True Confession
By
Lisa Boyer
“We
have spoken freely with you…and opened our hearts wide to you.”
2
Corinthians 6:11 (NIV)
Two years ago, I had a
moment where I realized I had been struggling as a writer. The last piece I had
finished was started a long time ago, but other than that, I’d had nothing the previous
five months. I saw things I wanted to share, but I wasn’t able to sit down and
write about them - - as though it all disappeared before I had the chance. As a
devotional writer, I didn’t know if it was writer’s block or God not having anything
to say through me at that time, or the enemy purposely getting in the way of my
writing.
As I look back on that
time, I think the real issue was I had been afraid, which is ironic, because
the topic I had wanted to write about before the writer’s block set in was
“fear not.” “Fear not” is found over and over again in the Bible, both in the
Old and New Testaments. Yet, I was afraid. I was afraid to share what was on my
heart - - what God’s had been teaching and showing me. It’s not that a reader
has ever given me a reason to be afraid; I just had been afraid.
As I look back, it
wasn’t that I found a way out of all fear or around it. Instead, I had to
choose to write in the middle of it. I had to choose to set the fear aside as
best as I could and trust God to do the rest. I’m not sure how God plans to use
my past confession in the lives of you, the readers, today…but He knows. Or
maybe getting back to writing then was a necessary “getting back on the horse”
to get over my fear (which may also remind you that those in ministry need your
prayers).
But perhaps it’s not
just me and what I learned. Perhaps I’m not the only one who has been afraid to
do what God has put on their heart to do. Perhaps you understand what I went
through because you are suffering or have suffered from your own kind of
“writer’s block.” Perhaps you too are or were afraid. Even today, I don’t have
a lot of answers, but one thing I know: We, the children of God, are to “fear
not.” Sometimes, fear is just an opportunity to step out in faith!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you struggling
with your own “writer’s block” that prevents you from using the gifts God has
given you to bring glory to Him? After spending time in prayer, will you step
out in faith and “fear not”?
2. As you read this,
did God bring to your mind someone who is struggling? Will you take the time to
pray for them?
FURTHER READING:
Lisa
is married to Ted and they have two teenage sons. Lisa administers Fresh
Start’s Facebook and blog, and loves hanging out with and impacting teenage
girls for Christ.
