In the beginning hours of a new day I was awakened out of a fitful
sleep with these words spoken with great emphasis; “GET UP!” Being startled out of my restless dreams, I
angrily looked over at my husband with a “How dare you?” glare only to see that
He was fast asleep. In confusion I lay
there for a second as my dazed mind quickly came to realize what had just
happened.
I “got up!” … and fell on my face before the Lord because
in that instant I knew He was speaking to me and that He meant much more than
just “Get up!”. I realized why my sleep was so interrupted and had become a
restless fitful lesson in futility rather than peaceful rest. It was time for me to quit stalling and get
about His business. The
talents He had equipped me with were not being used as intended and His
patience with me was wearing thin. I had become self-serving and unfulfilled. I had taken my talent and hidden it, protecting it from criticism so that it wouldn't be damaged. I was in great danger because of my selfish desire to protect myself. It was time to be about The Master’s business
if I expected to continue to have the privilege of calling Him my master. He is patient and merciful, ever gracious,
and never giving up on us, but at the same time He will not force Himself
through our clutter, nor will He shine through us if we hide our light under a bushel. So if you are willing, walk with me as we dig out our talents and God-placed abilities, and begin to use and multiply them to serve His purpose!
God understands our insecurities and even placed them within
us to gain strength through the exercise of overcoming. He allowed for and expected growth when He
created us. However, if we are not doing what we know to do, He cannot flow
through us with the intended purpose.
Insecurity is the one thing that will completely stop the flow. Overcoming is the gateway to our success or failure in His
purpose for us. Insecurity will halt all
progress. If there is an area of my life
that I am not giving my all, where my full potential is not being realized,
most assuredly it is an area where I have allowed my insecurity to reign.
Feelings of inadequacy have to be actively dealt with. Insecurity does not just disappear without
any effort. We don't just wake one day and the fear which has frozen our activity is gone. We have to take authority over the wilderness in which we are aimlessly wandering. There must be a physical active acknowledgement and resistance to insecurity
before it will ever be conquered. Whether
by honing our skills through education, or through exercise of the knowledge
already placed within us, we must physically attack our areas of insecurity. Let me encourage you to face your wilderness, acknowledge it by name, and begin to make steps to get past it! Don't wander 40 years! There is a promise ahead! Better to enjoy it now, rather than later! If the hardships of life, rejection, or great loss has got you fenced in your wilderness, I will be more than happy to pray with you to find the strength you need to tear those fences down and walk through the gates with assurance into your promised land.
On that morning of literal awakening, God spoke volumes to
me about my lazy response to areas of insecurity that He expected me to
overcome. He showed me His disappointment
that I had not progressed further. I was
so ashamed that I had allowed the trick of the enemy to completely rob me of my
God-given abilities. It is one thing to
write of insecurity, but entirely another matter to deal with my own feelings
of inadequacy, especially in the face of adversity! A feeling of inadequacy will quickly develop into a very real
inability to grow if never dealt with. My growth had become stunted and thankfully God awakened me
from my self-serving unsatisfying slumber.
Without growth it is impossible to live a life pleasing to
Christ. Let me challenge you to
recognize your insecurities, attack them with a vengeance, and grow past them
to a place of effectiveness for the Kingdom of Christ. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing
tools which have helped me to “GET UP!”
He alone receives the glory, and praise for being merciful
to me and compelling me to share my experiences of insecurity with you. It is in the sharing that I am overcoming,
and in my overcoming that He receives Glory. It is in my writing and sharing that I am
growing and learning. That is why I
share. If I stop out of laziness, or stubbornness,
my spiritual growth stops. It is not for
my own self-gratification that I share my failings. If left up to me, I would never show my
weaknesses. But He is pushing me,
pulling me and prodding me and practically YELLING at me to “GET UP!” and get
busy with HIS plan for me. He is showing me that I am not the only one fighting this fight. Everyone who walks on this earth deals with feelings of insecurity. In sharing we find strength in others who are overcomers walking alongside us on this journey! I hope in my
own transparency you find tools to help you accomplish His dream for you. When His dreams are being realized in us,
that is the only place of true contentment.
My Prayer
“If you can use anything, Lord, use me. Don’t let the enemy celebrate my demise, as
if He is in charge, but let me offer up to YOU ALONE all the glory as I become an overcomer by the word of my testimony! I need you Lord, and I am realizing that in
allowing you to flow through me as you choose, I find you.
I seek you Lord, and I find you in servanthood. I walk with you and
receive your direction because I pursue the plan you have laid out for me. In denying that path, I have allowed the flow
of your spirit to become clogged. Remove
the clutter from me oh, Lord, Show me my heart.
Cleanse me from my self-satisfying ways. Wake me, Lord anytime you see
fit. Remind me that it is not what I do
that is effective, but it is what YOU do when your spirit is allowed to flow
freely through me. Cleanse me from the
sin which does so easily beset me. Thank you for telling me to “Get up!” I did get knocked down, but this is me getting up again!"
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