{Be Confident} Into the Waves

You know what I battle with most in life?

Selfishness.

I battle with selfishness in regards to how I spend my time. I battle with wanting to do things on my own schedule and my own comfort level. I battle with wanting to do what’s easy and convenient rather than what I know I should do.

For so many years, my prayer to the Lord was just this – “God, help me draw closer to you. Give me the courage to step out of my comfort zone and fully live for you.” I said it so many times that the words are now engraved in my memory. A reminder of how I wanted so much to live a life in honor of him, but I was held back by my fears and doubts and worldly desires.

I can now look back in wonder at that girl that I don’t know anymore, and wish that she could know what I know now

I wish that someone would tap her on the shoulder and gently remind her, “The God we serve is so unbelievably good. He would never call you to do something and then leave you on your own. You know that our God can do anything, so why not have faith that He can and will guide you?”

One of my favorite songs right now is “You Make Me Brave” by Bethel. The words go right to my heart and speak such truth. The simple line,

“You call me out beyond the shore into the waves.”

Yes. Yes, yes, and yes.

God doesn’t call us to sit idly by in the safety of the shore.

He calls us to do big things.

He calls us beyond what we are certain of. Beyond our comfort zones. Beyond our wordly fears. Beyond our own desires. Beyond our idea of convenient.

You are probably feeling that tug right now in some way or another. God calling you to step outside the familiar. To share His word and use your time to glorify him. And you’re probably struggling with your own concerns about how it will fit into your life. I say this with ease and certainty, because I’m talking to myself. For so long, I was almost immobile in my journey to glorify the Lord. Possibly because I didn’t even know where to begin. Where to take that first, shaky step.

Let me cut right to the heart of it.

That step is as simple as listening and being obedient to His call. Listening to that pull on your heart and putting aside fear.

That’s God calling you out, friend. Calling you to step up to His plan for your life. Calling you to be a disciple and to share His goodness with others. Calling you beyond the shore.

I cannot even express the ways that God has blessed me beyond what I deserve. So beyond what I could ever repay. And I’ve lived too much of my life almost expecting and relying on that goodness, in spite of my disobedience.

Maybe it’s scary because we’ve never been there. Maybe it’s scary because we are uncertain of ourselves. Maybe because we feel we just don’t have the time.

But this is where faith and obedience come in. This is where we ask ourselves,

“Am I serving the Lord or waiting for Him to serve me?”

This is where we answer the call and step up in obedience to do what we were created for. In spite our fear and circumstances, time constraints and worries.

Because above all, our God is good. And He is so worthy of our praise.

I don’t know what God is calling you to do. Whether it is joining a church or a bible study, taking a mission trip, making a change, leading a group, sharing your story. We are all being pulled and led in different directions. Down paths that God has gone before and paved specifically for us.

But all of our paths and all of our callings – they all lead to one end. Bravely stepping up and glorifying our Savior. Openly and whole-heartedly proclaiming his goodness.

My prayer for this week is that, despite fear, we will answer His call. That whatever is holding us back, whatever is stopping us from taking that next step for the Lord – that we can hand that up to Him and just trust in His promises. Trust in his goodness.

And dive head first into the waves.