Philippians 4-13 Continued

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

continued…

There are many reasons why it is difficult to determine our individual calling, but I believe the greatest reason is because we are hanging onto something we need to let go of.

Maybe it’s fear, or a lack of self-confidence:

1 Thessalonians 5:21 – But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;

Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. ¹⁹“Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

Let’s look at two of Satan’s mightiest weapons – Fear and a lack of Self-Confidence.

Fear

Fear can overwhelm us with a thick shadow of darkness, controlling our every move and decision. We are paralyzed, unable or unwilling to face our fears and move toward our unique calling.

We let Satan’s lies take control of us. Instead of letting God’s truth reign in us.

The acronym for fear is:

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

Reality tells us that so much of what we spend our time worrying about never even happens. Living under the weight of the “what if’s” is a hard place to dwell.

How do we overcome Fear?

Prayer and God’s Word.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Psalm 119:25 – My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!

God’s words are life! They soothe our soul, calm our spirits, give us power to face and conquer our fears. Fear is not easy to overcome. We still must:

Choose not to allow fear to take control of our thoughts.
Choose to guard our heart – Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Choose to focus our mind on what is truth in the midst of uncertain times.

We might still feel afraid, but we can believe that God is with us. We may not be in control, but we can trust the One who is. We may not know the future, but we can know the God who does.

Lack of Self-Confidence

Lack of self-confidence = lack of faith.

Philippians 4:13 tells us we can do all things through Christ, yet we don’t really believe it. We may believe it for others, but not for ourselves.

Hebrews 10:35-36 – Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Finding God’s unique calling for our lives and overcoming the things that hinder us from stepping into that calling come down to really just one thing.

Surrender!

James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

God has a calling for each one of us, but we have to believe we are worthy.

Proverbs 23:7 – For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

We have to remember our confidence does not come from ourselves; it comes from God!

Proverbs 3:26 – for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

God’s call on our lives is not of mediocrity, it is of greatness. He has called us to be “Superheroes” in our lives and our calling.

To summarize, here is God’s Plan of 5 Steps for us to assume our calling and become a Superhero!