Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I am writing this post to hopefully encourage you and give you some insight as to what I am currently overcoming. I want to start with these verses:
- Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
- Thessalonians 2:4 says, “But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”
- Acts 5:29, “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.'”
As I am entering this new, beautiful, thrilling chapter of life, the enemy is trying so incredibly hard to steal and destroy it. The amount of stress and uncertainty I feel is UNREAL, but Jesus is so faithful and He is continually instilling peace in my heart and mind. Entering a new chapter is scary, eye-opening, and blurry. Realizing not everyone is in support of you is even scarier, especially when it is those nearest to your heart. The reason I put those verses above is because I want to stress the fact that serving the Lord and following after His heart is not an easy task. By no means is it in black and white, bold lettering. In fact, sometimes it’s the really fine print that explains the hazards and dangers. I am stepping into this season of life because my Heavenly Father has called me to this, not because someone told me I should or should not do this. When the Lord directs our steps, it is our DUTY to walk in those steps, EVEN if it means those closest to you disagree and express doubt. This simply is the enemy trying to distract you from the beautiful, significant story the Lord is beckoning you to live out. We must take heart and boldly approach our purpose and calling. The Father did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of purposeful boldness and bravery. We are valiant and vivacious because our raw, genuine identity is in the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. As you experience trials, uncertainty, and doubts in this life I encourage you so deeply and passionately to WALK in the steps the Lord has laid out for you and to ACCEPT the boldness that the Father has instilled in you. We are called to simply EXIST in His presence and He will grab ahold of our hands and walk right beside us as He leads us into new, unknown places. Before you close your laptop or turn off your phone, I want you to listen to the song Oceans by Hillsong. You may be thinking something along the lines of, “That song is so overplayed. I am definitely not listening to that, I’ve heard it a bajillion times.” I am BEGGING you, just close your door, sit down and close your eyes, and allow the lyrics to resonate in your heart and mind. Cultivate a prayerful attitude and approach the throne of our holy and righteous King. With boldness, ask Him to take you beyond your comfort zone, into the unknown. Surrender your steering wheel and allow Him to take the driver’s seat. The Lord will take you beyond all boundaries and into the deep waters, but He will not leave you or forsake you. Everywhere you go He has already walked and He will continue to walk right by your side, hand in hand.
My prayer for you this week is to approach our King with boldness and ask Him to take you beyond your comfort zone. Trust Him in the uncertainty.
Sincerely,
Zoe Elizabeth Bunch
