This morning I was scrolling through Facebook...OK, I'm guilty...but an article caught my eye, and though I did not read it, God instantly spoke to me. The article was something about college students dropping out because of their social anxiety.
I immediately related..."Maybe I have social anxiety," I thought. My mind went to all the times when I've felt awkward, uncomfortable, and even anxious in a crowd setting.
But just like that, it hit me. I felt the Lord say to me, "Of all the things I call you in my Word, anxious, is not one of them." Loved. Chosen. Saved. Child of God. Not once does the Lord call us or label us with those words we have somehow, almost lovingly, welcomed and accepted as a banner for our identity. In fact, all through the Bible He tells us not to fear, be courageous, and be anxious for nothing.
My mind raced through all the times, some even recently, that I felt like I was somehow being brave in sharing open-heartedly and transparently with others about how uncomfortable and nervous I get around people I don't know well. Maybe the sharing of a personal struggle in hopes it connects and gives comfort to others could be seen as brave, but adopting the confession of anything other than what God calls me is far from brave.
Why have I never realized that I was speaking a curse over myself and instead should be confessing the power of Jesus over me, on me, and in me? After all, I believe strongly in the power of our words. Proverbs 18:21 warns of us this.
"The tongue can bring death or life." NLT
I wouldn't proudly confess, whether to the reflection in my bathroom mirror or in front of a group of people that "I'm so stupid", but I don't doubt that someone out there struggles with that exact thought. Why, then, would I proudly wear the confession that "I'm awkward" like it were a badge I'd worked hard to earn? Here me out though. This may seem so small and insignificant to many. Beth Moore said in a study called "Breaking Free",
"A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for her." Page 33, "Breaking Free"
That is so huge to me! Anything that hinders. We're actually held captive by those things. So in case you laugh at the severity of my confession of feeling exposed, judged, awkward, and nervous in crowds of people I don't know, remember that I've let those very words that I chose to speak over myself hinder the "abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for me." For goodness sake, I sit here staring at a note I have placed at my computer in which I see daily that reads,
"Stephanie: (Greek for "crown, victorious") (American for "crowned in victory")
How can I accept any thought or mindset that does not bring victory or abundance to the life God has called me to live?
We take lightly the comments like "I'm fat, I'm ugly, I'm a loser, I'm horrible at this, or I'll never be good at that". Now hear me out. I think there's wisdom in recognizing our weaknesses when it is for the purpose of asking and relying on Jesus for His strength. I also believe it's wise to seek out and accept the help of others that have strengths that we don't. However, I think many of the confessions we go through life picking up, accepting, wearing as part of our identities, and most importantly and most dangerously, believing are far from the identity God has given us. They're far from what our heavenly father wants for us.
In what was literally a 30-second moment of thinking about a random article on Facebook about socially anxious college students, the Lord nudged me to throw away the idea that He has made me to struggle with any variation of anxiety. I'm no fool or naive enough to think we don't live in a fallen world where sin and the devil doesn't roam around wanting to plague us with these things though. There are real, physical, emotional, and psychological struggles, but I am also well aware of the healing power of our Lord. His Word says in Isaiah 53,
"He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." v.5 NKJV
Please hear my heart on this. I am not making light of or discounting anyone's real, deep, painful, and tormenting ailments by saying that if you would just refuse to say you have cancer or any other sickness, physical or psychological, whether mildly debilitating or life-threatening, that you will be free from it. Again, the world is sick and the enemy is real. What I am suggesting is that we change our confession. We speak heaven's words. We declare the truth found in God's Word about who He created us to be. This is the reason the world is filled with people who have gotten a "bad report" but choose to not let it define or disrupt their lives. I know that Satan is in an all-out battle for our minds, and if he can somehow convince us that we are "fat, ugly, socially anxious, unwanted," or whatever else that is contrary to what our God calls us, then he can cause us to walk through life carrying a confession that God never intended for us to pick up. I am convinced that what we believe about ourselves becomes how we carry and present ourselves. If we would just stop confessing sickness, anger, pain, confusion, and defeat over our lives, I believe we will begin to hear God's voice calling us to victory in all areas of life.
I remember hearing Joyce Meyer tell a story about how she used to always complain that her back was killing her. One day the Lord spoke to her and she decided to fight that thought. Her back was not killing her and she started confessing that each and every day her back was getting better. Just by changing the confession over her life, she received healing mentally, emotionally, and eventually physically.
Therefore, at this moment, I am choosing to confess the power of Jesus over me, on me, and in me. I declare that I do NOT in any way have social anxiety, that I am NOT afraid to engage with people in a crowd, and that God has had the victory over this area of my life!! I hope you will join me in taking a good look at the things we proclaim over ourselves and those around us. If they do not line up in agreement with God's Word then maybe it's time to adopt a new confession!
Again, though, I feel the need to elaborate. You may not be able to confess victory over a certain area of your life and never have to work at it. I could very well walk into the youth building packed out with middle and high school students and still feel uneasy about engaging with those I don't know well. It may be a long process or something you have to constantly remind yourself that you have freedom of. Even at this moment though, I am feeling convicted for backing down on the belief that our God can do the impossible, so I'll stop!
