A Mission with your Name on It

Hey Yall!

It’s been a while. Life has been life’in—but all good things. The kid started first grade and I officially started seminary. When I tell you it’s been a road to get here—it’s been a JOURNEY. I was going to leave it there, but the purpose of blogging is to share right? lol. So STORRRYYY TIMEEEE…..

When I was in high school and figuring out college, I already knew I wanted a Christian University. I even had the desire to major in something biblical. I ran the idea past my parents and their response was…ummm, funny? One of them specifically said, “Briana, you are not going to college to go thousands of dollars into debt to get a degree where you’ll have to live off of donations for the rest of your life.” NOTED.

So I chose a degree where I would still be scraping by the rest of my life lol—SOCIAL WORK! I figured I could help people and at least make enough to survive. Back then, I also thought I’d marry a preacher right out of school, so social work would just be “supplemental income.” BUT here we are lol.

Looking back, God had a plan in that decision. Social work gave me the language of trauma, the depth of human psychology, and even led to my own healing. I honestly don’t know if I would’ve healed in the same way without that path. But still, the desire to study theology never left. At one point I double-majored in both Social Work and Bible, but I ended up dropping the Bible because it would have required me to remain in Texas for an extra year. At 22 a year felt like ten lol.

Fast forward to 2022–2024, I’m watching Better Together on TBN. I’m listening to these women of God speak among each other and I can hear the wisdom that they speak. Not all of them attended seminary but a good portion did. Whenever they mentioned their seminary experience, I would feel a fire within me. So, I took it to God in prayer, and He reminded me—this has been in your heart since 2012.

He showed me how I had allowed other people’s voices—my parents, my upbringing being a woman in the Church of Christ, the fear of being misunderstood—to stop me from stepping out in faith. Even now, when people from the Church of Christ ask about my reasoning for attending seminary, I catch myself over-explaining: “No, I’m not going in with the intention to be a preacher.” But that’s a whole other can of worms in itself and we’re going to let God do what He do for that one.

So finally in 2024, I applied to Biola’s Talbot School of Theology. I got accepted…but then I pushed it off. I was in a season of busyness, God was clearing my schedule, and preparing my mind and heart. Biola’s policy stated that you can postpone your acceptance for a year but after that the student would have to reapply. So I prayed again, “Is this right? Do I let this idea go?” God affirmed me: “Let’s finish the work we started.”

When I started God gave me specific instructions: “Take a class at a time. Apply what you are learning to life. Be present—this is not a sprint. Approach this with your heart and not your head.”

Yall, when I tell you my first day of school was amazing—it was everything. The content was cool or whatever, but what was amazing is how heavy I felt the Holy Spirit in the classroom. The confirmation I felt. The conversations with classmates, hearing their story, their journey, their call. It was beautiful.

I was reminded that for whomever God has chosen as His own, He calls. He gave us a purpose and an identity before we were born. He has SPECIFIC missions with our names on it.

This journey reminded me of my study of Jonah.

Jonah’s Story

When I was studying Jonah, something really stood out. God gave him directions, and instead of obeying, Jonah ran the other way. What’s wild is he did this knowing exactly who God was. Jonah knew the Lord was Creator, all-powerful, merciful, and compassionate—and still said, “yeeeaaa no.”

It shows how human we are. The way we resist, delay, or run, even when we know better. We are like toddlers with the Heavenly Father.

So here’s how it all went down…

The Run-Down

God told Jonah to go to the people of Nineveh and deliver a message that He would destroy the city because of their evil ways. Jonah did not want to deliver that message, so he went the other way, got thrown into the ocean, and some scholars argue he died. But whether he did or didn’t, he was tangled in seaweed at the bottom of the ocean and got swallowed by a fish.

Then after 3 days he decided to listen to the Lord and finally go to Nineveh. When Jonah got there, he preached the message. The people were super receptive (refer to my past blog on Jeremiah’s crowd for the opposite vibes 😂). They repented, and the Lord did not destroy them because He was pleased. Jonah was not 😅.

What Stood Out

Usually the focus would be Jonah’s attitude, but that’s not what stood out to me this time. I said to the Lord, “Why would you do all that for one particular man to go preach a message? He could have just died in that ocean. You could have sent someone else.”

What the Spirit revealed to me, y’all!

In that day the Lord was not speaking to everyone. They did not have the gift of the Holy Spirit that we have today. Those He did speak to each had their own divine purpose and mission. To use someone else would be taking them off their own position—taking them away from their own mission. That was Jonah’s mission.

Reflection

Jonah had a mission that only Jonah could carry. And it’s not just him—Daniel 10 shows us the same truth. The angel sent to Daniel explained that he was delayed for 21 days because he was fighting against the prince of Persia. Then Michael, the chief prince, came to help. Michael couldn’t deliver Daniel’s message because that wasn’t his role. Michael was the warrior, called to battle (Daniel 10:13; Jude 9; Revelation 12:7). The messenger angel couldn’t abandon his assignment either—he was sent to speak God’s word. Each had their own assignment.

It’s the same with us. No one else can replace the call that God has placed on your life. The work He’s given you carries your name on it. And what we leave unfinished may not get done. If we belong to Him, we must remember: we are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). We carry His authority on this earth (Luke 10:19). We have a purpose (Ephesians 2:10). We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are chosen (John 15:16).

As for me, I’m standing ten toes down. I’m betting on me—going all in on who God created me to be. Stepping fully into battle. Embracing the mission with my name on it. This is kingdom business.

-Briana Breathes.

Scripture References

• Daniel 10:13 (NLT) — But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.
• Jude 1:9 (NLT) — But Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.)
• Revelation 12:7 (NLT) — Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.
• 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) — But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
• Luke 10:19 (NLT) — Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.
• Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) — For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
• 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT) — For we live by believing and not by seeing.
• John 15:16 (NLT) — You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.