One of the things I do love about this journey to live out a vision is the continual way we get revealed…yes, the beauty of who God has created us to be, BUT also who we are in awkward moments.
3 women in our graduate-level program Expand Your Vision have their dreams at their doorsteps.
The 1st has begun hiring team members because her company has grown so much since she began LYV.
The 2nd is about to buy her 1st house to begin her foster care program.
The 3rd has had the love of her life show up and they are discussing marriage.
All 3 (who I coincidentally spoke to in one day this week) shared their ‘overwhelm’ and their insecurities being provoked.
I can so relate. The road to the next level of thinking and living is rarely smooth or seamless. It often comes with awkwardness, overwhelm, and clumsy efforts as we move up into that new and unfamiliar level.
Next-level performances incite insecurities and invite the critics both internal and external. None of which feel good, but if you recognize it for what it is, you will find peace and even gratitude for the experience.
For it is in the awkward moments that the necessary changes are revealed, and with the grounding IN God’s love for me and the knowledge of the specific GIFTS I have been given, I am armed with a sense of adequacy to face even my own inadequacies. Sounds like double-speak…I know – kind of trippy.
But for the “JOY set before me” (the presence of God and the great opportunity to live life fully in pursuit of the vision He has given), I can throw off everything that hinders me and the sin that so easily entangles.
We here in the LYV community are learning how to be convicted to change through JOY vs. guilt, fear, shame, or fear of consequences.
How many times have you tried to shame or guilt yourself into changing?
No more!
For deep lasting change….which is necessary to get through the awkward moments without setbacks…we look to the JOY set before us and then realize we no longer NEED to worry, people please, or withhold. Those sins and hindrances we can let go of since we recognize they no longer serve us.
I’m sure you have noticed that trying to change through guilt or shame is futile because it is not sustainable to grow through guilt and shame.
So consider this new way you may have not thought about. Yes, up-leveling is awkward and uncomfortable, and clumsy. But if you saw that as necessary and actually exciting because it clarified your specific areas of growth, which you felt equipped to handle, how wonderful could that be?
I invite you to think this through and even research it online and/or study it out biblically for yourself.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Post in the comments below and share them with me. Cheers to your personal up-leveling.
May you find your way.
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