I hope you have been having fun and choosing courage since my last post?
You may remember I have written before in other posts about the importance of having a ‘courage buddy’ on this exciting God adventure you are on. If not let me just remind you what a ‘courage buddy’ is…
A ‘courage buddy’ is someone who can encourage you when you are trying to step out and do something outside your comfort zone. This buddy is there to cheer you on (probably silent cheers though or it might be a bit weird for people nearby) and give you encouragement to go for it.
I am a massive fan of encouragement, as you’ll know if you have read any of my other posts, because it literally gives people courage, support, confidence and hope. A courage buddy can spur you on to try things you would never do on your own and is there to support you if things don’t go as well as you hoped. They will encourage you to try again regardless, because you’re awesome!
When we are stepping out of our comfort zone we are taking a risk. As we all know sometimes risks pay off and sometimes they don’t, that’s why they are called risks!
Now, this is the good bit because, if we are confident in our identity as daughters of the King, then risks don’t scare us, in fact we laugh in the face of risks (insert manic laugh here). Our ‘dad’ will be proud of us for taking the risk in the first place, He is our biggest cheerleader and the outcome of taking a risk is not our responsibility anyway but His.
So we can all breathe a huge sigh of relief, the pressure is off you, yes that’s right, the pressure of the outcome is not for you to worry about – phew!
When you start living your life looking for opportunities to step out and be used and available to God in your every day, you will definitely benefit from being around people who feel this same sense of adventure as you. You can cheer each other on and push each other further than if you were doing it alone.
“As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp.” – Proverbs 27:17
Spending time with like-minded people really lifts the spirits and makes you hungrier for God and all that He is doing.
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” – 2 Timothy 1:6
This verse in 2 Timothy has been particularly important to me and one that God has spoken to me out of many times. Being around people with a similar desire certainly fans the flames and develops the hunger for more.
I get together with like-minded people and gather us together at my house where we get to pray for each other and build each other up. I also attend events like Newday or Soul Survivor to keep the flames fanned and of course just spending time in God’s presence, allowing Him the time and space to excite me about all that He wants to do and how He wants to partner with me in that…and you!
Throughout the bible it is clear that we are called to live in community and this is modelled by God himself in the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We were never meant to ‘do life’ in isolation and we are better together. We are called the ‘body of Christ’ for a reason, each having our own unique part to play, but one no more important than another, so no-one can boast.
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
Who are you gathering together with to ‘fan the flames’ and encourage? How can you gather others together? What could you do together that will impact on the community around you at school, college, university, work?
We are better together.
