Encourage, Equip, Empower

Each month our very own amazing writers from South Texas publish a series of blog posts written with you in mind. Our desire is to encourage, equip, and empower you through stories, experiences, and insights from our writers and from God’s Word.

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  • Are You Serving?

    by April-Michelle Burkhalter Originally Published in Our Heart His Mission, Volume 2 (2024) The Compassion of Christ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and disease among the people.  But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with…

  • In South Texas, As It Is In Heaven

    I love this year’s national women’s ministries department theme, As it is in Heaven.  I think every Christ follower I know longs for Heaven for many reasons, chief among them, to see and worship our King. Along with seeing Jesus face to face, we will also be free from this world and all that it…

  • Worship As They Do In Heaven

    “May your Kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 This year the national women’s ministries department has chosen these words as our theme for 2026: As It Is In Heaven. Looking around our world today, it is difficult to imagine this being anything like what we have…

  • Fashioned for Motherhood: Brief But Pivotal

    “And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.” (Exodus 11:23 NIV)

    Every expectant mother has legitimate concerns about the condition of the world they are bringing their baby into. This was most certainly the case with Jochebed, the mother of Moses. A mother’s appropriate response to the weightiness of the world juxtaposed to the smallness of our infant remains unchanged: we press ahead in prayer and devotion.

    We concluded last week: Jochebed bravely carried her baby to term. When Moses finally made his way into her arms, she secretly nurtured him for three months. Hebrews 11:13 tells us her faith in God was far greater than her fear of Pharaoh. Can you imagine trying to hide a newborn? Let alone putting him in a basket on the river when he had outgrown his concealment?

    I have only had two babies myself. Not for a lack of attempts: my body simply did not cooperate with gestation. We conceived our son after a full year of effort, riding the waves of hormones and hopes dashed month after month. His was a difficult birth and I remember being grateful to have survived the trauma via modern medicine.

    After our harrowing introduction, I treasured every moment with my son. I suspect Jochebed felt similarly about her Moses. Scripture assures us, she found him to be special from the very start.

    My second child was equally treasured. We had crawled through two miscarriages in between. My high-risk obstetrician had already warned me: I may have already had my miracle baby, but she’d do her best to see me through a second live birth. 

    That last pregnancy was my longest. mostly because I wouldn’t let myself hope until the very end, until I was sure that my arms would cradle the child inside. Could Jochebed relate to these feelings of maternal insecurity? Did she press on each day of her pregnancy in spite of her fears about the future?

    When my daughter was finally with us, I could’t stop gazing at her in wonder. I could hardly believe she existed! Her birth was easy, my recovery uncomplicated. Suddenly I had this prodigious little person who had defeated all odds. I wound up marveling at motherhood with my last child as deeply as I had my first. I remained profoundly aware of the compounding miracles that made up my little girl. I’m just sure Jochebed reveled in every moment with her tiny Moses, too.

    Friend, all of motherhood is brief. The quote, “The days are long but the years are short.” smarts with accuracy. In my experience, parenting begins as a blizzard of activity followed by deafening stillness. My twenty years raising children recently slid into the rearview mirror and I’m still adjusting to the quiet. It went fast. Jochebed’s days with her son must have moved by at lightspeed. She believed she only had months with her Moses. I’m quite certain she made them count.

    However brief our mothering opportunity may be, it’s important that we make the most of it. I imagine Jochebed invested those first three months with Moses to her chest in prayer and devotion. She nurtured her son and along with it, her hope for his future. We all have dreams for our children. Did her circumstances discourage her from dreaming or press her all the more into prayer?

    A mother’s love is a essential investment in a child’s personhood. Psychologists are still coming to terms with the significance of a maternal figure. My father lost his mother to the polio epidemic when he was only four. His mother left a birthday party in an ambulance and lived out her last hours in an iron lung. For the remainder of his days, my dad nursed his wound of being motherless. When my own son was four months old, I was overtaken with the enormitude of my affection for him. I called my dad in tears to ensure him: “Your mother adored you. She poured her whole heart in for all four years she had with you. You are loved!”

    Jochebed must have attempted to cram lifetime of loving into her few short months with her son. They were brief but pivotal hours and days. Our opportunity to mother is much the same. The sand still slips through the hourglass at a reckless rate. We hope for eighteen years or more, but we never know what life might hold.

    We spend our limited time wisely when we invest ourselves in devotion and prayer. Somehow, in Kingdom economics, prayer empowers purer devotion, and purer devotion inspires still more prayer.

