I have been learning a strong lesson lately. You see, every day we go to a new village to pray over people and that night we speak our testimonies and give the word of God. We spend time in prayer and in the Bible to try and hear who is supposed to speak and what to share.
During that time God started laying Joshua on my heart; a man who had ridiculously big shoes to fill for an entire nation. But it is in the very first chapter that God speaks to Joshua. He tells him of the death of Moses, and speaks to the worries of Joshua. He tell Joshua something he already knows, that God is with him. And then he tells him to be strong and courageous; to be very strong and courageous; to be strong and courageous; do not be terrified; do not be discouraged.
God has been speaking into me about fear. For most of my life I have dealt with fear. It has been a part of this journey, that God’s love has been ridding me of my fear. But it was the words God spoke to Joshua that told me there was a next step.
I have two stories to share. One I was told by a World Race alumni, the other comes from Joshua (ironically the World Racer’s name is also Joshua).
The first is of a young woman who asked God to use her. She asked Him to tell her what to do and to use her freely. What He asked her to do seemed ridiculous. He asked her to go into a store on her way to word and do a handstand in front of the soda machine. She set aside her fear and stepped out in boldness and courage to do that silly action.
It was as she stood that the man behind the register came up to her. He asked her why she had done that. She told him of her conversation with God. He told her he didn’t believe in God, but then spoke of his own conversation with god. He asked God to show him that He was real by having someone come in and do a handstand in front of the soda machine.
He had prayed moments before she walked in.
My next story may be familiar for it is the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho. Joshua is leading the Israelites to the Promised Land and God has promised them victory over the city of Jericho. How God leads Joshua to defeat Jericho is ridiculous. He has them walk around in circles blowing on trumpets. Once a day for six days, they walk around the walls, blowing on their trumpets, and walk back to camp. On the seventh day they walk seven times around, still blowing those trumpets, and then everyone shouts as loud as they can. And wall fall.
I have no doubt that when God spoke to Joshua he though God was a little crazy. But he dropped his fears, stepped into the courage and strength God’s love provided, and started walking.
What both of these stories tell me is to drop my fear. But that isn’t enough. I drop my fear because God’s love is perfect. I can rest in it and know that He has me. It is as I drop my fear that He places strength and courage in my hands. Boldness.
When you are rid of your fear you are free. You are free to take action. That is why God told Joshua to have strength and courage. He told him to take action. And God has been telling me to take action. He has told me to be a willing fool.
I don’t see myself as a lot of things and I probably am most of them. But what if I am a willing fool for God, willing to take His action, speak His words, then what if I actually become the things that I already am. What if I become them because I become who God has already created me to be.
What if God created me to be a leader, a public speaker, a woman of pray, a child filled with authority, a tool for miracles, His beloved, a character in the infinite story of God and His love, a woman of boldness and strength, a fool. And what if all it takes for me to become all of that and more, is to be a willing fool. A child willing to take action; knowing that whatever action I take, I am stepping in the love and power of God, my father, the Creator of all things. What if in becoming a willing fool in the eyes of the world, I become the wisest I will ever be?
What if all of us did that? What if all of us were willing to walk around the walls of Jericho, to do handstands? What if the whole body of Christ shed their fear and lived in boldness and courage, a body of willing fools?
