Sunday August 31, 2014 / ABOUND Women’s Ministry, Titus 2 testimony

About 6 months ago, I began a journey through Titus2 with the ABOUND women’s ministry. And it was awesome.

I was asked to share my testimony about what God showed me through the study… and the affect it has had on my life. Let me just say that the workbook, the format, the teaching, the small groups; the whole environment was laid out in such a way that it really facilitated healing and growth. It was safe. And for where God was going to take me, that was an essential element. As someone who spent the majority of life paralyzed by fears and insecurities, I’ve found trusting God to be an ongoing challenge. Everything and anything that left me vulnerable and feeling like I wasn’t in control, even if that control was an illusion, was frightening because it opened me up to getting hurt; I had perfected my modes of self-preservation. Love my enemy? Bless those who persecute me? Forgive an infinite number of times? That can be some scary stuff right there! But, as we know, Kingdom principles are upside-down, and inside-out compared to this worlds, and, from everything I’ve ever known and functioned in.

Through the daily lessons provided and practical application of scripture, God used this study in a mighty way to expose the fears and lies I had come to believe. And in that process, He was liberating me from the chains of bondage… from chains that had become so familiar to me that I wasn’t even aware of them. It was like a holy boot camp! He was teaching me, training me, and testing me to respond in obedience… and to trust Him. And guess what, He proved faithful each and every step of the way.

If I say I’m going to live for Jesus, making my life a living sacrifice, for HIS glory, not my own, I have to have HIS reputation at stake, not my own. I have to be fearless in loving the unlovable, fearless in speaking the truth in love, fearless in forgiving, and fearless in clinging to and in professing the hope I have in my Savior Jesus Christ. And the thing about that, is that God is not asking me to be fearLESS, but faithFULL. To overcome my fear with faith. To trust. And obey. And leave the results to Him.

So, ladies, I encourage you to take that step of faith and journey through Titus 2, anticipating God will meet you right where you are. And a huge thank you to the ABOUND women’s ministry for your servant hearts, your leadership, and your examples of Titus 2 living. You without a doubt helped to revolutionize my walk with the Lord.