I pray you would feel encouraged today and would proudly wear the badges of Loved, Chosen, Saved, and Child of God.
I immediately related..."Maybe I have social anxiety," I thought. My mind went to all the times when I've felt awkward, uncomfortable, and even anxious in a crowd setting.
But just like that, it hit me. I felt the Lord say to me, "Of all the things I call you in my Word, anxious, is not one of them." Loved. Chosen. Saved. Child of God. Not once does the Lord call us or label us with those words we have somehow, almost lovingly, welcomed and accepted as a banner for our identity. In fact, all through the Bible He tells us not to fear, be courageous, and be anxious for nothing.
My mind raced through all the times, some even recently, that I felt like I was somehow being brave in sharing open-heartedly and transparently with others about how uncomfortable and nervous I get around people I don't know well. Maybe the sharing of a personal struggle in hopes it connects and gives comfort to others could be seen as brave, but adopting the confession of anything other than what God calls me is far from brave.
Why have I never realized that I was speaking a curse over myself and instead should be confessing the power of Jesus over me, on me, and in me? After all, I believe strongly in the power of our words. Proverbs 18:21 warns of us this.
"The tongue can bring death or life." NLT
I wouldn't proudly confess, whether to the reflection in my bathroom mirror or in front of a group of people that "I'm so stupid", but I don't doubt that someone out there struggles with that exact thought. Why, then, would I proudly wear the confession that "I'm awkward" like it were a badge I'd worked hard to earn? Here me out though. This may seem so small and insignificant to many. Beth Moore said in a study called "Breaking Free",
"A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for her." Page 33, "Breaking Free"
That is so huge to me! Anything that hinders. We're actually held captive by those things. So in case you laugh at the severity of my confession of feeling exposed, judged, awkward, and nervous in crowds of people I don't know, remember that I've let those very words that I chose to speak over myself hinder the "abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for me." For goodness sake, I sit here staring at a note I have placed at my computer in which I see daily that reads,
"Stephanie: (Greek for "crown, victorious") (American for "crowned in victory")
How can I accept any thought or mindset that does not bring victory or abundance to the life God has called me to live?
We take lightly the comments like "I'm fat, I'm ugly, I'm a loser, I'm horrible at this, or I'll never be good at that". Now hear me out. I think there's wisdom in recognizing our weaknesses when it is for the purpose of asking and relying on Jesus for His strength. I also believe it's wise to seek out and accept the help of others that have strengths that we don't. However, I think many of the confessions we go through life picking up, accepting, wearing as part of our identities, and most importantly and most dangerously, believing are far from the identity God has given us. They're far from what our heavenly father wants for us.
In what was literally a 30-second moment of thinking about a random article on Facebook about socially anxious college students, the Lord nudged me to throw away the idea that He has made me to struggle with any variation of anxiety. I'm no fool or naive enough to think we don't live in a fallen world where sin and the devil doesn't roam around wanting to plague us with these things though. There are real, physical, emotional, and psychological struggles, but I am also well aware of the healing power of our Lord. His Word says in Isaiah 53,
"He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." v.5 NKJV
Please hear my heart on this. I am not making light of or discounting anyone's real, deep, painful, and tormenting ailments by saying that if you would just refuse to say you have cancer or any other sickness, physical or psychological, whether mildly debilitating or life-threatening, that you will be free from it. Again, the world is sick and the enemy is real. What I am suggesting is that we change our confession. We speak heaven's words. We declare the truth found in God's Word about who He created us to be. This is the reason the world is filled with people who have gotten a "bad report" but choose to not let it define or disrupt their lives. I know that Satan is in an all-out battle for our minds, and if he can somehow convince us that we are "fat, ugly, socially anxious, unwanted," or whatever else that is contrary to what our God calls us, then he can cause us to walk through life carrying a confession that God never intended for us to pick up. I am convinced that what we believe about ourselves becomes how we carry and present ourselves. If we would just stop confessing sickness, anger, pain, confusion, and defeat over our lives, I believe we will begin to hear God's voice calling us to victory in all areas of life.
I remember hearing Joyce Meyer tell a story about how she used to always complain that her back was killing her. One day the Lord spoke to her and she decided to fight that thought. Her back was not killing her and she started confessing that each and every day her back was getting better. Just by changing the confession over her life, she received healing mentally, emotionally, and eventually physically.
Therefore, at this moment, I am choosing to confess the power of Jesus over me, on me, and in me. I declare that I do NOT in any way have social anxiety, that I am NOT afraid to engage with people in a crowd, and that God has had the victory over this area of my life!! I hope you will join me in taking a good look at the things we proclaim over ourselves and those around us. If they do not line up in agreement with God's Word then maybe it's time to adopt a new confession!
Again, though, I feel the need to elaborate. You may not be able to confess victory over a certain area of your life and never have to work at it. I could very well walk into the youth building packed out with middle and high school students and still feel uneasy about engaging with those I don't know well. It may be a long process or something you have to constantly remind yourself that you have freedom of. Even at this moment though, I am feeling convicted for backing down on the belief that our God can do the impossible, so I'll stop!
I pray you would feel encouraged today and would proudly wear the badges of Loved, Chosen, Saved, and Child of God.
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