FEAR:

/FIR/ noun. An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Fear. The dreaded emotion that so often glues our feet to the floor and prevents us from moving forward with our God-Sized Dreams. Our palms become sweaty and adrenaline pumps through our veins. Or am I the only one?

One of the things I fear is doing something I consider to be a risk. As someone who generally takes calculated risks or avoids them altogether, God is showing me that every dream He places in our hearts will require us to be bold and courageous. Whether that means praying boldly over your husband and children, applying for a job that is out of your comfort zone, or setting a new goal, it will require some level of risk.

We know it is a God-Sized Dream because we can see the gap between our capabilities, resources, etc. and what is needed for the dream to come to fruition. God wants to use this to grow our faith, while we may allow fear to paralyze us and stop us from dreaming.

You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream: Overcoming Fear

Holley Gerth describes it so well in her book, You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream:

Fear camps out right next to whatever it is you’re most called to do. That means the closer you get to your calling, the louder fear sounds. (p. 88)

Fear says….

…Look at my past. I’m not good enough to do this.

…The risk seems too great, so I shouldn’t even try.

…This dream is too small for God to care about, or too big for Him to handle.

…Someone else has spoke negatively about my abilities, and maybe they are right.

…I don’t have what it takes to fulfill this dream, not like she would.

What does fear look and sound like for you? I would like to tell you that fear won’t happen on your journey, but fear is a part of life. Sometimes fear of a hot stove saves us from an injury as a child. But what about the fear that tells us we can’t do all that God intended for us to do?

How we choose to handle that fear is what matters.

Holley reminds us that we serve a God who has called us to slay giants and walk in authority.

There’s never a time when what God asks us to do feels completely safe. If we wait for the giants to move out on their own, the roads we need to appear, and the opposition to disperse, we’ll never take possession of what God has given us. Faith without risk isn’t faith. It’s just facts. (p.102)

Faith without risk isn’t faith. It’s just facts.
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Overcoming fear is part of the journey to achieving your God-Sized Dream. Someone once told me that fear is the last tactic of the enemy. If you are experiencing a fear block on your dream journey, focus on what the Word instructs us to do when we feel fear.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

We are called to continue walking, knowing that we are not alone. We can choose to give in to the fear, or we can choose to fight it.

Let’s be brave and continuing taking steps toward accomplishing our dreams.
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We can also combat fear with prayer. A few months ago when I was fearful and anxious, I reached out to my prayer warrior friend for encouragement. She prompted me to pray this prayer. I found comfort in saying it, and have repeated it on more than one occasion. I share it with you, and I pray that it encourages you as you overcome your fears and pursue your dreams.

Fear, you are not my friend. You are not my comforter. You are not my protector. I renounce you and I break your hold on my life from this moment forward in Jesus’s name! Holy Spirit, fill me up with your presence and in that place fear occupied, release your love over me to take its place. AMEN.

Praying that you will walk in boldness and take possession of the land!

Shared by: Stacy Jeffries

Holley Gerth’s book, You’re Made For A God-Sized Dream will always hold a special place in my heart. You see, this is the book that started it all. My mom (Holley) had donated a ton of copies of this book to the house I was living at. After reading this book, I found her number and just wanted to thank her because the book had helped me so much. She asked me to hang out, and the rest is history.

I had a dream that seemed so small and silly, and so I tucked it away deep in my heart. I tried to avoid thinking about it because I feared that I would fail and be rejected. Through this book I laid everything out before God, admitting that I had a dream of being married, for the very first time.

The church had drilled it into my head that I should be content with where God had me. If I had a dollar for every time I heard the phrases, “Give it to God” and “Date God”, I’m pretty sure I could have paid for my entire wedding. So I lived in fear that I was letting God down by desiring a husband. I didn’t have anyone to sit me down and walk me through the emotions that came with loneliness.

Looking back I can’t help but smile because my mom was parenting me through her books before she even met me. The adversary used to hold me captive with fear. I feared that I was damaged goods and not good enough to be loved by anyone. [clickToTweet tweet=”Fear is a liar.” quote=”Fear is a liar.”]

I eventually stepped out in faith and let people get to know me. The real me. They saw the good, the bad, and the ugly. I felt naked, exposed, and vulnerable. It scared the heck out of me. Underneath my “independent” facade was a girl who wanted to be loved so badly it hurt. A girl who couldn’t believe a guy chose her. I was in such disbelief that I would frequently find myself saying,“promise you aren’t going anywhere?” a million times a day.

