“I am chosen
Not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me
Not against me
I am who You say I am”

Hillsong, “Who You Say I Am” from the album, There is More

 

Dear friends,

If you’re reading this, it means I finally let go of my insecurities and decided to be obedient and courageous to God’s calling. How many times in our lives have we struggled with this? On the daily… am I right? We so often believe our insecurity and the lies from the enemy over what God says about us. Who we are. What we are capable of. Why? Why is it so hard to believe the everlasting truth, but so easy to be entrapped by a lie? I don’t have the answers to that, because I am human. I fall short. I have insecurities. I am, however, in good company. Because I know you do too. And so did every single one of those chosen to do God’s work in the Bible. They all struggled, they faced insurmountable trials, but… they knew Who their God was. And that is what I want to speak to your hearts as you read this. You may not always be assured of who you are and why God picked you, but we do know that His promises are true. 100 percent of the time. No mistakes in His word. And I know for SURE that God recruits those to do His work from the people (you and me), those ready and open to follow His will, no matter who they are, not the pedestal, the podium, or even the pulpit.

Feeling chosen and dearly loved yet?

Let’s dive in to God’s word to see why we can stand on His promises:

‘Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. ‘ Psalm 45:11

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

‘Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made!’ Psalm 139:13

YOU ARE UNIQUELY MADE.

‘God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!’ Jeremiah 31:3

YOU ARE LOVED.

‘He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.’ Ephesians 2:10

YOU ARE CHOSEN.

 

New Beginnings

I’ve wanted to write this blog for years. I allowed fear and insecurity to keep me from sharing what God laid on my heart to do. Maybe my words didn’t matter. Maybe I wasn’t good enough to write. Maybe no one would even care or be encouraged by God’s work in me at all.  So often we will give in to those lies, and I can admit to you that I have, but I can also share that God has reiterated His unfailing love and His word upon my heart so that those lies, ones you might believe about yourself, can never hold weight again. I am here. I am writing. And I am praying with every publish – that if only one is redirected to God’s word and His mercy, then this very leap of faith will be worth it.

Boldly Stepping Forward

My friends, I hope you are seeing the beautiful, and wondrous creation that God made in you as you come to the end of this letter. Now, what to do with that knowledge? We cannot just sit back and allow what God has called us to do just simply pass us by. There are people who need to hear the gospel. There are people who need to get up and let go of their fear, and run forward. We have an obligation to reach the hurting and the lost. Our neighbors. Our friends. Our family. We cannot do that when we are crippled by the fear of not being good enough or not being the “perfect” candidate for the job. We already have all we need. We have Jesus. He calls us holy and dearly loved. He calls us worthy. So lay down your doubt. Set down your insecurity. Boldly step forward with me. And when you’re ready, run.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” – 1 John 4:18