When Weakness Prepares You to Be Brave

focus on Jesus-1

Warriors, knights, and soldiers—I see it in them all. A bravery to fight wars, battle madmen, and go to the front lines for freedom.  Lives are sacrificed, families are broken, and countries are devastated.

I’ve never seen myself as someone ready to face and endure danger or pain. Honestly I’ve tried to avoid pain in many areas of life and have dealt with some heavy consequences as a result.

Bravery is not for the weak at heart.

Or maybe it is.

As I read through Chapter 8, Dare to Be Brave in When A Woman Finds Her Voice: Overcoming Life’s Hurts & Using Your Story to Make a Difference, my daily life seemed to be represented in Jo Ann’s words. And this next truth called me. Loudly.

In order to be brave I must find out what is causing me to not be brave.

What am I most afraid of? Jo Ann’s words lovingly challenged me.

Oh boy, I have so many things I’m afraid of, but what keeps me up at night is finances. I have this need (as most women do) to feel secure. I want to know our bills are being paid and that we have enough money for groceries.

I’ve walked through financial devastation and it’s not fun. For many years I’ve lived an ongoing crisis, and all the numbers can overwhelm me still. I can grant these thoughts of debt a permission that consumes me and I can worry myself into a meltdown you can’t imagine.

Or maybe you can?

Maybe you live with that fear too.

What do we do with this overwhelming hurdle that seems too big to face—mine of debt, and yours whatever worries you into overwhelm.

We seek God.  We remember his faithfulness. We speak the Truth.

In the book, Jo Ann lays this path out  beautifully, yet another tool pointing me to where my thoughts should be—on Christ.

 “A focus on Jesus overwhelms the worst of enemies.”
Jo Ann Fore

It’s not easy. Taking every negative thought captive takes practice. Giving those thoughts to Jesus takes initiative. But the more we do it, the more we condition ourselves to do it in challenging times.

What is one brave step you can take today to overcome your overwhelm?

_______________________________________________________

Together a group of us have been walking through the book, When A Woman Finds Her Voice: Overcoming Life’s Hurts & Using Your Story to Make a Difference. We join hands and hearts here to paint a wide hope. {We’d like to think it’s wide enough to tempt you to your own healing journey.} We invite you to join us.

This week’s link up is about how to be brave by allowing God to use our weaknesses to refine us. What is one brave step you can take today to overcome your overwhelm? How can you be brave in order to help others face their fears? Has there been someone in your life that has inspired bravery? What did you learn from them? 

Consider joining us? Link up your blog with us by listing it below {Please be sure that JoAnnFore.com is somewhere in your post to link up}? If you aren’t a blogger, be sure to leave a comment and join the conversation. We want to know how God is stirring in your heart. And be sure to stop in on some of the other bloggers, you never know the heart-connection that might be waiting.



11 thoughts on “When Weakness Prepares You to Be Brave

  1. My Bible Study group of couples chose to use Mark Batterson’s DVD series this semester of Circle Maker. I have written and circled 4 areas that I need to be brave enough to take action, and can only do these in His strength, my weakness, yet my passion He gave me. One is to get closed, or moved, a store that has big signs for (only) “adult novelties and DVDs.” There are 2 day care enters, each within the same one-tenth of a mile from this store. It takes courage to tackle this mission, and I feel alone. I’ve asked for help. The only advice I’ve received is “Do NOT go into the store.” I have a voice. I desire to use it wisely and in ways honoring to the Lord-not as my flesh would lead me. JoAnn’s book is fueling courage. Thank you. I don’t know how to use the LInky, and I’m seeking instruction on blogging better (since I have not been doing it at all for too long:). My site is http://www.womenofvalue.org. Blessings to you who seek to find and use your voice to tell your story. Or maybe, for now, activate it with a small, courageous step to help others.

  2. Love this Sarah. Telling our story, sharing our deepest secrets, revealing the depths of our hearts. In writing. On paper. For all to read. Walking through Jo Ann’s book has been that…a step towards bravery to share with the world one word at a time.

  3. How I can relate!! Seems lately I want to worry because I am not working. I can’t seem to tell if I am unemployed because God has me in a waiting period, or if my not working is a sin against God as I am a financial burden on my family. It seems as soon as I settle my mind and make a determination…that I begin to question it again and again.

    • That is tough Deanna and I sure don’t have the answer. But keep getting in His word and praying. Changes are happening for my family and we just have to take baby steps to make them possible!

  4. Just started reading JoAnn’s book again. Ironic that you write about our fears in the context of a battle. Just returned from a retreat and found the biggest battle and greatest fear were the closeness (or lack of) in the group. The battle to know and be known, to connect, and to find comfort in finding your voice was the catalyst for me to pick up the book again. Much of the retreat encouraged us “to link shields” in battle and to be “stretcher bearers” to the wounded.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *