So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. -Hebrews 4:16 NLT
I was shy as a kid. Staying quiet often seemed preferable to speaking up and potentially being wrong, talked over, or misunderstood.
In middle school, I enrolled in acting camp, which started an awakening to the voice God gave me. There I not only started peeling away at my fear of speaking up but also uncovered a creative gift and a passion for the stage. In high school, I joined a professional teen ensemble, through which I performed in original plays at venues around Chicago.
For the first 20 years of my life, I didn’t have a relationship with Jesus. I wasn’t a faithful steward of the gifts God deposited in me. I performed because I was told I was good at it, and I liked hearing the compliments. I coveted flattery and based my self-worth on how much affirmation I was or wasn’t getting. This applied to my studies, friendships, athletic pursuits, and my art.
I encountered Jesus when I was in college and began to understand where my voice and confidence truly come from. Even though I didn’t acknowledge God during my first 20 years, He has been with me and faithful to me my entire life. That’s just a glimpse of the grace that our Heavenly Father offers us.
Since God loves us infinitely, let’s act like He does. Let’s operate like we really trust and believe God will do what He says He will do. The Lord commanded our forefather Joshua to be strong and very courageous after Moses’s death. If Moses had given Joshua a performance review on how well he did in his role as Moses’s assistant, there would have been some “areas for improvement” noted. As Moses’s successor, Joshua had giant shoes to fill. He had deficits, but he said yes to God even though he didn’t know how he would lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Joshua trusted God would be with him and help him at every step of the way.
Learning to speak up for myself will be a lifelong journey. My standard is no longer what brings praise and flattery to me but what brings glory and honor to God. Being bold and courageous may not come “naturally” to me, but God’s power dwelling in us empowers us to do things we couldn’t do on our own.
Let’s be unwavering in our faith in God. Because of Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, we have access to God's unlimited grace and power. Two ways we live this out practically are by praying bold prayers and living with a spirit of expectancy. The world wants us to lose our faith when we experience trials, but faith is the active ingredient that pleases God and empowers us to persevere.
God has amazing plans for our lives. He already knows the desires of our hearts and the gifts He placed in us. It’s up to us to truly walk by faith by saying yes to God, even when we don’t understand the “why” or the “how,” and using our gifts boldly to bring glory to the Kingdom.
Let’s be unwavering in our faith in God. Because of Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, we have access to God's unlimited grace and power. Two ways we live this out practically are by praying bold prayers and living with a spirit of expectancy. The world wants us to lose our faith when we experience trials, but faith is the active ingredient that pleases God and empowers us to persevere.
“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” -1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT
Love,
Christine
TGDT contributor, Christine is a lover of Jesus and co-founder of Power & Purpose Movement, a community of believers committed to boldly pursuing God’s purpose for their lives and representing God’s goodness in our world. Follow her on Instagram (@christinesaff) for words of encouragement.
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