Greet December Doubt with Warming Faith

December seems to be filled with not only brutally cold temperatures, but brutally cold self-doubt. I know, because even though a blanket keeps me warm on chilly days, sometimes, nothing warms my confidence.

Let me be the first to set fire to that slow burning coal that you are too fearful to set ablaze.

God qualified you. You are here for a reason. If you are being called to deliver a message, do it and don’t doubt yourself.

It takes a big leap of faith to share your gift with the world. Certainty is not our friend in this moment. Faith and doubt will go hand in hand on your journey. Welcome both as dear friends.

Doubt tries to pull me back from my path while faith leads me forward into the unknown.

Doubt wants to prepare us for the unexpected, but we shouldn’t listen to her too much. She speaks for good cause; she doesn’t want you to get too excited and create too many expectations. She doesn’t want you to get hurt. She acts as bubble wrap. But faith, she believes in you no matter what. And faith is the strongest shield.

Whereas doubt is the multitude of voices in your head,telling you all the reasons you shouldn’t jump and act; faith is the one quiet but steady voice that says, “Yes, you can.” There is not …”but” that proceeds that one simple affirmation.

Just like some fair-weather friends in our own life, doubt steps in when our faith seems the strongest, when our bond with our faith appears to exclude doubt. She is jealous. Doubt is of the ego. The ego doesn’t like change, risk, or failure. Faith welcomes failure, welcomes change, and loves a new adventure.

Doubt is sneaky. She will even recite Bible verses to you to convince you that sharing your message is too zealous or too bold for the company of God. Doubt will try to convince you that humility is not bold or noisy in any way. But faith knows that there is confidence in humility. (Also, I wrote about what “confident humility” looks like.)

But speaking of Bible verses; we were told we would do great things, greater things than Jesus:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)

We must believe that.

Listen to the calling of faith. Let your message be shared and remember, your existence validates you. God created you for a purpose and bestowed a gift upon you to share with the world.  You have already been qualified.