The truth is so foreign, because the lies are so familiar.
I am called to be a voice of truth.
The big BUT...
Sometimes I get scared. Sometimes I don't want to speak. Sometimes I don't want to write. Sometimes I feel completely shut down, shut up, and completely blocked-- and it doesn't feel good. It feels gross. But I give in and just stop.
I'm done with those excuses. I'm done with those lies. Why? Because they are all fear-based. I am not subscribing to be a woman of fear, but aiming to be a woman with great faith.
Fear that I will say something wrong and completely mess up. I can guarantee that will happen, I'm human. As you read and listen please remember this. I am very prayerful about everything I write and say, normally I feel completely inspired with what I'm given. I don't take anything lightly, but I unfortunately cannot spend hours over each thought. So I will write and release. Preparing myself for mistakes to come, but walking in obedience to be that voice.
Fear that I will offend someone. Again, I am not perfect. I will get things wrong. But if I offend by speaking the truth, that is something I have to learn to be okay with. Often, the truth is challenging. You better believe it probably challenged me out of my comfort zone, long before I was able to acknowledge it.
Although I could go on and on with fears, I've chosen to become fearless. I've heard it said that "Do not fear" is the most repeated command in the Bible.* When you think about it, fear is at the root of a lot of things that hold us back. Fear so often overwhelms us. When fear overwhelmed His closest companions, Jesus told them to "Get up, and do not be afraid!"(Matthew 17:6-7) My daily reminder will be:
"Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent." (Acts 18:9)
I've chosen to not live and walk in fear, but in freedom. Guess what makes you free? Truth! "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32) This "knowing" is saying, "you will have a constant experiential knowledge of it's power and influence." I personally, want to have this constant experience of the power and the influence of truth in my life. There is a "father of lies" (John 8:44) and he is quick to speak. Our day-to-day lives run rampant with lies and half-truths. People are so quick to speak of the ugly things, I want to be quick to speak of the beautiful things. The beautiful truth.
So here is my running disclaimer and my personal declaration that I will follow through and do what I'm called. Please understand, this is not from a position of "I know better" or even "I live in this truth completely." But an aim to be more surrounded with the truth. I feel we are under an onslaught of lies-- whether they come from music, movies, news, magazines, past pain, current fears, whispers of insecurity, unforgiveness-- whatever the source... daily we are bombarded with lies, so my goal is to turn up truth.
*: http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/HaveNoFear.htm (This is one of the resources which lists many of the "do not fear" references in the Bible.)
Labels: I'm not perfect, truth
