Words are so powerful. Words can speak life or death over someone. For the past 10 years I have spoken so much death over myself. The World Race culture talks a lot about speaking truth and life into people and places. Over the past few months, people have spoken such words of life over me. At one of the debrief sessions this past week one of the World Race staff talked about how we can speak truth and life over ourselves and how that is often more powerful than other people speaking it over us.
I have struggled with my identity, with having confidence in who God created me to be, in thinking that my words were stupid or had no value. I have struggled with comparing myself to other people and letting my perception of what other people think define me.
In Albania the Lord gave me the word boldness. This has definitely been a growth area that is like hiking switchback up a mountain. Sometimes it is hard to see if you are making any progress. During a worship sessions at debrief, the Holy Spirit moved in an incredible way. I was sitting on the floor when one of my teammates came over to me and read some verses from 2 Corinthians 3:7-12. She told me to pay special attention to verse 12, “Therefore since we have such hope, we are very bold.”
At the end of worship we were asked if anyone had a declaration to state over our life. There were a few moments of silence and then slowly people began declaring truths over themselves. I felt a tug in my spirit. This is you moment. Be bold, declare it out loud. I hesitated and it looked like my moment was almost over. Then, the speaker said last call and a few more people shared. My teammate Melissa comes up behind me and says “Ginny, this is it. Be bold.” I said her name in an aggravated tone because I knew she was right. The tugging in my spirit became a fire in my chest. So, when the girl who was speaking ended, I stepped out from behind the pole I was standing behind. I declared in a loud, clear voice “I am a bold and confident woman of God. I am good enough. I am beautiful.”
Declaring this out loud in a room full of my “W” Squad family, brought freedom. For the very first time in my life, the words that Paul wrote in Corinthians about in Christ we are a new creation came to life. I am a new creation! I am not defined or held back by my past sins and struggles.
I am a bold and confident woman of God!
