Wonder-Full Wednesday

Today, I am starting a new project in which each Wednesday I will post a scripture and devotional thought. I have entitled it Wonderful Wednesday because I will be searching through the wonders that God has revealed to us in His word and His creation. One of my favorite feelings in the world is finding a scripture that I had forgotten about or seeing some part of God's creation and soaking it all in like a child asking why and how and just being awed by Him. Our God is truly full of wonder in all His ways. I hope you will enjoy the journey as much as I already am!

For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God,
which is in you through the laying on of my hands,
for God has not given us a spirit of fear
but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:6-7

As Paul writes here to Timothy I cannot help but think of my own life lately and the spirit of fear I have allowed myself to posses. It is my own personal struggle and I know this. Fear can be so crippling and debilitating, and it has nearly left me stranded. My personal fears have been based in self-esteem and self-consciousness. I have found myself seeking the approval of others too much and this has led me to literally fear what others think of me or the things I do. I have found it hard to be myself even around those I know love me and accept me no matter what. Then last night a break through. "What am I doing?" I asked God in my prayer. I knew then that I was taking the focus off of God and turning it to me. I realized I had not been fanning into flame the gift of God's forgiveness and grace. Instead, I was blinded by the smoke of a fire that was dying out and grasping for others' input to help me through the haze. So, today I will take my fan (my Bible) and work to get the fire burning and then into slow-burning embers. God will help me to love more, God will give me the strength to control my fears, God is the power I need to really live.

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you NOT to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the World.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us;

it is in everyone.

As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

"borrowed from" Marianne Williamson

from A Return of Love

image from heartlight.org

Have a blessed day!