Na, na, na, gonna have a good time...well, not always

Just because you've been called to do something doesn't mean there won't be obstacles to overcome in fulfilling that calling.

This picture represents one of my favorite childhood Saturday morning?pastimes, as well as one of?the biggest obstacles I've had to overcome as an adult. Saturday mornings as a child were good times. Pushing past opposition as an adult, not so much.

For 20 plus years I had a fear of opening my mouth to speak in the presence of groups?large and small. At times, the fear was paralyzing.

I was not confident in what I had to say or my ability to say it, even though I knew it was what others needed to hear. Because of the lack of confidence, the words in my brain and the words in my mouth weren't always in sync.?

Enter...Mushmouth. That's who I often heard when I spoke. Or at least, that's who I sounded like TO ME, even though others would say otherwise.

But that voice in my head, planting accusatory and condemning seeds in my thoughts, consistently left me feeling like I should just sit down somewhere, shut up, and keep quiet. Sometimes it would be so intense that I'd literally get sick at the stomach with feelings of guilt and inadequacy. At?times it would take hours for me to recover.?The struggle was real.

Then I got a revelation. What I have to say is necessary. And this is why the enemy of my soul was working overtime to muzzle me. There is a message that needs to be shared, and it's a message that will bring freedom to those who have ears to hear. The message of the Kingdom of God is about life to those who receive it. Jesus Christ came that we might have life. And when we can see how His message brings abundant life into our businesses, we in turn become refreshed, refresh others, and experience a glimpse of eternity here on Earth.

Guess what. Just because I got a revelation didn't mean the accuser quit his job. He simply waited for a more opportune time. Just recently, I was giving my report to my accountability group and sharing what the Lord had been doing since our last meeting.?Because they believe in true?accountability, I was challenged on the spot to put into practice something that I had shared.

As soon as I got off the call, I was bombarded with those same thoughts. My Mushmouth syndrome set it. "There you go again making a mess of things!" I began to feel it in my stomach. But this time, something was different. As soon as I felt it, I became aware that I wasn't only "feeling it" because I was being provoked by the internal mockery. I was feeling it because the thoughts didn't agree with me (or the Holy Spirit) and I was actively resisting from the inside out. In that moment, I experienced the empowering grace of God to strategically, completely, and immediately displace those thoughts.

Why am I sharing this? Because I don't believe I'm the only follower of Christ who is facing resistance against doing and saying what God has instructed. If you can relate, then understand that you have been given everything you need for both life and godliness. What you do may not look like perfection to you, but He takes what you offer Him in faith and good conscience and multiplies it for His purposes. The grace is available to you if you're willing to lay hold of it.

If you aren't sure where to start or how to practically walk this out, I'd love to chat with you. Please reach out to me.?

As for me, Mushmouth is no longer an identity I claim. As much as I love Fat Albert, I am not a member of the Junkyard Gang. If God promised to help Moses in his speech, then He is the one who helps me. And I know He gives me the words to say when they need to be spoken.

Does this mean that the thoughts?won't ever come again? No, it doesn't. It does mean, however, that I am determined - by the grace of God - to keep my hands to the plow in partnership with Him because He is the one who began the good work in me and He's the one who will complete it. The one who calls me is faithful, and He will do it.

And He won't just do it for me. He'll do it for YOU, too. He wants to work through you to be the answer others are seeking - to bring light and life into dark situations. So push back...resist...stand firm against the opposition that's out to abort your mission.

Raise the Bar. REACH Higher!