Living Bravely Fear-filled

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV)

What have you done this week that has caused you to feel fear-filled? Did you face it bravely? This week I did two very scary things. One was actually hitting the "Publish" button to start this page and the second was to open a facebook for a photography business. I have loved photography as long as I can remember and have dreamed of doing it professionally. Truthfully I almost had a panic attack when I made that facebook page. The butterflies in my stomach felt more like a storm and the thought of failure drowned out any rational thoughts. Then I remembered a sermon I heard during one of my visits to Brandon, FL. The pastor mentioned that he had and continues to pursue many different ventures, hobbies, & passions. Someone had recently approached him and said "pastor you are always up to something, you never slow down." His response was, "how will I ever find all the gifts the Lord has given me to use in His name if I don't continue to seek out opportunities to learn and grow in different ways? If I am not meant for something it is not a failure, it is a lesson learned and a time to move forward to new ventures." I repeated that to myself several times during my panicked state as well as reminding myself "The Spirit of God does not make me timid, but gives me power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7). It helped calm me down and once calm I was able to send invites to friends to like the facebook page. It also solidified the direction God's still small voice was sending me. I had for weeks planned to write my first blog on a verse that I was hearing daily in my mind, but when I heard His voice I knew, "...Your will be done..." (Mt 6:10). Many times I have talked to friends and family that all face the fear of failure or of being judged by this world. A fear so all encompassing and crippling. We may try to dig deep & try to figure out why we are fearful. "Did I get it from my mother/father/grandmother/etc? Am I this way because ______ happened to me? If no one is supporting my dream is it because I am not good enough to pursue it?" Whatever answer you come up with might be true in the sense that it happened or is happening to you, but the real truth is named satan. That little devil who was stripped of his power by our Savior's resurrection. He wants to keep you from perfecting and using the gifts the Lord has Blessed you with to honor and glorify his Holy name. Every time one of us stands up to his lies using the "Power, Love, & Self-Discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7) the Lord has placed deep within our Soul we hurt him, we take away any small bit of control that we have given him by allowing the doubts and fears he is whispering to us to hold us back. As a young woman I stopped dreaming because I was told "be a nurse, it's the safe thing to do, you will always have a job." I am very Blessed in the sense that the Lord gave me love for nursing because it is definitely not a job you can do without love. When I spoke of leaving nursing 10 years into my career a well meaning friend said to me, "you leaving nursing to do something else is like Michael Jordan leaving basketball to go play baseball." I know she meant well when she said that, but it made me fearful and made me wonder "will I ever be good at anything other than nursing?" I was looking at it wrong by thinking that way. We are good at many things, but the thing we tend to hold on to is the thing we erroneously believe makes us who we are. "Who are you Brenda?" The answer was automatic, every time, "I am a nurse." I was wrong. I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father, and only when listening to His voice and following His will can I truly find the gifts his has given me, along with the gift of nursing. Only when listening for His voice will I find the path He intends for me. I left nursing because the Lord blessed me with a son. By becoming a Stay-at-home mom I went from a job at which I was very efficient and comfortable to a job that makes me feel "mom-guilt" and makes me question the choices I am making daily. Do you know what this change did for me? It humbled me, it made me cry out to the Lord, it made me and gave me the time to spend with Him, but it also lifted me up in ways I never imagined. By growing closer to God through this process He led me to find my bravery. The bravery I had buried deep under layers of fear and complacency. Don't sit in your comfort zone because fear has convinced you that comfort=safety. Reach for what scares you and be bravely fear-filled. It is okay to be feel fear, ""...for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Cor 12:9) So, I choose today, from this day on, to live by these words, "...in God I trust and am not afraid" (Psalm 56:4) and "The Spirit of God does not make us timid, but gives us power,love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7). I can't promise I won't have moments of fear, as a matter of fact I know I will, but I know that the Lord is with me. He has shown me His power, He has shown me my strength in Him and through Him. So I will stare fear down and yell "IN GOD I TRUST AND AM NOT AFRAID! WHAT CAN MERE MORTALS DO TO ME?!" Really what can even satan do to me? I am a daughter of the King of Kings and so are you! Together WE WILL RISE. For God gave us a Spirit of Power, Love, & Self-Discipline. What does your leap of faith look like?

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3 - 4)