    We cannot afford to forget: our mothering moments matter – no matter how brief they may be.  Sleepy petitions over our baby’s downy head ultimately make a difference in their destiny. Jesus told us clearly: God honors the prayers of persistent women.


    “And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?” (Luke 18:7 NIV)

    Devotion and prayer are the most powerful investment we can make in our children. The Lord alone knows who they might become, but He graciously invites us into His process for a finite season. We harness our opportunity when we spend the bulk of our mothering efforts on devotion and prayer. 

    Lord, we thank You for the miracle of motherhood. Today we marvel over the mysteries that happen in the secret place and Your invitation to participate through parenthood. May we mother well. May our moments with our babies bring out the best in us. May we invest our energies in devotion and prayer. We want to steward these days and hours well, even if they are brief. We do our part and we look to You as we entrust them to the waters beyond our care. Amen.

  • Fashioned for Motherhood: Expectation

    “Be fruitful and increase in number…” (Genesis 1:27 NIV)

    From the foundations of the earth, long before the Fall, God made His intentions for multiplication quite clear. Ladies, we were fashioned for motherhood. Our whole frame is built around our womb. Along with this dedicated equipment comes joy and pain, expectation and disappointment, life and death. In the coming weeks, we are going to discover how we were designed with motherhood in mind. God had a good plan when He called us to conceive, carry and cultivate children. Even if we haven’t opportunity to carry our own, we’ve been created with intention to nurture. When we learn to mother well, we grow up in the process.

    It’s been more than two decades since I saw those two pink lines, but I still remember running into our bedroom with the EPT in hand. My poor husband was half asleep in his response, I’m not sure it even registered. (We’d only been married a few years; now I know that he is not a fan of surprises, even good ones!) Unfazed, I was elated enough for the both of us, but in the very next moment, I sunk to the floor in realization: “What did we do!?!” Suddenly we were bringing a whole other person into the world and we could barely take care of ourselves!

    Whether we’ve hoped and prayed and tried for a pregnancy or been caught off guard and surprised –– we all approach motherhood with some measure of expectation. We have ideas about how and when motherhood might happen, what kind of mother we’d be, what sort of child we’d raise. We typically don’t get too far into personal experience before we realize the reality is quite different than our expectation.

    In the years since my first positive pregnancy test, I’ve studied many inspiring mothers in scripture. Jochebed (the mother of Moses) has stood out to me most recently. Her faith expressed in action over decades is nothing short of astounding. I’d like to spend some time together unpacking her story and making application to our own.

    As the book of Exodus opens, the Jews were still in Egypt four hundred years after Joseph had died. Pharaoh had long forgotten the dreamer and his salvation of the nation. The Egyptians began to see the Hebrews as an imposition instead of a blessing. Egypt found the their fruitfulness intimidating and enslaved them in an effort to squelch their spirits. 

    Historically, man cannot curse what God has blessed. The Hebrew population, though exploited, continued to explode under Pharaoh’s oppression. Jews weren’t fashioned for slavery, they were fashioned to flourish. And so they did, despite their deteriorating conditions. Pharaoh made their lives bitter, and when the bitterness did not diminish them, he set out to destroy their hopes further. He demanded the death of every newborn Jewish boy. He ordered the midwives to murder the boys at birth, but the midwives feared God far more than Pharaoh.

    Jochebed wasn’t a first-time momma when Moses made his way into her womb, but a seasoned parent. She had already given birth to Aaron and Miriam when she discovered she was pregnant again. Childbirth has always been risky business; until the last hundred years or so many women and children died in the process. Jochebed’s third pregnancy wasn’t a happy occasion, but a fearful thing with terrible timing. To carry a pregnancy to term under Pharoah’s reign was to embrace a fifty-fifty chance of heartache after the birthing pains had ceased.

    Moses was most likely loved and wanted, but going through with the pregnancy included a high cost for his mother. This is still true today: to carry a child from conception to birth and beyond is to open your heart up to tremendous risk.

    Four millennia before the sonogram, Jochebed had no way of knowing whether she was having a boy or a girl. Birthing a Jewish boy into Goshen meant murder on arrival. Was Jochebed tempted to end her pregnancy? Did she consider other alternatives? Abortion is an ancient option: there were tools and herbs and accomplices to accomplish the task documented as far back as 1550 BC. Jochebed didn’t bow to her fears or cave into temptation. She persevered through what could only be described as a high-risk pregnancy.

