wives.  Lady Di, as she is affectionately called by many, has a contagious zest for life and a true excitement for the Word of God. ​​

During the summit, Lady Di will continue this powerful teaching on perseverance and resilience.

About Felecia Killings

Felecia Killings is an award-winning coach, speaker, trainer, and book-publishing expert. She is the Founder of FKMinistries, a virtual church that equips today's Believers to engage in this end-time revival and national reformation using the written and spoken word.

From 2011-2018, Felecia worked as a freelance ghostwriter and content editor to entrepreneurs and ministry leaders; and she delivered one-to-one coaching services to upcoming Christian Writerpreneurs. 
​
Today, Felecia travels the country, delivering actionable, empowering training sessions to upcoming leaders who want to increase their impact, influence, and power in today's world using storytelling and book publishing. She equips women ministers, conservative organizations, ministry leaders of small churches, and new writerpreneurs, empowering them for exponential growth in their business or ministry.