"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 frighten us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking small so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberate others."
Nelson Mandela, President of South Afica.
These words were spoken by Nelson Mandela during his acceptance speech in 1993 for the Nobel Prize of Peace. His words have had an amazing impact on my life, as well as my future.
Most of us fail to look inside ourselves, to find the "true" diamond which lies dormant inside of us. We've spent too much time, drawing back in order to make others feel good around us. Particularly, for women when it comes to loving a man. Whether we are married or single, we sink back from being the woman that God created us to be, in order to be "loved".
We shrink in the presence of small-minded men by hiding our intelliegence, beauty and strength in order to make him feel strong. We hide the truth about how much money we make, so he can feel like he's the "man". Or, we lie to our girlfriends saying, "he pays all the bills", when you know you're the breadwinner and your short every month, trying to make ends meet.
Now, this blog isn't about male-bashing. For, I personally know men who love, cherish and adore their wives or girlfriends. However, as Nelson Mandela so eloquently quoted:
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
You see, I'm speaking to the sister who may be in the midst of a relationship, whereas it's no longer promising and there is no future in it, yet you stay with him, anyway. I speaking to the sister, who knows she should have ended the relationship a long time ago, but hasn't because she's afraid to be "alone". I'm speaking to the sister, who sits up all night wondering where he's been, yet answers her own question, because she's the first to know where he's been and with whom.
I'm speaking to the sister who is college graduate and is financially secure. But yet dates a brother, who didn't finish high school, so now he's insecure. Because, he knows you were a really good catch and can't figure out for the life of him, why you are with him in the first place. Therefore on every hand, he berates you in an effort to lower your self esteem so he can control you. Which makes him feel better about his own shortcomings.
Many of us are being called to greatness, right now. The future God has planned for our lives is so awesome it's unimagineable. Yet, we draw back out of fear and doubt. Due to our own feelings of inadequacy that God can't use us (at least in our present state). However, we don't realize that God is not looking for the super strong to do His will. He's look for a willing and humble heart. The Word provides in 1 Cor 2:27-28(New Living Translation):
27Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that powerless to shame those who are powerful.
28God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.
We've become accustomed to feelings of inadequacies, insecurities and low-self esteem that we began to believe the negative voices we hear:
"You are never going to amount to anything!"
"A real man wouldn't have you. Look at you, a man don't want a big woman!."
"To be so intelligent, you are so stupid!"
"What? You think another brother is going too want you, with all those kids?!"
If we are not being put down or let down, you feel less than adequate. Some of you are use to the foul stench of commonailty and deceit. If the sweet aroma of Frankincense fills the air, we scrambled about (like chickens with our heads cut off) tryng to figure out change what or who changed the scent.
For some of you, God is calling you right now. However,I believe you cannot hear the voice of the Lord. Because like Gideon, you're waiting for Him to prove Himself to you.
Gideon was a descendant of Joseph and the Manasseh tribe. Manasseh, was the elder of the two sons of Joseph. He and his brother Ephraim were afterwards adopted by Jacob as his own sons (Gen.48:1). The tribe of Manasseh was associated with that of Ephraim and Benjamin during the wanderings in the wilderness. They encamped on the west side of Jordan near the tabernacle. According to the census taken at Sinai, this tribe then numbered 32,200 (Num. 1:10, 35; 2:20, 21). Forty years afterwards its numbers had increased to 52,700 (26:34, 37), and it was at this time the most distinguished of all the tribes.
In the book of Judges, chapters 6, 7 and 8 (read the entire chapters), an Angel of the Lord appeared unto Gideon, while he was out threshing wheat. When the Angel appeared unto Gideon, he addressed him by saying:
"Mighty hero, the Lord is with you (Judges 6:12)."
"Well if the Lord is with us, then where He's been all this time. Didn't everybody brag about how He brought us up out of Egypt. But now, He is nowhere to be found and He left us and are handing us over to the Midinates (my paraphase)."
Forty years after the victory gained by the prophetess Deborah and Barak over Jamin (read Judges Chapter 4), the children of Israel once again return to idolatry and began worshipping false gods. This time, however, the Lord allowed the Midianites and the Amalekites to cross the Jordan and for seven years robbed and destroy the land. Gideon received a direct call from God in delivering the land from its invaders.
Gideon had received his call to greatness and didn't even realize it. In fact, the Angel of the Lord called unto him saying "mighty hero" here the Lord addressed him as a man of valor and honor. But, instead of heeding to the voice of the Lord he began to complain:
13"Sir," Gideon replied, "if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, 'The Lord brought us up out of Egypt"? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites."
How many times has Lord through His Word called out to your greatness? In the book of Mark Chapter 16:17-18 (New Living Translation), Jesus told His disciples:
17These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.
18They will be able to handles snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place hands on the sick, and they will be healed."
Jesus rose with all power in His hands, at which time, He delegated His authority to all whom believe. This means, the power which is in Him, resides in us, also.