    The further I walk with Jochebed, the more I’m convinced, she was a brave lady full of faith. She carried on amidst the crush of hormones and the fury of Pharaoh. She chose to see her pregnancy to term. When her worst fears were realized and a baby boy was born, she hid him as long as she could. And then she built a basket and put him in a river –– but that’s next week’s discussion. 🙂

    We all know who Moses grew up to be. Where would we be without without his mother’s courage? What stories would be stricken from scripture without her commitment to hope and life? How many slaves did her son set free because she refused to let fear write her story? 

    The risks of motherhood will always exist. The temptation to avoid it remains. The means to extinguish have only improved. We must maintain divine perspective: however motherhood happens, we have been fashioned for it. God intentionally designed us for this awesome and terrifying responsibility. What’s more, He accompanies us on every step of the journey.

    Some pregnancy circumstances are more favorable than others, but when given the opportunity, God does marvelous things through these tiny humans He knits together in our secret places. As women, we have been entrusted with the holy, high calling of carrying children into the world. It’s costly, but critical to the redemption of humanity.

    “I am the Lord’s servant… May Your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38 NIV)

    Lord, today we recognize that we have been fashioned for motherhood. We also realize the risks therein. Give us courage as we embrace Your good plan for humanity, especially as it unfolds in our frames. May we approach motherhood full of faith in Your ability to redeem all things. Amen.

  • Living The Adventure

    Fashioned by God: Living The Adventure

    “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

    This has been an incredible month. We started our Fashioned by God theme by talking about how we can consistently be Living in Expectation. Then two weeks ago we discussed how to be a person Living without Fear. Then last week we looked at the way children wholeheartedly trust their parents as we read about how we can act like a child of the King who is Living by Faith. Now we’re going to take the next step.

    A couple of weeks ago we talked about the fact that we tend to become fearful because of something that has not happened. In other words, we fear the unknown. Then we took it a step further and acknowledged that fully trusting God means that we must relinquish our control over the future. Again, the unknown. And by definition, every single future moment you have not yet lived, is the unknown. You are going to encounter unknown events throughout your entire life, no matter what you do. You can plan and scheme and try to control the future. You can set things in place that make you feel secure. By the way, did you notice the word ‘feel’ in the last sentence? A feeling is not guaranteed from one moment to the next. Feelings can change in an instant. On a whim. You can cry and pray and beg God to do what you want, which by definition is ultimately asserting your will. But in the end, you can’t control the events of your life, let alone the world, any more than you can make the sun come up in the morning, or stop shining, if you so wish. So you’re going to be walking into the unknown in each and every breath that you are given. You must decide whether you will embrace fear, or faith, along the way.

    There is just as much of the unknown inherent in fear as there is in faith. How can you begin to recognize and arrest the paralyzing grip of fear, and embrace the miraculous possibilities that are inherent in faith?

    When Mary the mother of Jesus was still very young, she was given a choice. She chose God’s way, even though it meant almost certain ridicule and judgment. She was young, but she was smart enough to know that she could lose her future husband. She was probably certain that she would be misunderstood by everyone around her, including her own family and community. But she said, “Yes!” She decided to do things God’s way instead of her own way. She chose the adventure. Listen to what she says when the angel appears to tell her about what God has planned for her future.

    She chose God’s way, even though it meant almost certain ridicule and judgment. She was young, but she was smart enough to know that she could lose her future husband. She was probably certain that she would be misunderstood by everyone around her, including her own family and community. But she said, “Yes!” She decided to do things God’s way instead of her own way. She chose the adventure.

    April Jones

    “Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’”  (Luke 1:38a NLT)

    Mary embraced the adventure wholeheartedly. She was all in.

    Remember, you are going to be on an adventure whether you like it or not. Every single moment is literally chock full of the unknown. Your life is truly and completely out of your control. Each second you are alive here on this earth is an unknown adventure.

    And don’t forget that you are only given so many earth minutes to spend. Although you have more than one life, you only have one life here on earth, in this body of flesh. How will you spend the rest of your earth moments? You have a choice. I have a choice. We all have a choice. Everyone has a choice. Heaven is waiting for your decision in each and every moment.

    “19 Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT)

    Begin to retrain your fleshly mindset, in order to see things through the anticipating eyes of faith, rather than the crippling lens of fear. Ask yourself regularly whose will you are chasing. Yours or God’s? Who’s calling the shots?

