Originally published Sunday, 27 March 2016.
A year ago I prayed a simple prayer that reversed a lot of negative feelings into positive ones. This past year has been one full, absolutely brimming and chocked-full of spiritual stretch marks. What knowledge I’ve gained isn’t really about the answers but about the process of trust and how I’ve learned to apply trust in God in the face of uncertainty and fear.
Living free in this deep spiritual knowledge has brought me long the way in my healing. It took a lot of courage to get outside of the box. God has all the courage we need to make life changes. Courage is basic to living free and is composed of three parts:
…fierce hope, fearless faith, and God sized love that takes our breathe away.
How do you start this kind of ripple effect that can propel you out of your state of feeling stuck and towards building momentum with God in a positive way? You simple lay your soul before God and ask how you need to change. In praying, a few simple words, you are opening yourself up to what takes more of the Holy Spirit to accomplish. The Holy Spirit has been waiting to have His way in you. You have to make the first move to step out to find out. If you have to, even use your hands to reach out, stretching them towards heaven.
There is a part in a movie, “The Croods”, that hits me every time. If you haven’t seen this movie, watch it. It’s all about breathing in courage and conquering fears one step at a time. The story line is of a caveman family where the dad leads a survivalist trek across unknown territory. At first he is fearful to step out, but finally musters up the courage he needs but never knew he had until he uses it to save his family.
Here’s the deal, the Crood dad has to go way out of his comfort zone to find it by conquering fears. The good news that he finds that he has the ingenuity, the where-with-all strength, a sound mind AND along the way, he gains confidence! I’m inspired by his tenacity to hang in there when the going gets tough.
Often, courage is not found until you have to use it.
Since we all face off with fear at some point in our lives, we tend to think that each fear builds momentum to work against us. Often, we hide behind what we term our inadequacies and those insecurities stops us from moving out of our comfort zones. Friends, let’s just get real for a few moments here. The best way to live free is to breakthrough in the face of fears and do it anyway. What you find at the end of your fear is more courage than you could ever need.
It’s one thing to know freedom, but it’s a whole new level to live free, and trust God in the unknown. Sometimes, the unknown looks daunting, uncertain, and like a whole bag of fears and tears. Trusting God with these areas allows God’s answers to invade your circumstances. Your praises of His faithfulness will always open the door to what He has for you!
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
There’s nothing to fear when the Lord is near!
His ways will help you out of the darkest places by the light of His love. What I have found in the uncertainties of life, there’s a strength that shines brightest when faced with the unknown. Love and fear can’t co-exist. We lose so much to fear when it renders us powerless. So remember…be encouraged, you’re not alone! You have nothing to fear, Love is here!
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