I’d trusted God, let people in, and was terrified of letting them go.

Underneath my cemented outer shell was fear that someone would walk away when they saw what I saw. I thought the couple that wanted to be my parents would walk away when they found something better. I thought they deserved something better. 

God walked with me through my fear and slowly, I began to trust. I didn’t have to ask that guy if he was staying because I knew he was here forever. He even gave me a ring to prove it. I could show the roller coaster of emotions I had to my parents as we learned to live life as a family. I knew that they would love me through my trauma.

I stopped living the lie that I wasn’t good enough because my parents and husband treated me like I was. Slowly, I began to see myself the way God does, and I’ve never looked back. I am so thankful that I didn’t give in to my fears because If I had, I wouldn’t have a mom, dad, husband, and daughter. I’d still be lonely, looking at that book, wishing but never trusting…and not allowing God to make my desires a reality.

I would have missed out on His best for me.

~ Lovelle <3

Shared by: Lovelle Gerth-Myers

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

One year ago my life changed forever when I saw the faint pink line on the pregnancy test. Since I had graduated college only six months earlier, being a stay at home mom had never even crossed my mind. I’d worked five years to obtain that expensive piece of paper. Surely, I’d use it, right? Wrong.

Here I am a year later and my life looks nothing like I thought it would. My “career” is being a full-time caregiver, housekeeper, and cook. My husband, on the other hand, got a promotion right as I started staying home. As my “career” came to a stopping point, his was only beginning.

As long as we had been married, my husband had supported me and encouraged me in my dreams. He tutored me every evening while I struggled through college and had gone to countless speaking engagements with me. Even at women’s retreats, he would stand outside the door of the auditorium listening to me since men weren’t allowed.

When I asked to have my website designed, he didn’t care about the cost, he said, “of course”. That life coach certification? I got a yes in two seconds.

He happy danced with me when I got the news that I was going to be published in a devotional and always reminded me of my worth.

There is a season for everything. For me, this season looks like setting some of my dreams and that expensive piece of paper aside so I can care for the house while my husband works to care for me and our little girl. It means cleaning and cooking so that I can make my husband’s life a little easier since his hours at work got longer.

I’d be lying if I said it was easy. As much as I would love to say that vacuuming and changing diapers is fulfilling, it isn’t. I pray daily that the Lord will help me find joy in the mundane. My husband is good at what he does and from the looks of it, he only has room to grow in the company. This season means supporting my husband while he reaches for his dream. It’s the least I can do since he’s always supported me in mine.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Some seasons we are called to be active while other seasons involve us standing on the sidelines” quote=” Some seasons we are called to be active while other seasons involve us standing on the sidelines.”] I am determined to be content in whatever season the Lord has me in. 

My heart swells with happiness when my husband comes home to tell me about his day. He’s happy and proud of what he does. The Lord isn’t done with me yet and in His time, I’ll be able to pick up where I left off. Until then I’ll continue to be the cheerleader on the sidelines pushing my husband to be all that God has called him to be because that’s how I can support him while he works to achieve his dream.

What season has God placed you in? What are some ways you find contentment? I’d love to hear about it.

Shared by: Lovelle Gerth-Myers

“Why is it so hard, Mom?”

His voice was weary, and though we were on the phone and separated by miles, I knew him well enough to see his expression—eyes cast down to the right, staring, disillusioned.

“I’ve prayed and believed this is the path God wants me to pursue with my life. So why is it so hard?”

My young adult son’s question was one every dream chaser eventually expresses: “If I’m doing what God wants me to, shouldn’t it be easier than this? Why isn’t He helping me?”

As followers of Christ, we know trials and hard seasons are a fact of life. Nevertheless, they take us by surprise. [clickToTweet tweet=”Our trials are consistent with our reality but so inconsistent with our expectations.” quote=”Our trials are consistent with our reality but so inconsistent with our expectations.”] And like a child who doesn’t understand, they make us cry Whyyyyyyy?

“Why, God? It isn’t fair! I did my best. I prayed. I trusted. I (fill in the blank with all your efforts), and this is what I get?!”

This is the hard reality of our trials and the confusion they cause. If we are truly God’s chosen, the ones He lovingly created and formed, then why is life so hard?