    “You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!” (Psalm 139:16 TLB)

    Never forget that you are given a choice in each and every moment of life. Don’t shy away from the detailed plan that God lovingly wrote out for you before you took your first breath. Embrace the adventure and jump in with your whole heart.  Live a life filled to the brim with God-purpose.

    Heavenly Father, thank You that You have planned out an amazing adventure with my name on it. You thoughtfully, intentionally and lovingly recorded a purpose-filled life just for me! I want to embrace that adventure with my whole heart. I refuse to shrink back in fear and therefore miss out on all that You have planned for me. I am eternally grateful that You want to use me in miraculous ways. I am nothing on my own. Everything I am and everything that I have ever done, or will ever do, is because of You. You are the most amazing master planner. Thank You that You saw fit to include me in Your divine plan. I realize I don’t deserve it, but I will forever be thankful. In the mighty name of Your son, Jesus. Amen.

  • Living By Faith

    Fashioned by God: Living By Faith

    “16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” (1 John 4:16-18 NLT)

    Last week we talked about fear. We agreed that overcoming fear is possible. So now let’s talk about how to walk that out in everyday life. In Romans 12, Paul tells us that every believer has been given a measure of faith, and as we will read in a little bit, Jesus tells us that even if we have a tiny bit of faith, we can move mountains. But first, let’s look at Matthew chapter 8.

    “24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ 26 Jesus responded, ‘Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!’ Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:24-26 NLT)

    Jesus basically tells His disciples that their faith was too small, and implies that fear and faith are opposites. Now read what Jesus says a few chapters later.

    “‘You don’t have enough faith,’ Jesus told them. ‘I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.’” (Matthew 17:20 NLT)

    Twice Jesus tells the disciples that they do not have enough faith. Why would Jesus say that we only need a little faith, but then tell the disciples that they had too little faith? I submit to you that the secret to mountain-moving faith lies in the basic concept of love, not in an amount or a quantity.

    Why would Jesus say that we only need a little faith, but then tell the disciples that they had too little faith? I submit to you that the secret to mountain-moving faith lies not in an amount or a quantity, but rather in a basic concept.

    April Jones

    Let’s look at Matthew 8 a little closer. Jesus implies that the only way to combat fear is through faith. The bible is also clear that faith is imperative for a believer. You probably already know that it is impossible to be a God-pleaser without it.

    “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)

    But what is faith? The bible doesn’t hold back on the answer to that question either. It’s an inner visual of our hope, the proof of those things we desire, even though we cannot yet see them with our natural eyes.

    “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)

    Remember last week when we talked about how fear is the dreaded feeling that comes with the fact that we are walking into the unknown; that it’s a human emotion that you feel about something that has not happened? So here is where it gets interesting. The very definition of faith implies that we trust and believe in something that we can’t see. Therefore, both fear and faith are based on the unknown. So you just need to choose which unknown you are going to put your faith and trust in. Which unknown you will bank your life on, your reputation on, your relationships on: especially your relationship with the One who created you.

    You see, childlike faith demands that you trust the love of your heavenly Father to the point that you will jump into his arms with joy and unbridled, reckless abandon, even if you can’t swim. Have you ever seen a toddler giggle and rejoice with delight when her Daddy opens his arms as he stands in the swimming pool and tells her to jump? She will close her eyes with delight, laugh and jump into his arms. Why? Because she is 100% convinced that her Daddy will catch her, even if she has never jumped into a body of water before. And why is that? Would she jump into the open arms of a stranger standing in a pool? No, most likely not. She jumps into her Father’s arms because she knows he loves her. Her confidence in his love is immovable. She knows that he is going to catch her because she knows him. And why do you think she closes her eyes? She trusts her Daddy to the point that she does not need to see what’s going on with the water, how he catches her or even what other people are doing around her. She closes her eyes to focus on the delight that she is receiving in being in the presence with the one she loves.

    Have you ever seen a toddler giggle and rejoice with delight when her Daddy opens his arms as he stands in the swimming pool and tells her to jump? She will close her eyes with delight, laugh and jump into his arms. Why? Because she is 100% convinced that her Daddy will catch her.

    April Jones

    You have got to know the character of the Father. You must be so convinced of His relentless love for you that you are unshakable and immovable, even in the face of giant waves and pelting water. When you delight more in being in His presence than seeing what’s going on around you, you can begin to once again possess the childlike faith that all believers want to demonstrate, but most of the time fall grossly short.

