Radical Obedience = Letting go of Fear

Why do I  have fear of the unknown, I love and believe in God and trust in him yet I still have fear.

This week I realized while reading Chapter 3 in "What Happens Women Women say Yes to God" by Lysa TerKeurst,  that God is wanting me to be Radically Obedient and give up my fears to him. Now I am totally having a "Say What" moment with God as I am hearing this.  

"Really Lord? You know this is hard for me."

I know God hears my heart, my every thought,and knows the pain in my heart as well.  He knows my every fear and wants to lift them from me and he wants me to rely on him!

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. ~1 John 4:18

So why have I not allowed the “Perfect love” to drive out the fear in my heart? Why have I not be obedient and let them go to the Lord? 

Here are my fears I have right now:

• Losing my Job tomorrow 
• Not being a Wife or Mommy someday
• Losing the Man I love so much
• Never being pretty enough
• Losing my Mom again
• Being all Alone 

Writing them down they seem so little but yet there are so big in my heart right now and taking control of my thoughts. I know my God is bigger and his love will help me to over come these fears I just have to allow him to do so and this is so hard.  Is it because I am afraid of the unknown or not being in control of my life? I am not 100% sure but I do know I am going to obey the Lord. 

I am going to challenge myself each day to turn over my fears to God. I am going to :"Say Yes to God" and be Obedient.  Each time I feel these fears start to creep in on my thoughts I am going to stop what I am doing, lift my "Palms Up" to the Lord and  pray. I am going to repeat to my self:

There is no fear in love. God is Love!

Picture found on Pinterest

The Power of "Yes to God"

What is God asking me to say "Yes" to????.......... 

While digging into my new devotional today, What happens when Women say Yes to God  Devotional, by Lysa TerKeurst, this sentence leaped off the page at me:

"Do you really think God could use someone like you?" (pg5) 

Just like Lysa, this same question has crept  into my mind several times. In fact, over a  year ago (maybe longer) after joining Melissa Taylor's Online Bible Study  groups on Facebook, I received an email asking me if I would be interested in being a group leader for the studies. The first thing that came to my mind was, "me? really? why would God want someone like me?" Then, I did the whole, I can't lead other women in a bible study. "I am not good enough." I decided to pray about it. I prayed and prayed. I spoke to loved ones and friends about it and then I heard, "just say Yes Lauren."  That day I sent the email saying YES to being a OBS Small Group Facebook Leader.  This was just one of my many Yes God to come.

Of course, during this time frame of being a small group leader, I had the nasty doubts of how is God possible using me. How am I really reaching other women? I was still doubting my Yes to God. I just kept doing what God was telling me to do, I kept saying Yes, and moving on with each study. I prayed that what I was typing in the group each morning was reaching their hearts. I prayed that my prayers for each Lady was being heard. I prayed for each Lady in my group and each Leader involved in OBS. Still with the thought in my mind, "why Me Lord?" "There is surely someone way better than me for this." My go to verse during these times was:

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.~ Hebrews 10:24

This verse reminded me that if I continue pouring into my group and the Ladies, God's word, love and works will be stirred up in them as well as me, and it worked. Never in a million years did I think that I was reaching these beautiful ladies in my group with God's word until I came home from work this April and got the envelope from Proverbs 31 in my mailbox. The picture below is what was inside. I cried and praised God and saw some of the power in my saying Yes to God. 

What an Honor to know that in my saying Yes to God, I had impacted someones life. And for the record, when God called her to say Yes to being a Group Leader for OBS, she too said yes to God.

Again, this past month God laid another request on my heart to say Yes to regarding OBS. I was asked to be a Team Leader. Now this was a very difficult Yes for me to answer as I would have to step away from being a group leader. I love the Ladies that were in my group, but I knew God was calling me to do more and to say Yes. Once again, I said Yes to God and we shall see where this part of the journey will lead me to next. I am beyond excited. I love seeing the power in my life and others when I have said "Yes" to God.

So what is it that God is asking you to say "YES" to?

It's not to late to join me and over 22,000 other women who are saying Yes to God right now. You can sign up for the next upcoming bible study at http://proverbs31.org/online-bible-studies/. It starts this Sunday, August 4th, and the study is: What Happens When Women say Yes to God, by Lysa TerKeusrt.