It’s true. We are chosen by Him. But often we forget what God’s choosing entails.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried and CHOSEN you in the furnace of affliction.
~Isaiah 48:10 (AMPC)

One Bible commentary says this:

God had chosen [the Israelite] nation to be his people when they were suffering in the furnace of affliction in Egypt; and it is also true that God chooses sinners now . . . as the result of heavy affliction. . . their affliction had prepared them . . . to seek consolation in him; . . . and to embrace [His} offers of mercy.

. . . the furnace of affliction – Refer[s] particularly to their trials [as exiles] in Babylon. Afflictions are often likened to fire – [because] fire is used to purify or try metals, and afflictions have the same object in reference to the people of God.

There are two clear purposes of the furnace of affliction:

1. to prepare the hearts of sinners to receive God’s mercy
2. to purify or try His chosen

Throughout the Bible, we see God use hard trials and testing to prove and strengthen the faith of His chosen both as the consequence of their sin and to purify and test their faith.

In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
that the genuineness of your faith,
being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire,
may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
whom having not seen you love.
Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
~1 Peter 1:6-9

Our trials should cause us to examine our hearts before God for sin and the possibility of His correction, but we also have to remember His higher purpose for our lives. It’s not our comfort! His purpose is to conform us to the image of Christ.

Are you in a difficult season and tempted to give up on your dream? Take heart, Dreamer! God is committed to accomplishing all of His good purposes for your life. Allow Him to work in and through you as He purifies your heart in His holy furnace of affliction.

And be certain of this . . . He is the author and perfecter of your faith, and you can trust Him to complete the good work He began in you.

Shared by: Kim Hyland

I’ve declared today, “Give a little love day.” Why? You ask. No particular reason.

Lately, it feels like the world is overwhelming. I have friends in health, marriage, you name it they’re in it crisis. So, instead of writing the most encouraging and enlightening blog post of your life on following your God-sized Dreams, I’m doing a giveaway!

Check out these beautiful hand-made necklaces and clutch. They’re from the craftsmen(women) at Fair Trade Friday.

If you haven’t heard of the Fair Trade Friday club yet, take a minute to click over to their site. They have some new boxes that I didn’t know they had! They’re not just pretty necklaces and earrings anymore. Girl Boss Box anyone? (We’re not affiliated, just big fans)

Leave me a comment below on how you are encouraging a fellow dreamer in your life and I’ll choose one winner.

I hope you win!

Shared by: Alecia Simersky

Dreamers,

When I saw the topic for this month I was excited to share with you some wise words that were spoken into my life this past weekend by Deb Brown of Faithwalk Ministries. We were honored to have her as one of the keynote speakers at the Defining Your Joy 2017 Women’s Retreat in Helen, GA. (Other speakers included Kim Hyland, Jenn Hand, Rachel Britz, and Ria Story.)

Deb’s message seemed to come at a perfect time for me as I was hosting my first ever retreat for my ministry and was scared to death things would not go as planned, even after months and months of planning.

As Deb took the stage she shared with us her own inspiring, personal story of growing up, living in fear from a very young age, and her transformational journey from the Queen of Fear to a work-in-progress, recovering-from-fear girl.

During her talk, Deb shared with us this verse that truly spoke to my heart.

The LORD is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hind’s feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering or responsibility!
Habakkuk 3:19 (AMP)

She then reminded us that…

God has so much waiting for us just one step from standing still.
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As Deb closed her talk, she gave us each two cards…the first, to write the thing in our life that is most holding us back in fear; the other, for our next brave step. Not the end result but simply that next, tiny, brave step.

As a beautiful song, we were each asked to come up front and drop our folded, fear card to the ground, surrendering it and each receiving a “Be Brave” necklace as a reminder to keep moving forward. Deb then did something so very powerful. She knelt down directly on top of that very pile of fears and prayed for us all.

My heart is full, and I still have chills thinking about this beautiful act of love.

We then moved outside to take a moment together to celebrate our next brave steps. Once outside we were greeted with pom-poms and flower confetti poppers (donated by one of our sweet attendees). One by one, we cheered in true, Defining Your Joy, fashion as we each shared our next brave step!

It was such a powerful moment of community and encouragement!

Freedom from fear is found in our next brave step!
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My Next Brave Step: In five days I will board a plane to spend ten days in the Holy Land doing humanitarian work with kids in the schools there, while the men in our group complete some construction service project for an organization called Seed of Hope.

