Since I was in middle school, I’ve had a secret desire to start my own bible study. I loved the idea of girls coming together, reading together, and sharing their lives with one another. Bible studies to me were like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants… but better.
Still, even though I’ve wanted to do something like this, I’ve been scared out of my mind to start one.
I’m not a leader anywhere. I don’t know the first thing about starting bible studies. And dude, I don’t even know enough girls in my city to have a “small group”.
I know like three people.
These have been my excuses, my reasonings for not pursuing something I know God has put on my heart to do. They are really good excuses too! Totally legit.
Until recently, when God was like, “What’s going on, Katya? Is there fear in my perfect love? These excuses are rooted in fear, Beloved, not in me.”
See, God has been teaching me lately about simply doing what He has called me to do, without over-thinking it (something I do quite frequently), especially in regards to writing. But now, He’s begun to challenge me to walk in faith in other areas of my life… like starting a bible study.
And I know He is right.
Okay, so I don’t know many people, Jesus only had 12. If I have at least one, that counts, right? And I may not have a title as a leader but because God lives in me, He qualifies me and says through Him there is nothing I am not capable of doing, if He has called me to do it. Sure, I don’t know much about starting a bible study, but I can start with what I do know and learn as I go.
This is the truth… and Princesses, His truth gave me freedom. Last week, I started my first bible study. Omigoodness, it’s happening!
For the first time ever in my life, I’m actually living out this dream. Sure, I only have one girl for now, but we had a lot of fun last week and God taught us a lot as we read His word and shared what He was teaching us.
I realize now this dream isn’t just a passion on my heart, it is a passion on God’s heart. He loves when we read His word because we learn more about Him, we learn more about ourselves, and how to live the life He has called us to live. As I recently wrote in another post, God loves community and when we pursue Him together.
Princesses, I know you have dreams, I know you have desires in your heart and passions, because God is a dreamer and He made us like Him. I don’t know what those things are, maybe they are huge like sharing the gospel to a million people, or maybe they are small dreams like mine, but I want you to know your dreams are precious and important to God. If you have been feeling God prompt you to go after something, but you’ve been struggling to do it, I would really like to encourage you to bring it to God.
I think the enemy’s favorite pastime is to try anything to discourage us from stepping into our destiny. He’ll use people, thoughts, lies, beliefs, things, literally anything he can to make sure we don’t pursue Jesus. I personally have let him win too long in my life and I don’t want to keep up this habit. I believe it takes God to reveal to us those lies or what blocks we have in our life, but once He reveals it to us, I think it’s our choice where we go from there.
Do we say yes to fear or yes to faith?
2 Timothy 1:7
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
I’m sure there are a million excuses not to do something He asks us to do, but there is one really good reason to try: God can get the glory.
Honestly…
1. Even if you try and it doesn’t work out, at least God will teach you things through it.
2. Even if nobody believes in you, at the most you have God on your side.
3. Even if you feel unqualified or inadequate, start with what you have, give God your weakness, and let Him be your guide and your teacher.
The Lord is always honored and glorified when we pursue Him and walk in obedience. This bible study… I’m not skilled to lead it, and I’m a little scared about adding more people anytime soon, but look at God! He helped me to begin it, and that’s a start. If He got me this far, He’ll help me face whatever comes next, and I know He’ll be with you as you step into whatever desires God has called you to pursue.
As long as you walk with the intention to let Him have the glory in what you do in your life, He will give you the desires of your heart.
Be brave.
God is with you.
Love,
Katya
p.s. I’m heading out right now to the second bible study! We’re studying the book of James right now. Eep! So excited. :)