My last week in India, I had 4 people tell me that my words matter. I have only known these people for the past month or so… why would they tell me that my words matter or that my words are important? But I really gave it some thought and it was something I wanted to walk through with the Lord this month.
When I was on my way to Nepal, I thought it was a good idea to catch up with friends back home. I wanted to talk to them and share what I had been learning and what the Lord had put on my heart. One conversation I remember in particular was with my friend Ian. I shared with him about how the Lord has been teaching me that I have a voice and I need to use it. But I wasn’t sure what He was going to do with it. For the longest time, I feel like I have always held back from saying things in spiritual conversations, not feeling confident in what I had to say because I didn’t feel like I had the knowledge to speak up. Since I didn’t go to a Bible college or major in Jesus, I felt like I didn’t have enough knowledge to talk about the Lord to others. However, it has been these subconscious thoughts that the Lord has replaced with truth in the past few weeks.
In talking to Ian, I explained more about how I asked the Lord to help me step deeper in my faith; I asked the Lord to give me confidence in sharing my story and journey with others. Ian reminded me of the story of Peter and the boat. Peter asked the Lord “Lord if it’s you, CALL ME OUT.” Jesus is just waiting for us to say those words so we can step out and live life walking on water with Him. He’s excited to show us the cool things that are outside of the boat. He sees the world through a different lens, a heavenly lens, a God-sized lens. I need to ask Him questions, listen to His voice, and get out of the boat.
Stepping out of the boat can be scary. It was something that I have always feared; fear in rejection: fear in failing: fear in not being good enough: fear in sinking. But all we have to do is ask, and if we feel like we’re sinking, Jesus will lovingly take us by the hand and will always allow us to try again. We are human and He understands that; there’s grace in that! I asked the Lord to help me step out of the boat, leaving my fear aside and standing firm that the Lord was going to show me some pretty amazing things.
Since I asked God to call me out and give me the strength to step out of the boat, He has given me the confidence to talk to people about Jesus, become more vulnerable, and He has broken down more walls and given me the words to speak truth into others’ lives. For the first time I feel confident in my words and the power behind my words. He has reminded me time and time again that I am loved, worthy and forgiven. I have found that taking risks is so worth it; taking risks helps you continue to grow into the person the Lord wants you to become.
I love gliding through life by the seat of my pants; life with the Lord is so unexpected yet so life-giving. Ask Him to call you out of the boat and see what He does with it. I promise He will show you freedom from your fears, rest, and assurance that who you are is more than good enough.