I am so very excited as this has been a huge spiritual growth year for me. I am fearful of this trip but am also excited to finish the year serving in the same area where Jesus once did. I am going with an open heart and open hands, seeking for God to lead me where He wants me to serve.

I would like to invite each of you to this fear challenge!

Please share below…What is holding you back in fear? What is your next brave step?

I am praying for you ladies as you take your next brave step!

Natalie Joy
Business / Ministry Coach & Founder of Defining Your Joy

(Follow Deb Brown for #mondaymoments to receive weekly encouragement to be brave.)

Shared by: Natalie Joy

Fear is a well-known emotion for me. It has held me back many a time and combined with an active imagination, almost anything can become overwhelming.

Public speaking does not come easily or comfortably. Even while in school, given the opportunity to give an oral report or a more extensive project instead, the choice was hands down the project. The company of a close friend was much preferred over the larger group or party.

There were also bouts of fear with failure which held me back from even trying. Only when the pull to do more became greater than the fear did I begin to ask the question, “How does one overcome fear while on the dream journey?”

Moses was a man, called by God to do the incredible – lead God’s people out of Egypt and their captivity. Even though God speaks with him, assuring Moses that He Himself would be with him, Moses was filled with fear and self-doubt.

Moses raises question after question:

• “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh?”
• “Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
• “What should I tell the people when they ask who has sent me?”
• “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me?”

Then the final straw …

“O Lord, I’m not very good with words; I never have been, and I’m not even now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled” (Exodus 4:10, NLT).

Moses let his fear and self-doubt get to the point they overshadowed the very One to whom he was speaking. And God responds:

“Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say” (verse 11-12).

These conversations are recorded for us as examples, for we will face the same fears and obstacles as those who have gone before us. These fears are not new to us.

I love that God did not pat Moses on the back. God did not affirm Moses, nor brag on his abilities, his strength, or his gifts. God did not look to boost Moses’ opinion of himself nor did He try to make Moses confident in himself.

See, the story was never about Moses at all. It was truly all about what God was about to do through a single man, an imperfect and flawed man at that.

In many ways, I think God even confirmed that Moses was correct in his assessment of himself and in every argument he raised. Moses had every reason to believe the people would not listen to him, nor would he know what to say to the Pharaoh.

In the middle of all he feared, God assured Moses of one thing – Himself.
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Our dreams may pull us to do that which we know we cannot. We may lack ability, understanding, talent, or the know how. But our God lacks nothing. He is enough and all we need to overcome our fears and do the thing He has put before us.

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13: 20-21, NIV)

In her book, Free of Me, Sharon Hodde Miller brought this powerful truth:

The one true God responds to our insecurities with reassurances about himself. In doing so, he releases us from the source of our paralysis, shifting our gaze from the “can’ts” to the One who can.” (page 47)

To overcome our fears, we must lift our focus above our fears.
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Where will you look today? May we each vow to look to Him and overcome our fear.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2, NIV)

Shared by: Joanne Viola

We are told to be brave, to take courage.

We are told to face our fear, to take that thing head on.

What on earth do we do when fear assails us right in the middle of this dream that we hold dear? I’m not talking about me facing down the fear, I’m talking about the fear that was deep in my heart that came leaping up and grabbed me by the throat.

This is life unexpected, unscripted and undefined.
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When I was a little girl I wanted to be a mommy…and a movie star. Later on, I wanted to be a journalist, a linguist, a writer, a teacher, pretty much anything to do with words, but the mommy bit never left me. It was the dream I held most dear.

My worst fear came true when we were told we wouldn’t be able to have kids unless my husband had surgery…and even then it would be iffy at best.

Sometimes, maybe a lot of times, we are staring at our fear’s dark gaping maw, not because we want to but because we have to. There was no choice involved…we didn’t get in an airplane and jump out to conquer a fear of heights. We didn’t purposefully stride across the stage to deliver a speech to face a fear of public speaking.

Often, our deepest fears come to get us. What are we going to do about it?

My dream to become a mommy did come to pass. My husband had that surgery, and we now have five biological children and one by choice. That choice, to bring in this boy with more issues than I care to think about, unhinged my dreams for an idyllic family life. We were thrown into a minefield that keeps blowing up that dream to this day. We are often asked how we handle it.

How do we handle fear? One hope-filled prayer at a time.