    Our key verse tells us that fear cannot coexist with perfect love. It is impossible. It has never happened, and it never will. Our passage continues to remind us that if fear is present, it is for only one reason: it is because we have not yet fully recognized, understood or accepted God’s love, that is of course, perfect. 100% perfect. Not almost perfect. Not perfect in most situations. But just perfect. Period.

    Fear is a feeling; faith is a belief. It’s the confidence that God will turn every situation around for your good because He loves you (see Romans 5:8). Because He knew you before you were born (see Jeremiah 1:5). Because He chose you before the foundation of the world (see Ephesians 1:4). Because He has an amazing plan for you that He wrote down in a book even before He created your physical body (see Psalm 139:16). Because He has given you a God-ordained purpose that is more valuable than your day-to-day schedule or daily agenda (see Psalm 57:2; 138:8).

    Remember what Paul says in Romans?

    “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28, NLT)

    All things. Everything. Even stormy weather and splashing water that gets everything around it soaking wet. Even that difficult situation that you are currently facing. Take your eyes off of the waves and jump into the arms of the Father, who is waiting for you to join Him with reckless abandon. Choose to abide with Him. Resolve to live in His presence.

    Pray with me.

    Daddy, thank you that you have never left me and You never will. I am confident in Your never ending love for me and Your lovingkindness. Thank You that You love me, know me, chose me and gave me a plan and a purpose. I want to trust you with reckless abandon. I choose to go all in and jump into Your presence and live there. I resolve to take my eyes off the water and focus on You. Remind me to look to You again when I fail You and fall short of Your glory. In the miraculous name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

  • Living Without Fear

    Fashioned by God: Living Without Fear

    “22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, ‘That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? 27 Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 29 And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. 32 So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.’” (Luke 12:22-34 NLT)

    Life can get real—and get real, quick—when we see a debilitating pattern in our children. It is heartbreaking to witness, and we long to do something, anything, to break the cycle. I’ll never forget the sound of horrifying fear in my 6 year-old’s voice and the look of sheer terror in his eyes when he first realized that he was going to be locked in place while experiencing a long-awaited amusement park ride. Up until that point, it never occurred to him that he was unable to leave the seat for that short two minutes. It never occurred to him, that is, until the announcer said, “Sit back and relax while we lock you into your seat for safety, and please, enjoy the ride!” I am sure his screams could be heard by the strangers walking by on the park grounds outside, because no one even heard the audio track that was part of the fun of that particular indoor ride. The fear that had so gripped his little heart and mind, because of the announcer’s promise to lock him in, caused his tiny little 6 year-old voice to present higher on the decibel level meter than the auditorium’s special effects soundstripe that is supposed to induce shock and awe to all its listeners. But there was nothing to be done for the next two minutes. The ride’s launch sequence had already begun, so we were all forced to hear his panicked screaming for the duration of the ride. And truth be told, even when the constant outcries ended, the fear in his little heart continued. He dealt with other fears as well: fear of loud noises (smoke alarms and classroom fire drills would send him fleeing into the street at a moment’s notice), fear of open flames (he refused to be in a room with a birthday cake, even his own, if it had lit candles on top) and more.

    I’ll never forget the sound of horrifying fear in my 6 year-old’s voice and the look of sheer terror in his eyes when he first realized that he was going to be locked in place…

    April Jones

    Fear can seem powerful. It is a force to be reckoned with. In our humanity, fear may not seem to be easy to overcome, but it is possible. You may need to say that last phrase to yourself a few times, and then again in a few hours, and then again tomorrow and next week and (well, you get the picture). It is possible. To become confident in this fact, you may need a bottom line truth to hold on to. Knowing and declaring that your God is bigger than the most demonic fear that has ever walked the planet is a good place to start.

    You have to make a choice to leave fear behind. It is part of your past, and you must make a choice to leave it there. You can learn from the past, you can share your past glory story that has been redeemed, but you no longer need to dwell in the past. Don’t live there. Reflect on this question for a moment: How do you know that you are no longer a slave to your past? What would that look like, sound like, feel like, act like, be like, etc.?

    God’s Word says, “So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6 NLT) I love the fact that this scripture in the New Testament, is a quote from the Old Testament scripture found in Psalm 118:6. It was relevant 6,000 years ago, it was relevant 2,000 years ago and it is relevant today. Notice the word confidence. You can confidently declare your decision to say no to fear, because of the complete work of the cross.

