my chains are gone, i've been set free...

Lately I have learned how incredibly freeing it can be to bring your weaknesses to the light and embrace them as an opportunity for God to use them for His glory. I know this is a repetitive theme of the blog lately, but I have to share what happened last night at bible study. Brittany asked me to lead, and at first I thought, "well, this should be interesting... I have to come up with some profound something in a little over an hour." Then I realized what an arrogant ass I was to think that I would be the one speaking... I needed to pray about how God could speak through me. I began to pray through what God wanted us to talk about, and here's where he led. Last week I had been reading in 2 Corinthians 11 and 12, when Paul is talking about boasting about his weaknesses, because "God's power is made perfect in weakness." So long story short... as a continuation of what that passage had been doing in my heart, that's what we focused on last night.

God did an amazing thing. We literally dug up our deep-rooted issues and shared them with one another, and we prayed for each other, and it was incredible. The Holy Spirit moved in some amazing ways... and He did it in the midst of us bringing out the darkest things about ourselves... these deep corners of our souls that we needed to be freed from. Because forgiveness is only the first half of our salvation. After that comes restoration... and that's why we have to daily return to the cross and give our weaknesses to Jesus.

Last night I saw the truth of 2 Corinthians 12:9, "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me," displayed in such a sweet way, through 6 girls sitting around a table at a coffee shop. It was powerful and humbling, and I will never forget it. Thank you, Jesus, for that moment. Thank you for a group of girls to be real with. To hold each other accountable to daily return to the cross and humble ourselves, and become more and more every day the women that God has created us to be. I am daily amazed at the ways that the Spirit is moving in Jonesboro... on ASU's campus... my heart is changing, and it's been painful and freeing at the same time.

If you're reading this, I want to encourage you to "boast about your weaknesses." Bring them to the light and let God use them. Return to the cross daily. Be who God has created you to be.