2022 is the Year of Free

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty.

          - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Last year's word was birth and God delivered on that word but not in the way I expected. I thoguht there was to be a new business or revenue stream, a new home, or some other tangible things birthed in this season. However God was saying, Damaris I'm going to birth a new you.

In the last quarter of this year I have seen God do an amazing work in my life. It wasn't physical, material things. I haven't moved, still living in my parents house. I don't have a new business, in fact I haven't been able to dedicate the time I wanted to the business I have. I don't have a new revenue stream either but God has kept me and my family which has been a blessing.

Instead, He birthed a new mindset, a new outlook, peace and trust in Him. He birthed a new and deeper relationship with Him. He birthed forgiveness and healing in my soul that I have never had. 

So did He birth in me? Yes! Just not in the way I expected.

As always, my church, Elevation Church has its giving weekend and asks us to think about and pray on what our anchor word is for the year. Almost immediately God gave me the word Free.

What I know without a doubt is that if He had not met me the way He did in the last 4 months I would not have been able to receive Free as my word for 2022.

He needed me learn that freedom is where the Spirit of the Lord is and the Spirit of the Lord is in me so I am Free and Freedom resides in me.

So the question is why haven't I felt free?

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

          - Jeremiah 1:7-8

Fear. 

God over the years has placed things in my heart that I knew was for me to do and I allowed fear to hold me back and in essence, I was disobedient. I have allowed fear (because what I knew was safer) my entire life to dictate the moves I made and I wouldn't move unless I was approved. But God has approved me and He's telling me that freedom comes from obedience.

In my fear I sold myself short. Not believing I was enough to do all that God was calling me to do. But I am learning that God always equips those He calls with everything they need to complete the work. I'm feeling God say to me, like He said to Jeremiah, "You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,”.

God did not give us a spirit of fear. And while obedience without knowing the end is difficult for me, because I like to be in control, what I have been doing has not been working. I look back at old journals and see when I was walking in obedience to God when I was early in my calling. The words God gave me would just flow out of me, I was so free. I want and need that again.

In 2022, I will be doing and saying what God commands me to do and say. So many blog posts that didn't get posted to The Unlikely Missionary out of fear; All the shots I didn't take because I didn't think I was good enough; All the music I didn't record; All the podcast messages I didn't make; Fear is a thief and it no longer reigns here.

I am ready to be free and God promised He'd complete this work in me so I'm ready for this ride knowing that when I need Him, He will rescue me.

Happy New Year!

The Unlikely Missionary

Damaris