    Before we continue, let’s answer one important question: What is fear anyway? In my experience, it is the dreaded feeling that comes with the fact that we are walking into the unknown. But here’s the caveat: the thing about the unknown, is that it has not yet happened. So basically, fear is a human emotion that you feel about something that has not happened. That’s why it’s such a diabolical tactic of the enemy. Through fear, he is able to coerce humans into submission to his will, through feelings about something that has not taken place, and honestly, may never happen in your lifetime. So based on that description of fear, think about this next question for a minute. How does it make you feel to know that fear is simply a feeling regarding a nonexistent happening, or as I like to describe it: an un-happening (yes, I know that’s not a word, but I’m hoping you’ll give a girl a little grace here because it makes my point way better than unlikely happening)? What does that do to your understanding of faith?

    To combat fear, you are going to have to fight. You have already established the understanding that you can’t just sit down in the midst of your pain of the past, decide to live there and subsequently fear the future. You have got to get up and take steps forward in faith, no matter how small they may seem to you or others. Taking steps forward is advancing in the right direction. It is walking out the journey toward your divine destination. So get up and start fighting. How is that possible? Let’s revisit our key verse where Jesus is telling the disciples how to literally transform their mind so that they will be effective in combating worry and fear. What better battle plan to draw up, than the very words of Jesus Christ?

    1. Don’t worry about daily life issues (food, possessions) because there’s more to life than eating, and you are certainly more than your outfit or your car.
    2. Have you noticed how many birds thrive because God feeds them every day? You are abundantly more valuable to Him than all the birds on the planet.
    3. Can you add an extra second to your life by worrying? (Rhetorical question that is always answered by a resounding, “No!”) So if all the worrying you could do in your entire life is not able to do something as small as just add one tiny second to your life, of what use would it be to worry about big things?
    4. If the feeding of the birds isn’t enough, look at the millions of flowers that are alive on earth each and every day. They don’t have clothes or get dressed, but they are flat-out gorgeous!
    5. So if God so beautifully adorns the flowers every day, that may or may not last until tomorrow, He is most definitely going to take care of you. Why is your faith so small?
    6. And don’t worry about your next meal, because that’s what unbelievers do. They don’t know much about the character of God, but we as believers know that our loving Father already knows what we need, even before we do.
    7. Search for the Kingdom of God more than anything else, and He will take care of every single need that you have.
    8. So you should not give in to fear because your Father loves to give you the Kingdom.
    9. Give everything you can to those who have needs and this will ensure that you will accrue treasures in heaven. And heaven’s pocketbook never expires or contains leaky crevices. Your piled up treasures are safe because there is absolutely no stealing or destruction there.
    10. Remember that where you find your treasure, that’s where you will also find your heart’s desire.

    Wow. Just wow. The words of Jesus put everything into perspective, don’t they?

    • Refuse to worry
    • Rest in the love and character of your loving, heavenly Father
    • Give to those in need around you
    • Confidently expect an abundant reward on that glorious day when you finally arrive in heaven

    My son has learned to overcome his childhood fears. He loves any and all amusement park rides, and has no qualms with seatbelts whatsoever. He is a drummer, so not only is he not rattled by loud noises, he intentionally creates raucous sounds on his own. And he is not only able to be present in a room with an open flame, he lights candles and firewood with his own two hands. He has definitely overcome past fear. But it is an ongoing process. He still deals with relationship anxiety from time to time. He sometimes second-guesses his choices and feels insecure about making adult decisions. But he keeps fighting. He keeps telling himself the truth. He keeps going back to the fact that he was created by a kind Father who loves him and wants the best for him. He is confident that God loves to give him good gifts, and is excited to bless him with the rewards of the Kingdom.

    Take a minute to pray with me for wisdom right now in this moment.

    Thank you, heavenly Father, that You have given me the tools to combat fear and worry, right inside Your Word. As I meditate on these truths, continue to transform my mind and soften my heart. Give me senses that see, hear, smell, taste and feel this life the way You do. Teach me to always seek Your Kingdom above all else. Remind me to reach out in love to others as I meet the needs around me that I am able. Use me for Your glory, as I choose to rest in the fact that You are taking care of my daily needs. In the loving name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

About STX Women

We are the Women’s Ministries branch of the South Texas Assemblies of God.

Women across South Texas desire a community where we celebrate each other and share each other’s burdens.

Together, we walk out our God-given purpose in our family, church, and community!

Our passion and love for Christ unite us to reach the lost at home and across the world. 

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