We Are Powerful. We Are Brave.

Brave
That word has come up often this week.
A word I would never use to describe myself.


Last week I stepped out of my comfort zone and recorded myself for this blog.
Before all this brave stuff came up.
And then God brought it up.
Again and again~That word brave.


First thing Monday morning I was asked the question~
What’s the bravest thing you have ever done?
I couldn’t think of one thing. I was stumped. When I read that question I thought about women who jump out of airplanes. I thought about women who fight for our country. I thought about women who’ve climbed mountains, who’ve traveled the world, who’ve battled cancer, who’ve lost husbands and children.
But I didn’t think about me.
I’m not brave.


My husband disagreed. He always seems to come up with answers when I’m at a loss.
“What about leaving all your loved ones to move 700 miles away with me? Moving to a home sight unseen, and not knowing a single person there. Being 4 months pregnant with your first child and just stepping out in faith when your husband didn’t even have a job lined up. I’d say that’s brave. Or what about giving birth to your first two children with no medication at all. That’s very brave!”
But in my head I thought~
no, that’s just being a wife and a mom.


That’s where I was wrong though.
We aren’t “just” wives and moms and
we aren’t “just” Christian women.


We are powerful. We are brave. All of us.


Sometimes we get into our heads too much. We compare ourselves to others. You know~ all those other women we think are brave. We think we have to be like them to be worth anything to God. We believe the lies of doubt Satan whispers in our ear~ you can’t do it. It’s too scary. You aren’t brave. (2 Corinthians 11:3)
Sometimes we just forget that we are brave and have to be reminded.
I forgot.
Until God reminded me.


And so, again and again that word came up. Several women commented on my video that I was brave and confident. I felt like Sarah when God told Abraham she would conceive at 90 years of age (Genesis 18:12-13), because I almost laughed out loud when I read the comments. Are they talking about me? I’m not brave. I’m not confident.


But when I remember the exact moment I turned the camera on, my heart knew I could do what I thought I could never do~
Because God reminded me. He reminded me that it wasn’t me at all. That I’m not “just” a Christian, but that Christ lives in me and through Him and because of Him I can do all things. (Philippians 4:13) He is always present with me and at my weakest He is my strength. (Genesis 18:14, Psalm 138:3, 2 Corinthians 12:9) There is such a powerful freedom in that truth.


Can you imagine talking about God and saying. He’s “just” God. No big deal. He only created the entire universe in 6 days just by speaking it into existence.(Genesis 1) He only performed countless miracles and transformed lives.
(John 21:25) He only walked on water, parted seas, raised the dead and fed 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. (Exodus 14:21-22, John 11:43-44, Matthew 14:16-21, 25) He only gave us the powerful written word to guide us every day. (Hebrews 4:12) He only died on the cross and defeated death to save the entire world from an eternity in hell. (John 3:16-17) He only gives us His Holy Spirit to strengthen and comfort every single second of every single day.
(John 14:16) He only hears the prayers of every human in existence~and all at the same time.
(I John 5:15)
Did I mention He defeated death?
Ya, no big deal.


I don’t think any of us would say~ no big deal.
If He is your Savior, He lives in you!!!
THAT power is inside you.
THAT is the power that makes you brave.


Even if you thought it was utterly ridiculous for me to be so afraid to put myself out there on video, you most likely have your own set of fears. Every one of us have our own giants, even all those women you think are so brave.
Giants that we feel tiny next to.
But the same God that killed Goliath with only a sling shot, a stone and a little boy (1 Samuel 17) is the same God living inside you.(Romans 8:9) Inside the little girl who doesn’t feel brave.


You have a choice today. You can believe the lies that you cannot overcome those giants, or you can believe in the all powerful love of a Savior Who conquered death for you. (Ephesians 1:19-21, Colossians 1:12-25, 18)) A love that warrants grabbing hold of His hand and conquering anything because you realize Who it is that lives in you.
That love makes me want to be brave.
(Galatians 2:20, Romans 8:37)


You can overcome.
You can be brave and
you can defeat your giants .
So let me be the one to remind you again today~
We aren’t “just” wives and moms and
we aren’t “just” Christian women.


We are powerful. We are brave.


Every single one of us.