Unfortunately, like Gideon we don't hear the voice of God, telling us we are great. We hear the voice of Satan and others around us, who says we don't have the strength or tenacity to do great things in our lives. We look to others to confirm who we are, rather than believe the voice of God through His living Word.
Let's look further at Gideon's additional responses from the call of God:
14Then the Lord turned and said, "Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!"
15"But Lord," Gideon replied, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in he whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!"
So many times we missed the mark of a higher calling. Like Gideon, we do not heed to the voice of the Lord. Instead of reading and meditating in His Word to find out what He says about us, we choose to look at our own strengths and weaknesss. It's obvious that Gideon didn't hear the voice of the Lord the first time, when he said: "Go with the strength you have for I am with you!" If so, Gideon would have heeded to his call of greatness, but instead he replied:
17Gideon replied, "If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me.
Ohhhhhhh........wretched man. Who will save us from the snares of the enemy which transmits into our thoughts, doubt and unbelief?
In the book of Mark Chapter 8 verse 11-12 (New Living Translation), the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived and they came to Him with arguments, demanding He show them a miraculous sign from Heaven proving He was the Messiah:
12When He heard this, He sighed deeply in His spirit and said, "Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign."
The Pharisees never considered Jesus, as the Living Word of God. They saw Him as a man, and not as the Son of God. Neither did Gideon hearken unto the word of the Lord, but rather asked for a sign to prove the Angel was sent by God. As I prepare this post, the Holy Spirit has revealed to me that man has never understood the power for which it possess. For it is foolishness unto him.
The bible tell us the world was formed through God's spoken Word. Genesis provides nine times (fruits of the spirit) wherein God said, "Let there be." When we begin to realize that His Word is more powerful than the human language, only then will our lives began to transform. If we truly are seeking the blessings of God, we can no longer view the bible as a book of stories and interpretations written by men. It is His living Word written by man, but inspired by God. We have to view it, for exactly what it is, "Living". Webster dictionary defines living as:
one that is not extinct.
His word is so important to our health and well-being that we should drink from it daily. For it provides nourishment to our bodies and health to our souls. In it you will find financial prosperity, healing, counseling, restoration, renewal, confidence, hope, peace, joy, freedom and liberty.
However, we are unable to enjoy the life changing effects that His Word provides. Why? Because we are too busy questioning His sovereignty and power. In Judges Chapter 6, Gideon beseeched the Angel of the Lord three times, to prove he was a Messenger from God:
1. Gideon replied, "If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me (Judges 6:17, New Living Translation)
2. Then Gideon said to God, "If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning, but the ground is dry, then I will know that your are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised (Judges 6:36-37m New Living Translation)."
3. Then Gideon said to God, "Please don't be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew (Judges 6:39, New Living Translation)."
Now notice verse 16 (Judges 6) when Gideon replied to the Angel of the Lord by saying he was the weakest out of the tribe of Manasseh and the least in his family. Wherefore, the Angel said unto to him:
16The Lord said to him, "I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man."
You see, Gideon could have missed his called to greatness by questioning God's ability to do as He said He would do. But God is merciful and adhered to Gideon's request. Not, because He needed to prove Himself to Gideon, but because He wanted the Midianites to see that they could not be delivered from their enemies by their own strength, but by His strength. And to do this, He used the least and weakest vessel in the tribe of (Gideon) Manasseh to accomplish His plan. He refuses to share His glory, with anyone. Therefore, leaving man no room to boast. "And he chose those things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful (1 Cor:1-27)."
For too long, the Saints of God has allowed Satan to pull the wool over their eyes. On every hand he has attempted to make the Word of God appear foolish and full of nonsense. Not realizing it is by God's own design that the message of the Cross is foolish unto man. For how can a man be saved by grace without having to earn it? So, foolishly we try to earn salvation through our own self-efforts. Because, salvation according to the scriptures is too easy to possess. So we misconstrue the Word (just as the Pharisees and Sadducees did) in order to feel greater than those around us who we believe are not "living right."
However, Paul said (1 Corinthians 2:18-29)for it is written 18"as the the scripture say, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." For, 22"It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom." However, 25"this foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." Therefore, 29"as a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God."
There lies a special gift that God placed inside of you, before you were a baby in your mother's womb. It doesn't matter where you come from or what you've been through. It has nothing to do with your scarred past. Sometimes it is those very scars, He uses to develop you. He has bestowed a special gift inside us, that He wants us to use. He gave it to you because you were predestined for greatness before the beginning of time.
Thererefore, I admonish you to hearken to your call of greatness. Don't be like Gideon, asking God to prove Himself to you. Just believe in His Word and step out on the wings of faith, and watch yourself begin to soar to heights you never dreamed or imagine that you can reach.
I'm a living testimony of His restoration power through His Living Word. Right now, I'm living out the greatest moments of my life. For, I wasn't living up to my "true" potential until I learned of Him and what He had to say about me.
So, answer your call to greatness. Trust me, you will be glad that you did!
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