Embrace the Within no. 162

“So then, being always filled with good courage and confident hope, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]— we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth] or away from home [and with Him], it is our [constant] ambition to be pleasing to Him. For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].”

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 AMP

Courage and hope are important parts of my walk in the Way of the Lord. It takes good courage to know that I am going to need to change a lot more and to make those changes. Courage is choosing to change. It takes confident hope to understand that those changes are not going to be my doing. I need hope in the Lord to help me become the image He wants.

When I first began this walk almost three years ago this month, I had to step out from the rut I was in. The rut was well worn and comfortable. The rut was safe and secure. The rut was home. BUT if anything about my life was going to get better. If anything in my life was going to be abundant and healthy, then I had to drag myself out of that rut. And that took a transformative change in the way I live daily. I changed my diet, my routine, my focus, my self, my yard, and none of that was easy and it doesn’t get easy. It is difficult to get physically healthy. It is difficult to get mentally healthy. It is even more difficult to get spiritually healthy. And all those things are compounded by the rut we create each day. Good courage in the promise and consistency of the Lord is my light through this ongoing change.

When I first began this walk almost three years ago this month, I had little hope that anything was ever going to get better in this world for me or my family. I was afraid that we were going to starve because of the supply chain and my reliance on humanity. Over the course of this journey, I have learned to keep my hope in how the Lord directs me to act and what He has to say. I have often failed in accomplishing things, my first attempt at a garden was a colossal failure, BUT I listened to what I needed to learn from Him and kept confident hope that He was going to provide the Way. Confident hope in Him allows me to move forward despite and in spite of the overwhelming fear and despair in the world.

Good courage and confident hope are what have allowed me to walk this path for nearly three years. I did not have a lot of either of those qualities when I began this journey and I still have a long way to go in my growth as a person. BUT I am not afraid anymore. And three years ago, I was afraid. I was worried. I was unhealthy. I was a mess. And even though I am still a mess today, I no longer fear. I no longer worry. I no longer am unhealthy. And that gives me confident hope that if any of us have the slightest bit of courage to choose to change, then we can all grow in good courage and confident hope through Him.

There are so many things that can get me and you off track. And that's all a diversion from what's really important. And what is really important is that God wants to have a relationship with me and you. And working on that is a lot more important than worrying about whatever else is happening in the world.

So, you can worry about all the other things you don't control OR you can take control of your relationship with Him?

That is your choice. And the choice He freely gives you.

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH