Quit holding back. Mark Batterson, The Lion Chaser’s Manifesto, Chase the Lion
I’ll confess, I was holding back for a long time.
I LIKED safe.
When you’ve grown up in a three-ring circus, performing to get even a few crumbs of love or affirmation–SAFE feels good.
And then, one day… it doesn’t.
Born Encourager
That was me. I could encourage the socks off anyone…
Anyone that is–but me.
I could cheer for anybody–especially the scared, unsure, down-n-outer’s who struggled to belong.
My dad used to say,
(with despair on his face…)
“If there is a stray out there anywhere, you are sure to find them, and bring them home!”
(Then came the heavy sigh.)
Believing in myself came hard
I had dreams…
But mostly?
I kept them to myself–safe, remember?
I didn’t want anyone to laugh at me, or make fun of me, or my dreams.
And, I suppose they became my place of refuge; the place where I would go when life seemed unbearable.
(I think it’s that way for a lot of us.)
We dream of a destiny that will make a difference in the world, but we keep it tucked safely in our hearts; away from the critics–AND the jeers of the crowd.
Daring Greatly is scary stuff!
It took me decades to take a chance on Jesus n’ me.
I knew He could do anything… of course.
But, me? Not so much.
Taking a chance on “me” and paying the price to dare greatly?
Well, it felt like that first time I jumped off the high dive.
Once I got out on the end of that diving board, and looked down at that water–I wanted back down that ladder,pronto! But the ladder was full of kids waiting their turns.
There was no going back–I had to jump!
Jesus did not die to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous.
Mark Batterson, Not Safe
You n’ Jesus can do the impossible…
But you have to believe…
- He will step into your weakness
- Use your mistakes
- Cover your doubts
- And hug you when you feel afraid.
Jesus said,
“… I promise you, if you have faith inside of you no bigger than the size of a small mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move away from here and go over there,’ and you will see it move! There is nothing you couldn’t do!”
Matthew 17: 20 TPT
It’s not the critic who counts!
REMEMBER: Faith is to believing–what gasoline is to cars.
You can get into a car without gas, fasten your seatbelt, check your gauges, mash down hard on that pedal… but honey?
You ain’t goin’ nowhere without fuel!
God believes in you.
Now you have to believe in you.
Quit holding back.
Chase the Lion!
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.
Hebrews 11: 1 TLB
Women With Destiny 