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Words to Live By

Fear is powerful. It can protect you from unseen dangers, or it can paralyze you. It can give you life, or it can rob you of life. That last kind of fear—that’s the one I know all too well. 

I lived most of my life afraid of what would happen if people saw me as a failure. I hid my weaknesses, cut off relationships, and missed opportunities. All because I was afraid of failing. Can you relate? Have you ever been derailed by your emotions? Life doesn’t have to be that way. 

There’s another force that’s even more powerful than fear, and it’s words. The words you hear and choose to believe have the power to shape the course of your life. The story of your life will be told with the words you choose to believe every day. And that’s what changed for me. 

My pastor is Craig Groeschel. I took his Words to Live By challenge, and God used it to transform me. My life–and my emotions–were transformed as my thoughts changed. And my thoughts changed when the words I was telling myself changed. Every morning I would speak out loud, “I belong to God. He created me to accomplish His purpose and His plan. I will be pleased with His work in my life because He is pleased with His work in my life.”

Those words are based in Scripture, and they renewed me. I discovered that when I didn’t meet people’s expectations, I was okay because God created me to fulfill His plan, not theirs. And in those moments when fear kept me from being vulnerable, I learned that God was actively at work in my life in a way that pleased Him. Who I was as a follower of Jesus pleased the heart of God. And if God was pleased with me, then I could be honest about my life. These truths gave me peace and inspired me to grow. 

That’s the power of words. There is truth that can set you free if you know it and choose to believe it. What emotions are keeping you from living the life you want to live? What words and thoughts do they flow out of? What would happen if you found truth from God’s Word to fight those lies? I pray that you do, and that you discover the fullness of life that Jesus came to give you.

—Bryan, Mastering Fear of Failure Through the Power of Words

Pray: God, I’ve learned that my thoughts can create a scar in my mind or they can blaze a trail to You. I’ve decided to memorize Your Word so I can have it ready to fight my negative self-talk. I’ve learned I don’t have to believe every thought; I can preach Your Word to myself; I can stay consistent with You; and I can wage war against the strongholds in my mind. Most of all, God, I want to master the way I view myself and my life by speaking Your truth until I believe it. Until I live it. I want to daily be transformed by You as You renew my mind. Thank You for lovingly teaching me all these things and for helping me in this battle. 

Use this tool to find your own words to live by: www.finds.life.church/words