It’s very easy for me to get wrapped up in my head. My thoughts. My fears. My anxieties. Blah blah blah.
Fear is a liar.
Fear easily creeps in and slithers its way into my mind, and before I know it, my thoughts are derailed from goodness, and those thoughts then permeate my being, which then overflows into my actions. Usually, a lack of action is my response to those fears. I don’t do what I want to do, and what I am created to do. Fear stops me. It paralyzes me.
As I have dealt with fears and anxieties over the years, I am learning each time, and more specifically recently, that my fears though, can even be used for good. And I thought of this quote regarding the enemy’s attacks:
“Resist. Be more prayerful every time he is more active. He will soon give it up, if he finds that his attacks drive you to Christ. Often has Satan been nothing but a big black dog to drive Christ’s sheep nearer to the Master.” (Spurgeon)
Don’t you just love that? In fact, yesterday I had every intention to blog about something near and dear and personal. My belief in Jesus. I had made up my mind to write about my true and honest belief in Jesus and why it is so important for me to share it. And really, my purpose in life is not about my comfort, my peace, or even my wellness. It is about Jesus and sharing with all I can and the truth that is found in Him alone.
Lo and behold, I never wrote that post yesterday because fear gripped me. Not fear of the post, but other fears that dominate me these days.
So today, I said ENOUGH. Enough, enough, enough. I am living each day and each moment for Christ and Christ alone. And may it be that when the enemy attacks, I am driven straight into the arms of Jesus. The more he attacks, the more I will be driven to Him and will drive others to Him as well.
Even in those fears, in fact sometimes maybe because of them, I will continue to point to Jesus in all I do.
So, today I want to share with you the one and only thing I hope you would ever learn from me. Whether you are a blog reader, a Facebook friend, a real-life friend, a family member…whoever you are and why ever you have found yourself reading this, I want you to know…it has been ordained by God. Because really, every single moment of every single life has. And today, He has brought you to this space.
My life is built upon the rock of Jesus Christ. It wasn’t always that way, and especially those who knew me 25 years ago, know that it definitely wasn’t that way then. I was raised to know God, but as a teenager and then college girl, I turned away from Him as far as I could. I bought into the lies of the world..I sought after the wrong gods…in people or otherwise. I lived a life completely opposite to my life today. And it got me into afwul trouble. I found myself in places too dark to even write about today…
And it could have stayed that way.
But God.
“I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.”
Psalm 40:1-3 NKJV
He came in and opened my eyes to the truth of Jesus. I began to read the Bible and to have the scales lifted off of my eyes. He made Himself known to me over the past 20 years and I have only continued to desire to live for Him.
You see, fads and trends and spiritual things of this world…they come and go…they are ever changing. Many times I would follow after one thing only to have it replaced by a new thing.
But Jesus.
I am proof that He is real. I couldn’t ever have changed my thinking, my behavior, my actions on my own. And He continues to transform me day after day. I am a new creation.
And even though we live in a world that is broken and difficult and often depressing, there is HOPE in Jesus. I know that my life here will end. I know that this life isn’t all there is. But that is the beauty of Jesus. Knowing Him changes everything. Everyday. My outlook is on the eternal and not the externals. Well, most times 😉 Afterall, I am still dealing with those pesky fears.
Most of our lives are based on what we can see. The world around us. And while it is important to understand our life around us, when we look at through the lens of the Bible and God, and the perspective that this life isn’t all there is, it changes everything.
When I surrendered my life and gave up control to God, I found freedom. True freedom. I am no longer living for others or for things, but for Jesus.
I have seen the transformation from the inside out. It is only a miracle that God could do.
And I will spend my life telling others about that miracle. Unashamedly. Unafraid.
Because when you know the Truth, the truth sets you free. It is a truth that doesn’t change. It is a truth that can be trusted. It is the truth of Jesus.
We are all separated from God because of sin. There is not one person who doesn’t sin. And God is perfect and holy. He naturally cannot be in our presence, or us in His, if we are sinful. Because He is holy, we simply can not be with Him. But Jesus came and lived a perfect life for us all to see, and then was put to death in our place, so that we will be made holy and someday we can be in God’s presence.
Now I could go on and on about how many prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus and the historical evidence for Jesus’ life and resurrection, and point you to all the facts in the world. Because there are many.
But facts don’t transform souls. Jesus does. And He transformed mine.
So while the evidence shows it to be true, I need no evidence except my changed heart and soul.
It took me a really long time to accept the truth of Jesus. I thought it sounded like a nice story, but it couldn’t possibly apply to me. I had done too many sinful and awful things. How could they be forgiven by a perfect God?
But it is the Truth. I asked God to forgive me, to help me to believe, and all I can say is, HE answered those prayers.
I have done nothing to deserve it. None of us has. That is the gift of grace.
I invite you today…if you found yourself on this page and something stood out to you…contact me. Email me. Message me. Text me. Reach out to me. I want to help you in any way I can. I will pray for you and with you. Do you want to be free? Maybe you have fears, or depression, or issues, or hurts, or doubts. Whatever it is, Jesus can overcome. He came here for ALL who will believe. Will you?
I want my life to matter. And really all that matters is sharing the truth of God’s love with all I come in contact with. So that is the reason for this post. And if you know this truth, then pass it on. Let’s stir this world and hearts for Jesus. So that all may know! Our culture is going downhill fast. There is no absolute truth anymore and because of that people are making themselves their own gods. But the Bible says that ends in destruction.
There is ABSOLUTE truth. And that is the truth found in the Bible. It is a beautiful thing to have a life built on solid truth that doesn’t change. You don’t need to flounder any longer. You can live a life built on Truth and love. So get to know Him…it will be life-saving and life-changing.
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