So, yes, I do believe I’m called to write a book. It feels kind of intimidating to write that here on my blog, but perhaps this is part of keeping me accountable. I’ve found that much of what I write here on my blog is just as much for me as it is for anyone else who may read it.
They say God doesn’t call the qualified, but qualifies the called.
I don’t think it was a coincidence that I found all those books and notes the other day. You see the very emotions I went through are the heart of what I’m passionate about. I know I’m not the only one who struggles with identity and destiny.
I have learned over the years that what the enemy means for harm, God intends for the good!
There are just two voices in this world; the voice of truth and the voice of the liar.
Our lives are made up of the words spoken by these two voices.
From the moment we were conceived, through the generations before us, we carry the words of truth and the words of lies within our DNA.
From the moment we were born we have heard words of truth, and words of lies.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” Proverbs 18:21
It is the words we choose to believe as true that define our reality; they determine how we see ourselves and how we choose to live.
“Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart.” Proverbs 18:8
Words we hear, whether spoken by others or from our own mouths, sink into our hearts, becoming our truth.
Over the years there has been many times when I have had to rethink the words that I believed were true.
I find this very profound to consider…
how I think about the words I hear, what I believe about them, will determine how I feel and how I respond to life situations.
This journey of writing my blog for several years has confirmed to me that literally everything that comes into my life is intended by God for my good. Though it seems bad, difficult, or absolutely impossible, it is the very thing God is able to do something exceedingly, above and beyond anything I could ever think or imagine with!
And my writing has confirmed that my beliefs do determine my direction!
I am passionate about God’s people being set free from the lies and deception of the enemy. I have seen in my own life how deception held me captive and stole so much good from me and from the kingdom of God. I allowed the voice of the enemy to steal my voice and my convictions. I allowed his lies to convince me I was no good; wrapped in a robe of shame that kept me striving to prove myself good. His deception trapped me in a prison of pride, jealousy, and comparison.
As I look back over my life I see threads of lies and deception woven through my thoughts, my words, my actions.
I saw them again when looking at those books and notes. There was the lie that I no longer have purpose. There was the lie that they were a waste of time. Those lies of the enemy wanted to take me to a place of resentment and self-pity to keep me from any future ministry.
They wanted to make me believe I was no longer qualified.
The enemy shrouds the memories of the past with shame to steal us from our future.
What if I believed those lies?
If I believed them I may not have cared to enter into an amazingly godly conversation with some teenage girls on the way to youth group the other evening.
I may have been so distracted with my own disappointment I wouldn’t have read today’s Bible verse and devotion to my daughter.
I may have considered it a waste of time to pray and intercede for family and friends.
I may not have encouraged my daughter to invite her friend to church yesterday thinking that she will only be disappointed when it doesn’t go as planned.
I’m so glad there is another voice!
It was the voice of truth that drowned out the lies of the enemy
It was the voice of truth that reminded me that ministry will look different throughout my life. Just because there isn’t a circle of women around me, or a bunch of chattering girls grooming horses, the voice of truth says I still have purpose!
I chose to believe the voice of truth!
It was the voice of truth that said I’m still qualified!
And this is what I want to write a book about…
I want others to realize there are only two voices in this world and to consider which voice they choose to believe is true.
I want to share my story with others as an example of the way the enemy deceives and steals our identity and our destiny.
Deception means to conceal the truth.
Satan has concealed the truth of God with his lies.
It is my prayer to put one more book out there that is intended to pull back the deception of Satan and expose his lies that have held people captive to the harm meant to destroy and to keep them from the One who created them to be loved by Him.
And I am really passionate about calling him out for all the harm he brought into people’s lives! I want more than anything for the Bride of Christ to live the abundant life Jesus died for them to live!
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
It is my desire to point people to the truth of God’s word that sets them free from their cloak of shame, and robes them with the righteousness Jesus has given them so they will live in their true identity and walk in their true destiny!
I have been writing, “My Story” for several years now, as you can tell by the various pictures I’ve taken along the way. But, I trust in God’s timing and guidance and I have found along the journey He continues to teach me things from my life experiences that will be part of my story.
And, because I actually have no idea how to write a book!
But this line that I just wrote today pretty much sums up what I hope to convey to those who read my book some day…
“Your true identity can only be found by listening to the voice of truth and your true destiny will only be discovered by obeying the voice of truth!”
Today will you choose to listen to the voice of truth? Will you believe who God says you are and discover what God has called you to? Because you are so much more than you ever imagined and the destiny God has for you is way bigger than you could ever hope or dream!