photo by crossbow
There’s still a part of me who’s sometimes like a little girl in the dark. I imagine “monsters” of fear under the bed. I think I hear the creak of doubt sneaking down the hall. When that happens, God and I play a little game. It seems he whispers, “How big can you believe?” and I think of the wildest, most outrageous outcome that could ever happen.
“I believe you can get millions of copies of my books into the world,” I respond with a giggle because it sounds so silly to me. But in that moment the fears flee, the lights come on in my heart again, and the only sound I hear is his voice.
“And what do you know for sure?” comes next. I think for a moment and reply, “That no matter how things turn out, you promise growth and good fruit from my life. And that’s what matters. {John 15:5}”
As I say that, I feel that little girl lean into truth and fall asleep again, certain she’s secure.
What are you worried about today?
Ask yourself: What’s the biggest, wildest, most wonderful thing I can imagine as the outcome to this?
Then ask: And what do I know I can believe for sure because God is good–no matter what happens?
It’s okay for us to imagine big, bold things. We only need to be cautious when we begin demanding them. That’s not what we’re talking about here.
We can always say, “God, I believe you can do this. And I also believe that whatever you will do is best.”
And here’s a physical reason why this works too: Our brains are wired with a fight or flight system {the amygdala}. When fear and doubt try to get to us, that system moves into action. But we can override it by thinking in ways that flip our brains from that system to the one that God has given us for higher thinking {the neocortex}. That’s what believing bigger does. It doesn’t matter if what we imagine actually happens just as we picture. What matters is that we’re changing the direction of our thoughts.
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Phil. 4:8
Here’s the secret: there will be times when you are that little girl in the dark. But God is there with you and he’s placed your hand on the light switch of your mind. Use it in wild, scandalous ways. Make your thoughts glow. And watch the fear monsters shrink.
Because nothing can be bigger than what you and God can come up with together.
P.S. Come visit with me and Sarah Mae today at SarahMae.com.
