Faith Filled Friday – Week 5

It is so hard to believe we are already in Week Five of the Your Life Still Counts study! My deepest prayer is that God has spoken to your heart loud and clear over the past few weeks with assurances of His love and forgiveness,  and that you are beginning to see yourself in a new perspective – as a beautiful, adored, treasured beloved of God!

From this point forward, things are going to get exciting! We’ve dealt with the hard stuff, but now let’s prep our hearts to let God start guiding us in new directions and pray for spiritual clarity and insight to see all the doors He may be opening.

The truth is, us humans like our comfort. We don’t like being uncomfortable in any way, shape or form. Trying to be comfortable is just what we naturally do. So moving out of our comfort zone, seems unnatural. Which is exactly why when it comes to matters of faith, we need the Supernatural to be our strength.

Below are a few tips to help you begin to consider stepping out of your comfort zone into the faith zone where God can do His best work in you and through you.

(1) Don’t be afraid of what other people might think. 

One of the main things that holds most of us back from doing something new is the fear of what other people think.  I went through that when I first felt called to speak and write, and even had people tell me that it was a dumb idea and a risky move – especially since that meant quitting my full time job to pursue the calling on my heart. But somehow in God’s strength, I gradually pushed past those fears and naysayers and watched God do things I would never thought possible.

Do something this week you wouldn’t normally do. Maybe something out of character, but in an good way! Something a little risky for God. Put yourself out there, and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. I promise you’ll be fine, and when you realize that you’re fine, courage increases. As courage increases, fears subside, and we can start taking baby steps of bold faith.

(2) Think about the worst thing that could happen if you trusted God and stepped out in faith. 

Sometimes when we think about the worst that could possibly happen, we are able to mentally prepare for it if it does.  If we come up with a mental plan of what we will do or say if the worst did actually happen, it makes that “worst possible scenario” seem a little less scary. Most likely, the worst will not happen, but  even if it does (like if someone disagrees with you, doesn’t understand your leap of faith, criticizes you in some way or rejects you) you’ll already be mentally prepared for how to face it – and spiritually prepared to handle it in God’s strength. You will also be able to feel proud of the fact that you followed God’s call on your heart, instead letting fear control you – and I bet you realize “it” wasn’t nearly as scary as you had imagined.

Trying something new is an accomplishment in itself. God doesn’t ask for perfection, eloquence or success in everything we do. He merely asks for obedience.  Even a failed attempt at something new is a measure of success, because it shows we love our Jesus enough to take a risk for Him and be willing to take a leap of faith.  Face your fears – pray about them – come up with a plan – and take a leap of faith before you talk yourself out of it.

(3) Allow yourself to enjoy the excitement of the unknown.

When was the last time you felt really excited about something you were getting ready to do for the Kingdom of God? How long has it been since you had that feeling of enthusiasm, inner passion, butterflies in your stomach and excitement about what might happen if you moved forward in faith?  If it’s been a while, ask yourself if you miss those feelings.  Do you miss the anticipation that makes your stomach do a little flip? Or maybe you’ve never experienced that, and you are so ready to be filled with nervous excitement you can hardly stand it!  Instead of letting your fears hold you back, allow yourself to get excited about what might happen if you took a risk for the sake of Jesus.  That thought could be your biggest motivation ever!  

The unknown may seem a little scary, so when you think about taking that first step, picture God opening the door for you and holding it open, ushering you into the next phase of life with Him as your guide. Now that’s pretty darn exciting. 🙂

(4)  Don’t entertain negative thoughts that will paralyze you spiritually and mentally such as “God could never use me for anything really important; I’m not talented enough; I’m not good enough; There are plenty of other people who would be better suited for this task; I”m not really worthy to serve God; I don’t think God needs me; My story doesn’t matter; I’ll wait until I’m a better Christian; I’ll wait until I’m more financially stable; I’ll do it next year”.  These types of negative thoughts are not from God or of God. Think back to the chapter in the book about whose voice you are listening to and make sure the Voice that’s calling the shots is God’s.

To help you begin thinking more deeply about how God might be calling you out of a comfort zone, I’ve put together a bonus worksheet to help you jot down your thoughts, feelings and plans and really begin tackling this challenge of trusting God with your past, present and future.

Click HERE to download the Comfort Zone to Faith Zone Worksheet.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE NEXT LIVE WEBCAST!!!

April 27th, 2015  7:00pm-8:00pm EST 

Now that we’ve been hanging out together for a few weeks, studying God’s Word and letting Him reshape our hearts and lives, I think it’s time to have a little good ‘ol girlfriend fun!  Of course we’ll talk about what’s going on in the study,  but this webcast is really all about offering you the opportunity to ask the YLSC bible study team members any question that’s on your mind (within reason, of course. Smiles)  

So start thinking of some questions you might like to ask me, Leah and/or Bonnie, and jot them down. Wondering what our favorite foods are? Hobbies? Holidays? Info about our families/husbands/children? Ministries? Favorite things? Favorite scriptures? Current or upcoming projects? Proverbs 31 questions? Bible study related issues? Ask away! 

