What Are You Confessing IN FAITH?

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Hey Family,

Its been another minute since my last post. And this new journey that our Father has me on is teaching me a lot. About me. About Him. About my heart. About my mind. And mostly, about my MOUTH. But within all that, I heard something from an amazing sister of mine and within my journey, I had what seems like a subconscious question for my journey also.

What has FEAR made you do?

What has FEAR stopped you from doing?

What has FEAR stolen from you?

When I say these questions really messed me up. I mean it. My sister had gone back to things she did in her childhood and was able to pull things caused by fear. So I spent some time just going down memory lane in my own life over the last week or so. I had to take a pause from it for a couple of days because as I was typing it all into my spreadsheet (I live my excel to keep me in order. Gotta do what you gotta do.) I realized that list was getting REEEEAAAAALLLLLY long. I had not realized that fear was controlling most of my actions!

·         I had certain friends because I didn't want to seem like the dork. (pride = fear)

·         I didn't want to do a certain dance in a middle school dance recital because I thought I'd look foolish. (pride = fear)

·         I became flirtatious early in life because I thought it would make me more attractive. (low self-esteem = fear)

·         I drank in college because it made me "loose" enough to do the things I was afraid to do sober. I was afraid because I knew it was wrong. But I dug a hole that was just deep enough to get me to do it. (low self-esteem, pride = fear)

Because of fear, I can look back and say I've done some of the dumbest things in my life. But, can we say that God can and will use ALL things for our good!

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes everything to work together^[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

I realized that these 2 things were given to me by way of the Holy Spirit because THEY GO TOGETHER FOR ME.  What I mean is, the fears of my life have driven me and my actions and my inaction for so long, that my actions and language showed it. And it was clear that it was coming from places of fear. The crazy thing is that I didn't realize it until I heard my children repeating the same confessions that I used to have.

·         I can't do that. I'm not that smart.

·         That's likely not gonna happen. I can't make those kinds of grades.

·         I'm not even gonna try that cause I can't win anyway.

·         Why should I try that? I never get picked anyways.

·         I’ll do that part!!! Cause I doubt I can do the other part!

I'm telling you, I was all over my kids, fussing about their negativity, and preaching about how they can do ALL things through Christ (Philippians 4:13), and how God did not give them a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). And I'd reference if they ever wondered if David might have been nervous in a small part of his heart when he decided to face the giant (1 Samuel 17).  I’d ask didn't they think that maybe Joseph was a little nervous when he was in the jail wondering if the cup-bearer and the baker forgot about what he did for them that got them out of jail (Genesis 40)?

But what I didn’t realize was that trying to transform their mentality and their confessions was a moot point. What I had to realize was that they will never get right, if I did not sit down and take note of MY OWN mentality and confessions. What sense would it make to get the kids finally speaking life, just to hear me hit a roadblock and say “I knew I shouldn’t have even tried that, I can never get it right anyways.” Or “I’m not good at that, so I’ll just volunteer to do this and not even try anything else”. I mean really? What example of a Faith Filled Parent would I be displaying?

So today I ask you. What are you confessing IN FAITH?  What are you willing to try, even if you are trying it afraid? What are you believing that you might actually find you are good at, if only you would ignore FEAR for once in your life and give it a shot? What recipe can you master? What scholar will you raise in your home? What talents will you let shine? What inspiration will you raise in someone else unknowingly?

Your confession drives the direction of your life. If you continue to speak things that are rooted in a spirit of fear, you will stay stagnant in your life. But if you take a stand against fear and show the devil that YOU KNOW who is on your side, You will be able to begin making moves that change the direction of your life forever.

Think about it family.

I love you all!! Be Blessed!!!