When we are young, we create amazing ideas about what we want to do or be. We imagine ourselves as astronauts or popstars, lawyers or magicians. As children we have the freedom to imagine an idyllic world. I was listening to a podcast called “This is Love” and someone described it like this: “We get to take our brain out and let it play. We don’t give it any problems to solve and in doing this it reveals what our brain (or heart) really wants.”
God wants us to dream with him. He gives us desires (Psalm 37:4), but then we get older and insecurities start to creep in. We begin doubting our abilities and settling for things that are safe or easy. Ephesians 2:10 says “God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it.” That sounds great, but we are usually not satisfied with that in our lives. We want to know what our destiny is and steps A-Z on getting there. That would be reassuring. That would be easy, but that would require no trust and no dependence.
What does God want most? He wants a relationship with us. He wants us to come to him for help. To lean on him for support, and to be our guide (Psalm 37:23). Psalm 119:105 says that God’s word is a lamp unto our feet. He doesn’t show us all the steps. We have to walk with a lamp to the ground to see where we are going because he wants to be with us every step of the way. Often our insecurity comes from a false understanding of who God is or who He has made us to be. Our confidence in ourselves is directly related to our confidence in God.
Look at Gideon for example. In Judges 6 God tells Gideon to “Go in the strength you have and save Israel.” Gideon’s response was basically how? I am weak and lowly. Then he asks God to prove to him that He is really talking to him. He wants to make sure he is not imagining it all. God does prove it to him, but Gideon still doesn’t believe. So God continues to prove himself until Gideon has no choice but to believe God is real and that He really wants him to save Israel. God is willing to do the same for us. He is willing to work with us through our process of trust. It's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it.
Once Gideon believed God, he was able to surrender his fear and his hesitation and walk into his calling. You can do the same. As we begin to trust Him more we begin to rely on Him, and it is in this place of humility and dependence that we become confident. When we believe God, we believe his word and what it says about us. We can be confident in ourselves because God has called us to be his Children (John 1:12). He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). He has promised to equip us, guide us, and protect us, and He has ordained us to bring good works to this broken world (Philippians 4:19, Psalm 32:8, Psalm 121:7, Ephesians 2:10).
It is okay to need God. It is okay if you feel like you can’t do what you are called to do. God is faithful. Period. When it is hard to believe that you are equipped to walk into your calling just stop and remember you are not alone. Remember who God is. Remember what He says about you. Remind yourself that without God you can do nothing (John 15:5). Go into his presence and let His Holy Spirit empower you and transform you (2 Corinthians 3:18). God created you for a purpose. He has placed dreams and desires in your heart that He created you to pursue. So what if your not confident in your abilities? You can trust that God knew what He was doing when He gave you the desires of your heart. You can trust that He will guide you and bring you to the place He has promised you (Psalm 37:34).
More truths to come back to: Hebrews 13:20-21 -“Now 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 for ever and ever. Amen.”
Philip 4:19 - “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 -“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
1 Corinthians 12:7 - “Each believer is given continuous revelation by the Holy Spirit to benefit not just himself but all.”
Romans 12:6-8 - “God’s marvelous grace imparts to each one of us varying gifts and ministries that are uniquely ours. So if God has given you the grace-gift of prophecy, you must activate your gift by using the proportion of faith you have to prophesy. If your grace-gift is serving, then thrive in serving others well. If you have the grace-gift of teaching, then be actively teaching and training others. If you have the grace-gift of encouragement, then use it often to encourage others. If you have the grace-gift of giving to meet the needs of others, then may you prosper in your generosity without any fanfare. If you have the gift of leadership, be passionate about your leadership. And if you have the gift of showing compassion, then flourish in your cheerful display of compassion.”
Author | Ashlyn Williams
God wants us to dream with him. He gives us desires (Psalm 37:4), but then we get older and insecurities start to creep in. We begin doubting our abilities and settling for things that are safe or easy. Ephesians 2:10 says “God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it.” That sounds great, but we are usually not satisfied with that in our lives. We want to know what our destiny is and steps A-Z on getting there. That would be reassuring. That would be easy, but that would require no trust and no dependence.
What does God want most? He wants a relationship with us. He wants us to come to him for help. To lean on him for support, and to be our guide (Psalm 37:23). Psalm 119:105 says that God’s word is a lamp unto our feet. He doesn’t show us all the steps. We have to walk with a lamp to the ground to see where we are going because he wants to be with us every step of the way. Often our insecurity comes from a false understanding of who God is or who He has made us to be. Our confidence in ourselves is directly related to our confidence in God.
Look at Gideon for example. In Judges 6 God tells Gideon to “Go in the strength you have and save Israel.” Gideon’s response was basically how? I am weak and lowly. Then he asks God to prove to him that He is really talking to him. He wants to make sure he is not imagining it all. God does prove it to him, but Gideon still doesn’t believe. So God continues to prove himself until Gideon has no choice but to believe God is real and that He really wants him to save Israel. God is willing to do the same for us. He is willing to work with us through our process of trust. It's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it.
Once Gideon believed God, he was able to surrender his fear and his hesitation and walk into his calling. You can do the same. As we begin to trust Him more we begin to rely on Him, and it is in this place of humility and dependence that we become confident. When we believe God, we believe his word and what it says about us. We can be confident in ourselves because God has called us to be his Children (John 1:12). He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). He has promised to equip us, guide us, and protect us, and He has ordained us to bring good works to this broken world (Philippians 4:19, Psalm 32:8, Psalm 121:7, Ephesians 2:10).
It is okay to need God. It is okay if you feel like you can’t do what you are called to do. God is faithful. Period. When it is hard to believe that you are equipped to walk into your calling just stop and remember you are not alone. Remember who God is. Remember what He says about you. Remind yourself that without God you can do nothing (John 15:5). Go into his presence and let His Holy Spirit empower you and transform you (2 Corinthians 3:18). God created you for a purpose. He has placed dreams and desires in your heart that He created you to pursue. So what if your not confident in your abilities? You can trust that God knew what He was doing when He gave you the desires of your heart. You can trust that He will guide you and bring you to the place He has promised you (Psalm 37:34).
More truths to come back to: Hebrews 13:20-21 -“Now 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 for ever and ever. Amen.”
Philip 4:19 - “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 -“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
1 Corinthians 12:7 - “Each believer is given continuous revelation by the Holy Spirit to benefit not just himself but all.”
Romans 12:6-8 - “God’s marvelous grace imparts to each one of us varying gifts and ministries that are uniquely ours. So if God has given you the grace-gift of prophecy, you must activate your gift by using the proportion of faith you have to prophesy. If your grace-gift is serving, then thrive in serving others well. If you have the grace-gift of teaching, then be actively teaching and training others. If you have the grace-gift of encouragement, then use it often to encourage others. If you have the grace-gift of giving to meet the needs of others, then may you prosper in your generosity without any fanfare. If you have the gift of leadership, be passionate about your leadership. And if you have the gift of showing compassion, then flourish in your cheerful display of compassion.”
Author | Ashlyn Williams
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