Next week I’ll tell you how to submit your questions ahead of time, but the fun part is that we’ll also be answering questions in real time during the webcast as time permits.  So plan to be online with us and let’s have some fun! 

CLICK HERE to go to the Webcast Page. No need to register, just go back to this linked page at the designated day and time, have your questions ready, and get engaged with the YLSC team! 

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The winners of the 2 beautiful Nest Pendants given away by Bonnie Wallace were Breanna and Theresa.  The winner’s of last week’s free copies of Your Life Still Counts were Jordan and Yvette. All have been notified via email.

 

5 Comments

  1. Sharon C. on Friday, April 17, 2015 at 9:14 am

    First of all I’m praying that God will permanently take away my pain and I will be able to get back to the things I enjoyed. I had several volunteer groups that worked on projects to help people and I loved it and miss the people.
    Also, my stepping out is I want to start a home business of making bows, tutus, crocheted hats and scarfs and several other ideas. It’s stepping out of my comfort zone because I joined a Facebook group that specializes in this. It is just so overwhelming. The ladies are so talented and put together that I don’t know where I should start and get going. My joy is making things to bless others and see them enjoy what I’ve made. Making them and selling them I can have an income plus bless people. Looking for thoughts on this? Thanks. I was so down last week that this idea has brought back sparks in my life.



    • Christy LB on Friday, April 17, 2015 at 10:39 am

      Sharon C, start with the simple items. You move up from those it does not become so over whelming. If you go straight for that one that makes you frustrated it makes things harder on your emotions, your thoughts. Go small you can always get bigger. You are so blessed and you reaching out to others with your crafts to others and to see the joy it brings to them, is so rewarding. You will prosper.

      God bless you Sharon C, Blessed Child of Christ!



  2. Christy LB on Friday, April 17, 2015 at 10:35 am

    I have been struggling and I have been so blessed with each and everyone of you that God put here to be in my life. I have struggled with my family and wanting to keep reverting back to the old ways and handle it all myself.
    My number one issue is trust, I need to step out and trust. I have been listening to God now for 4 weeks, I h ave not liked what he wants me to do. I have been ignoring him and listening to another voice. Hoping that he will change his mind. He is not, I know that stepping away from my family is only temporarily for he has told me. I also know that it will be healthy for all of us. I have enabled my children and I have become co-dependant upon them. I went through a divorce and now I need to find who I am through Christ.
    My first step was admitting that I have been hearing him and I have been ignoring him. The next step I have already put in motion and I have filled out many applications to do volunteering through the church. I was thinking that I needed a mentor, that would give me someone at least once a week dedicated just to me, since where I live I have no friends. Me needing a mentor is incorrect. I need to be the mentor. God has shown me that I do need more than just a one on one for just me. I need to give to those that need it more than I. I have Joy and the Holy Spirit inside me, I may not be happy, but I h ave Joy and the Holy Spirit and with that I can concur. By being a mentor I can have interaction on a daily basis which will help me help others and to be able to actually see and feel how he plans on using my life. I am so glad that I decided to come clean. It feels so good. I have forgiven myself for being disobedient as I know God has forgiven me. I have seen the error of my ways. I am a Blessed Child of Christ!
    Thank you so much for this bible study. I am eager to continue on. I was uncertain for a short time. You all are wonderful. I love you all.



  3. Sherri on Friday, April 17, 2015 at 7:02 pm

    I have been wanting to put together a womens one day conference at our church for over a year now but I keep thinking I am such a mess sometimes , who am I to try and do something like that. But every time I think about it I get excited because I feel like God put it on my heart to do, not only for the women of our church but so we could invite other women in our lives who may not be going to church right now… like neighbors , friends, daughters and daughter inlaws co workers and so on . I want to do it but I get overwhelmed just thinking about where to start. I have been praying about it and I think I will start by asking a few other women if they would be interested in being part of it. I wanted it to be a fun encouraging time with a simple message about how valued and loved we are by God. Whew!!! I think I am having an anxiety attack just thinking about lol! Would sure appriciate everyone’s prayers 🙂



  4. Shannon on Friday, April 17, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    I lost my sister almost 3 years ago to the AIDS virus (she was 40 years old). This was the most traumatic experience in my life. For years, I didn’t realize how sick my sister was. I wanted to blame everyone for this happening to her and have to admit, I was a little upset at God. But, with the help from family, friends. my church family, and others I have been able to accept and believe there was a reason that the Lord chose my sister to go home at this time. After my sister died, I started thinking about speaking to others about the impact of this disease on my family. I prayed about it and believed this was something the Lord put into my heart. But, I became fearful and didn’t pursue it. But, the idea is still in my heart and I find myself talking about it with people who are very close to me.

    What I keep thinking about is the impact this disease has on children. My sister has a son and a daughter and although they were older when she died, it still impacts their lives today. Getting out of my comfort zone would require me to speak in public. I get so nervous that my voice squeaks and I forget what I need to say. I believe this is what God is calling me to do and I pray for his guidance and wisdom for this vision.



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Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries.  She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.

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