We Were Not Designed to Cower
I wrote this months ago but have sat on it without publishing it. This morning I sat in small group with a class of ladies as we began looking at excerpts from The Lie You Don’t Know You Believe by Jennie Allen. It’s time to suit up and do battle. Real spiritual battle. Here’s the thing. The falsehood fortress of lies of insecurity and hits at self-worth that have been woven within me are pretty castlesque. It’ll take time. It’ll take strategy. And it’ll take community to demolish strongholds and any threats of generational captivity. Let’s get real and fight the good fight.
Bless God,
Ang
It has been a gift this morning to sit in one of my favorite spaces in our home, cozied up with one of my favorite blankets, receiving rest without a timeline. The last few weekends have been full in a good way, but this morning I am just being. Clouds hover outside hinting at a coming shower or two. My favorite mourning dove’s cadence of coos brings solace. I needed this stillness and opportunity to commune with the Lord without distraction.
We have a tree in our yard that’s on the struggle bus presently. To keep it from completely growing into the ground, a ratchet strap system is in place to try to steer its growth upward rather than cowering toward the dirt. The imagery of this tree struck me to the core this morning as I listened to a podcast on bitterness by Andrea Griffith.
Too often the choices I make or have made leave me feeling bound. Bitterness creeps in for my wrongdoings and, as she put it, it feels like crawling on broken glass to try to get to Jesus.
The story of Lazarus shone anew.
John 11:33-34, “When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”” (NIV)
Jesus asked for the grave clothes to be removed and for him to walk in freedom. It was only by the power of Jesus that he could be released from death.
Sometimes, as our little ratchet strapped tree, I cower to the dirt under the strain of sin that threatens to keep me bound. The enemy would love I stay there. The trap of self-loathing.
Our words are so weighty and throughout Scripture cautions arise regarding the ultimate power of destruction or edification of the tongue. Even the silent words spoken to ourselves.
Living and walking in freedom is allowing Him to be the remover of what’s binding and not allowing there to be a hold back hindrance of unworthiness or cower.
Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe. The only requirement is release and full belief that He is enough. He accomplished what we never could on our own. We were not designed to cower.