When our boy triggered and things would start flying, fear choked me. I was often paralyzed by it. I still suffer from PTSD, anxiety, and depression. I needed to learn how to deal with all the fear that those explosions caused. There were practical things we could do, things we could learn but my soul needed to know how to walk toward my God, rather than to someone or something.  It was a long lesson that I still struggle with. My instinct is to try to be the savior, to fix it, but there is only one Savior, only one Fixer, and it isn’t me.

When fear comes knocking at my door, who, or what, am I trusting?
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Am I trusting my own strengths and abilities? Am I trusting someone else to fix things for me? Am I trusting a method, a program, a medication or therapy? I have had to learn to point a finger at the thing I’m trusting and if it isn’t God, I need to realign myself.

There are, however, things you find out about yourself when the things you fear come to pass in the middle of your dream.

1. You are stronger than you thought you were because He is strong. (Philippians 4:13)
2. You are braver than you thought you were because He is standing with you. (Joshua 1:9)
3. You will have a gift to give others because He gave it to you. (II Corinthians 1:3-7)

I never, for one moment, knew that I could endure the tumult that has been our home for the last 17 years. I never knew that I could love a child who didn’t trust me and told me often that I wasn’t his parent and that we didn’t love him. I never knew that I would be able to bring comfort, hope, and wisdom to other parents in similar situations.

I am living the dream, in the midst of the fear, knowing that my God, Who is good, is bringing good out of the suffering and pain that we’ve gone through.

 “We have this hope as an anchor for our soul, firm and secure!” (Heb 6:19a)

Shared by: Lani Wiens

There was a time when I was a small business owner. In fact, simultaneously, I owned two businesses. In one company, I was a leader in Direct Sales and I’d risen to the top 4% of the company. My team was flourishing, business was good, and I was happily leading them with devotionals and encouragement as well as sales guidance.

I’d found the perfect blend of faith and business. But little by little, I felt God calling me to write for Him, so I told my team that I’d be stepping down to follow Him. Stepping down felt right and I knew in my heart I was heading in the right direction.

And then there was the other business. Started at roughly the same time, I worked hard into all hours of the night after my full-time job and my Direct Sales job, all while my family slept. I had dreams that this would become our family business. In my mind, I had roles for each person in my family that fit them perfectly. My son had named the business, and I thought this would be something my husband and I could retire from.

But when God asked me to lay that business down just a few years in, I wasn’t quite so willing.

In fact, for two years after I started hearing that still, small voice tell me to give it up, I hemmed and hawed and Jonah-ed my way around the topic. I hopped on that virtual boat to Tarshish, completely ignoring the fact that God had said to go to Nineveh. I even pseudo-quit once. I told my contractors and accountant that I was leaving because I felt God telling me to leave. And then I never. Actually. Left. That’s right. I told them I would leave and follow God, but I didn’t do it! Some of my contractors left for other companies. Others stayed, and get this – I even brought on NEW contractors!

I had done the old “Eve” switcheroo by listening to the serpent as he hissed into my ears, “Did God really say that?” After all, wouldn’t God just stop sending business and contractors my way if He really wanted me to quit? Wouldn’t He just close the door?

But dreamers, listen. There’s a difference between following God and having Him force you along. True faith cannot be forced.

Let’s talk for a minute about the moment when Jesus chose his first disciples. Matthew 4:18-22 says,

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

By my logic, Jesus would have walked up to them and ripped the nets from their hands, dragging them by their hair to follow him. He would have removed all the fish from the ocean to make their choice easier. But Jesus didn’t. He asked them to follow him, and immediately they dropped their nets, left their boats, and followed a man they’d never met.

How much more willing should I be to follow Jesus, the one whom I profess to love and serve? And yet there I was, taking on new business and new clients, because “What if I heard God wrong?” 

Sometimes God doesn’t stop sending business our way so we’re forced to quit and follow Him. Sometimes He asks us to follow in faith. It’s always our choice to follow Him, even when business is prospering and it makes no sense to leave our nets behind. I was asking God to make the choice for me because I thought my dream was better. If I’m 100% honest, I thought I could fish and follow at the same time.

Faith can’t fish and follow at the same time.
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We have to remember that if God asks us to do a thing, He has already prepared the way. Satan, his schemes, and our own fears and misconceptions can stop us in our tracks. OR in my case, cause us to keep on doing that same old thing we were doing, rather than run freely toward the dream God has for us.

