No really, IT IS COMING. Training Camp! Only 10 days away….wait. What?
*Ok, breathe Ash. Release your Type A personality for just one moment. Forget the packing lists and don’t panic. For a moment, just process that fact. TEN DAYS. You have waited years for this and now it is only 10 days away.* #PepTalk
As training camp is getting closer, one word has been on my mind. Freedom. It is what I truly want out of training camp. I want to be freed of the things that may hinder my witness on the World Race. I want to be freed of my Type A, stubborn personality. I want to be freed of my high maintenance self that survives off of Starbucks, showers, and Mexican Food. I want to be freed of emotions that still linger from my past. I want to be FREE.
I want to stop for a moment and say this: Yes, I believe I have experienced freedom from those things that I listed above. But I want to be truly, fully, free from them. And I want to live in that freedom so that I can become more effective for the ministry that God has called me to on the World Race.
One of my favorite chapters in scripture is Matthew 10, which I like to call “The Greatest Locker Room Speech. Ever.” No, seriously is the best pep talk! It is 42 verses packed full of Jesus pumping up the disciples to fulfill His mission on the Earth. And over the last few months, God has been placing these scriptures on my heart as I pray through preparing for training camp.
I want to share a few of the specific things that God has been speaking to me about in this chapter.
10:1 – Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
Jesus calls US and has given US this SAME authority! WE are called as His disciple. He has given us the freedom to do His work.
10:8 – Freely you have received; freely give.
There’s that word freedom again. God has freely given us grace in our weaknesses, and we are to freely give that same grace to others.
10:9-10 – Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.
Free yourself from the things of this world.
10:19-20 – But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
I love that it says “when”, not “if” because God knew that we would face persecution for our beliefs. BUT then He says that He will give us the things to say. He has already prepared us for persecution. He has given us freedom in that persecution through Him.
10:26-28 – So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
God has called us to freedom from the opinions of man, who can not define who we are because they cannot kill our souls.
10:30-31 – And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
We are KNOWN by God. He knows the hairs on our heads, something that no one else can know on this earth. He knows it. And to Him, we are worth it.
10:39 – Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
This life is not about us. It is about Him, His glory, and His Kingdom.
How awesome is that! Doesn’t it fire you up! I know I get pumped when I read it!!
*I would encourage you to go read the whole chapter and allow God to speak to you.
Do you see why freedom has been on my heart??? It is all that I want. FREEDOM.
Freedom from failure. Freedom from the approval of others. Freedom from conformity. Freedom from insecurity. Freedom from fear. Freedom from feeling inadequate. Freedom from earthly possessions.
Freedom releases us to do the work of the Lord. And while freedom is often experienced, do we truly live in that freedom? Do we choose to live in the freedom of knowing that we are called and known by God, and because of this we don’t have to fear man? It is when we live in that freedom that we really are able to walk in the commission of Matthew 10.
And that is my prayer as we walk into training camp: FREEDOM. Prepare us Lord, and free us from things that may hinder us in this journey.
I ask that you join us in prayer while we are at training camp. We are going to be creating a Facebook event that will remind our friends and family to pray for us. If you would like be added to that group, just let us know via text, email, or Facebook message.
As always, thank you for walking through this journey with us. We are incredibly blessed to have the support that we do.
Loving the Least,
Billy & Ashley
