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| So I made a little cake to celebrate! "Happy G2 to you! Happy G2 to you!" |
This did not come easily, it was not a given, it was a chance for him - and us as his parents - to overcome nerves, to forget what was in the past, to face fear with strength and power. He had failed his first attempt at this so overcoming that fear, going back at it, was huge for him. Failure is difficult for any of us, but this particular failure fractured my son. Facing failure is a life lesson that we all have to keep learning (unfortunately!). And while it presents the enemy with an opportunity to tell us otherwise, we need to remember that:
God does not delight in our failure, but He does delight in how we deal with our failure.
Face it and learn from it. Go back at it. Go back to God with it. Our future is not determined by our past failures, but by our present victories. Often we don't even try, we don't venture into where God would have us because we are afraid. We are fearful; we are full of fear. Failure makes us feel less than, not good enough, second best at best. We hear and feel the lies of an enemy who seeks to destroy who we are. Battle back. Battle hard. Remember WHOSE you are. Stand firm. Stay strong. Claim the victory that has already been won on your behalf.
"Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you." (2 Chron 28:20)
There has been a lot of talk about "fear" lately. Fear of world events, fear of weather, fear of failure, fear of test results, fear of mountains that need to be climbed - or moved - fear because many things seem, well, out of our control.
But that is just it. Things are out of our control.
And that is a good thing. In fact, that is a great thing.
Because, let's be honest, if we could actually control all those things we are fearful of, we would be in a much bigger mess than we could ever imagine. I mean, I can't control the regular cleaning my house or the routine of going grocery shopping or things my kids say and do. How would I ever control something much bigger? Especially when those much bigger situations also include other people, who I certainly can not control.
We can be thankful that Someone bigger than us is in control and therefore we really do not have anything to fear.
In chatting with other women - with some of you - who are are facing fears in big brave ways, it is becoming evident that we need to claim who we are in Christ. Our identity has to come from something - Some One - that is bigger than what we see, who we are married to, who our children are, or where we work (or where we don't...). Beth Moore, in her "Inheritance" Bible study, talks about a "river of fear" that is essentially flowing through our land of inheritance which is keeping us from living fully in our calling. This river of fear seems too big, too wide, too rough, too deep to cross. We can give it all sorts of excuses, but the truth is, when we are hidden in Christ, walking with him in and through this fear, we already have the victory over it. Yes, we can get over the river and cross over in victory! We can cross that river on the bridge built of love and trust and sacrifice by Jesus Christ himself. Face the fear. Cross the river. Claim the victory.
Now, I know that a whole whack of you are saying, "Easier said than done", and you are about to stop reading. Keep reading. Please. Because I believe God wants you to hear some truth today.
What are these fears that are keeping us from living in the full truth of our calling? This is just a sampling of words I have heard lately: judgement, insecurity, self-doubt, comparison, too hard, too long, I'm tired, I've tried, someone else is already doing that, there are thousands of people better at that, how can I be sure that is actually from God?
My dear Sister, these are lies that bombard our hearts and minds daily. We have to equip ourselves with the heart and mind of God if we are to overcome them. Thankfully, God has given us the tools to do so.
He has given us His Word - Learn it. Read it. Memorize it. Say it. Claim it.
He has given us His Spirit - Comfort. Peace. Wisdom. Power. Sound mind.
He has given us each other - Live. Love. Dream. Pray...together.
One of my new prayer habits is praying Scripture. I love that when I don't have the words, God does. When I don't know what words to pray, God's Word gives me the words. For my son I prayed, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind"(2 Tim 1:7). I just love that!
Newsflash!!! Those fearful thoughts you have? They are not from God.
When we feel fear, it is not from God. God did not give us that spirit. The spirit He gave us is His Holy Spirit - called the Comforter, the Counsellor (John 14:16)- the advocate of peace and wisdom (John 14:26). He has provided for us an avenue to approach the throne of grace with confidence (Heb 4:16) so that we can pray with boldness and strength.
And so that we can do that thing we have been called to do.
Even if we have to do it scared. Because by doing it scared, we are stomping on the words and lies of the enemy who tells us we can't. We are taking hold of that fear with both fists, giving it a good shake, and saying, "Not on my land, you don't. Not on my God-given land".
Claim that God's words are greater, that His power is greater, that His Spirit is greater.
"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1John 4:4)
What is keeping you from living fully in the calling God has for you? What fear is preventing you from fully embracing your true identity in Christ?
Name it. Face it.
Cross the river. Claim the victory.
