I’ve been hearing the word, “Brave” a lot the past couple of days, from family and friends. It
has been in reference to Tovah my 22 year old daughter who left Tuesday to go
live in Honduras for the next 2 years. The women in our lives have expressed
how proud they are of her for being so brave to leave family and friends, only
weeks after graduating from college. At first, I thought to myself, “Of course
she’s brave, she comes from good stock!” (I was referring to myself as the good
stock. J),
but the truth of the matter is…I doubt very seriously if I would have had the
courage to go to another country to live when I was her age.
Tovah was taught to believe God for everything, but like
most children raised in Christian homes, she rode mostly on the coattails of my
faith for the big stuff. And that was
okay for a season, but now it’s time for her to build up her own faith and relationship with the
Lord.
When I was 22 years old, I really didn’t have a clue as to who
I was, and even though Tovah had a much better life than I did, she too
is still finding out who she is. I think this is the case for most young people
her age. She has a friend who also graduated as an Educator in May, and moved
from our area to Baton Rouge, LA a few weeks ago to teach inner city kids. Wow,
another brave young woman! She has no friends or family there, but went anyway.
What is it about them and all the other young Christian
women who flew the coop this past month? What makes them so different or sets
them apart?
Tovah's inner circle of four girlfriends all graduated in May and they all
have jobs (in their field) and are doing well. And what I see as a common thread
is from a young age they’ve had a heart to follow Christ and obey God. And this
has made all the difference in the world.
They were taught that God had a plan for their lives and a
completed destiny for them—and they chose to believe this truth. They are all
virgins and proud of it. They have embraced that though this is not the norm
for the world, it is God’s normal.
Though their faith in what God can do may be new in many
ways, it is because of their obedience in the way they live, that they are
reaping a harvest (at a young age) of God’s best blessings—across the board!
Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that because they have
chosen to live for God and be a reflection of Christ that life is easy or will
always be easy—no, that’s not what I’m saying. But I am saying that the Word of
God is true and with obedience comes blessings and when you live a lifestyle of
obedience, you will be blessed. Amen!
But do not be dismayed or sad, if you were one who didn’t know
Christ when you were young, or chose to be a “prodigal daughter” it’s still not
too late.
It’s not too late to get serious about your relationship
with God. It’s not too late to start living the privilege life that Christ
bought for us on the Cross. It is not too late!
The problem for many of us is—we are not brave enough to try.
We are not brave enough to step out on faith even when we
are afraid. We are not brave enough to take God at His Word, when things look
bad. We are not brave enough to just believe.
One day last spring Tovah called me from college very
frantic. In one of her education classes her professor had a young woman talk
to the class about the interview process (for teachers) in the surrounding
counties. By the time she finished with how they were going to be competing
against their friends and each other, and they might be interviewed 5 times and
still not get the job, she had worked everyone (including Tovah) into a
panic!
My response was, “That might have been her journey, but that
is not your destiny, so don’t sweat it!” Was she convinced? Maybe just a
little. (Even though she’s had the anointing to be a teacher since she was five
years old.) I asked her, “Why would God call you to be a teacher, pay for you to become a teacher and then not have you
teach?”
Well, we all know I was correct, because she has a teaching job in
Honduras. She is bilingual in Spanish (maybe a little rusty), and always wanted
to teach abroad. But she is no different than the rest of us and easily fell
into the trap of listening to someone else.
There are days we wake up and we are brave, but by the time we
have entertained the lies of our enemy or other peoples doubts and fears of
what we can do, should do and can’t do…we are no longer brave. And this can all
happen before we even get out of bed.
Here’s the key to becoming brave (even when you’re afraid), study
the Bible, spend time with God and surround yourself with people who are strong in faith and know
the Word of God. We all need someone to tell us, “Yeah, that might be how it is
for so-and-so, but that is not your destiny!” and be able to back it up with
the Bible.
I am so godly proud of Tovah and her girlfriend in how brave they
are to trust God (even when they were afraid) and go where He is sending them.
Sisters, what dreams or desires have you let slip away,
because you listened to someone else, other than the Spirit of the Lord?
Until next week...
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