Becoming Emboldened By Gina Sewell
Gina Sewell is a mom and grandma who lives in the Dallas, Texas area, where she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. She loves to write about Jesus and encourage others. Gina shares her journey on her website: http://www.ginabartonsewell.wordpress.com
The Bible tells us we should be bold. We should be strong and courageous and have much faith in our relationship with Christ. We should go out among the Nations and tell of Jesus Christ and bring others to Him. As much as I love the Lord and I’m so happy to have entered into a relationship with Him, I often wonder, “where is my courage? Where is my strength? My mother was known for her boldness in Christ. She often spoke of being a Christian woman and the responsibilities of that role. I have complete faith in God. I know what He’s done for me. I know what He has brought me from and where He is leading me. He has restored my life, my relationships, my love for others, and the list goes on. He brought me from a horrible place and into a life that I love. He has restored my dreams and answered my prayers. He has given me a sense of the peace that I have longed for. So why didn’t I have the boldness of a lion for Him? Not long before I left my hometown to begin my new life, I had a word from God one morning just as I was waking. He said, “you have fought the lion. Why are you afraid of the bear? I had no clue what that meant. But I do know that it has to do with courage. It has to do with bravery.
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But I believe it is also a lesson in faith. When David fought the lion and the bear in 1 Samuel17:34-37, he was able to defeat the wild animals, not because he was stronger than them, but because God was protecting him and he had full faith in that protection. I believe He was telling me, “I have gotten you through the biggest battle of your life, where is your faith in the next battle? So I put my faith in Him once again and I took the next step and things fell into place in my life. My faith has grown and my strength is building tremendously. The best way that I know to overcome fear is to spend as much time as you can each and every day with the Lord. Read the Word daily and you will feel your confidence build. Find your secret place where you can meet with Him every day in prayer. Edwin Louis Cole said, “Prayer in private results in boldness in public.” Father God, thank you so very much for your strength and your love for us. Sometimes life is hard, Many times I have gone through things that I just didn’t feel I could handle on my own, but now I know I don’t have to because you are always with me, carrying me through. I now know that I am never alone and that gives me such courage as well as peace. Thank you, God, for all these things. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