Remember those fears I had? Not a single fear I had was valid.

The truth was that I would have more time with my family because I wasn’t working multiple jobs.

The truth was that I could hear that still small voice asking me to trust that God is big enough to provide for me, and I didn’t need that second job to provide.

The truth is, no matter what others think of us or how we think we look to others, there is only one opinion that matters, and that’s God’s.

If you’re on the fence, afraid of the calling God has for you, don’t be. He has already prepared the way.

Cheering for you,

Karen

Shared by: Karen Sipps

Raise your hand if you’ve got a girl tribe. You do? Good, me too! In fact, I’ve got a couple of them. I have my deepest-darkest-secret tribe – the ones who will take my secrets to their graves and help me bury the bodies of any who have wronged me. (I jest. Although I’m sure they would.) I have my work colleague tribe, church friends tribe, and of course, my writing/God-sized dreamer tribe.

One of the most important pieces of advice anyone has ever given me was to surround myself with people I wanted to be like. (Proverbs 13:20) This included leaders, mentors, writers, great women of faith, and my personal favorite: older ladies at church whose grown kids are now normal, non-crazy adults who love God.

Except sometimes, when you’re around great women who are doing great things, you start to feel less great than they are. Don’t misunderstand me… we’re not talking vanity or pride or even envy. We’re talking about those times when you’re with your tribe and you see all the great things they’re doing and all the great things you’re not doing, and that’s when the whispers start.

You’ll never be that great.

They’re way better than you.

You shouldn’t even bother.

You don’t know what you’re doing.

Your work doesn’t matter.

That last one hit me hard this year.

For years I’ve had this dream of writing Bible studies “for the rest of us.” For those who want to understand God’s Word but are new to the faith, new to studying, new to the stories that some folks seem to know like the back of their hands. I’d dabbled for years, writing on TOPICS in the Bible, but I really wanted to write studies on the full books in the Bible that everyday people could understand.

So this year, I started. My agenda was rocking with plans to write three, maybe four studies!  I’d decided we’d start by studying Genesis together on my blog and Facebook page for the month of January. I had everything set up. A study plan, graphics, you name it. It was wonderful and glorious, and I felt emboldened and impassioned and all the everything. But about halfway through the month, I skipped a blog post day and some other pseudo-catastrophe happened and next thing you know, January was over and the Genesis study was only halfway written.

Boy, had I failed God.

Doubt didn’t just tiptoe in, it made itself at home and stayed awhile! I told myself that no one was reading, so what did it matter? I listened to the whispers that told me God was disappointed in me because I didn’t finish my goal in the time limit I’d told everyone we would finish. I told myself that there were better authors, better studies, and that people need paper books instead of an online study. I told myself that there was no use in finishing because God would have someone else lined up, ready to take my place.

Basically, every doubt Satan needed to feed me to get me to stop doing Kingdom work, he did!

Thankfully, an accountability partner wouldn’t let me give up. Yes, it was months later when my “January study of Genesis” started back up, but I’m grateful that she stepped in to remind me that Satan’s whispers should never be louder than God’s Truth. No, it wasn’t done the way I planned, but I’d begun again, and I’ve learned several lessons along the way for the next study.

And there will be a next study.

So the next time you’re tempted to believe the lies of the evil one as he tries to stifle your kingdom work by planting seeds of doubt, remember these truths.

1. Your work matters. Keep going. And keep your eyes on Christ, not on the competition, because when it comes to your God-given gifts and abilities it only matters that you do it, not that you do it better or worse than anyone else. Just do and let Him work out the details.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)

2. Your audience is unique. Yes, your friend may have an amazing talent and a huge following, but your talent and single solitary blog reader are important. You never know this side of heaven how your gift and talent was used to serve the Lord. And if you have no readers at all? No buyers, no fans, no likes, no whatever? Keep going, because it’s all for Christ anyway.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
Ephesians 6:7-8 (NIV)

3. Your gifts and talents serve a purpose. At the end of the day, every Christian is given a gift. EVERY PERSON. That alone is a miracle. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 says,

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NIV)

Let the truth in God’s word be the guiding light you need to keep going when your own light is dim.
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Let the truth in God’s word be the guiding light you need to keep going when your own light is dim. Encourage your tribe when they need it, and let them encourage you in your seasons of doubt. Because the real truth is you are amazing and ALL of you are needed.

XOXO,
Karen

Shared by: Karen Sipps

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