671 All Stirred Up

I drink bulletproof coffee. What a brilliant name … coffee that will make you bulletproof. And I gotta be honest with you, I’m pretty sure it kinda does. The classic trademarks of this coffee is its added fat. I know I know, in the beginning that seems really counterproductive to be intentionally adding fat to your morning cup of coffee. However, this fat feeds your brain and I can attest to it’s magical powers of creating clarity and focus. My secret to the perfect cup of bulletproof coffee is canned unsweetened coconut milk, pure healthy all-natural fat. (Hang with me, I’m going somewhere with this!) My can of coconut milk has a little problem. It’s hard on top and all the liquid is at the bottom. It’s a messy process stirring it all up to the creamy consistency of healthy fat I desire. But once stirred up, it is deliciousness for my morning cup of joe. Not only delicious, but serving a purpose of making it bulletproof. I wonder what’s inside of us that has settled. Where do we need to be stirred up? Paul says in 2 Timothy 1: 6 & 7: “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you … For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-discipline.” God, stir us up!!!!! We have been given the gift of power and love and self-discipline by God. It’s within us. The power to change anything you wish to change about your life is within you. The love to conquer any obstacle is within you. The self-discipline to follow through and do what you know you need to do is within you. Perhaps it has just settled. Your fears have floated to the top creating a solid layer of why you can’t and how you won’t. So the question is, is this how you want to live your life? Letting your gifts go unused? Power untapped? Love untouched? Self-discipline under utilized? Will you allow the fears which are naturally part of life to control your life and steel your God given potential from you? Will you? Are you? Here’s the problem, we’ve been fed a lie by the enemy that one day when we’re no longer afraid, things will change for us. He’s a peddler of delayed hope. And we buy this delayed hope and we waste precious days of this one life we have been given, waiting to wake up one day and no longer feel fear. And when we do, watch out world, we’re going to do something great. When we’re no longer too afraid to try, we’re really going to do something. But let’s do a quick fear check … fear, are you still here? Yip, there it is … at the top. I’m still afraid of failure and judgment and criticism and the myriad of things that could go horribly wrong, so today isn’t the day for me to take the next step. But maybe next month I’ll get started. Or next year. Oh yes, 2020 has been nothing but a continual crapfest, I’ll wait for the fresh start of a new year. (Speaking of crapfest, I saw the greatest meme yesterday. It was a photo of porta-potties on fire and it said “if 2020 were a scented candle.” Yip, that pretty much sums it up.) This year leaves us waiting for something to change, and when it does we believe we will be ready. I will be more confident and determined. That’s when it will happen. That all sounds nice and pretty, but rip off those fake plastic flowers sister … that’s delayed hope peddled by your enemy. His purpose is to delay you from yours. His power is found in robbing you of yours. You see, he has nothing he doesn’t take from you. You’ve been giving him his purpose and his power in your delays and excuses. Your fear has been feeding him. The potential of failure will not just magically go away come next month or next year. The mob of naysayers and loud crowd of the “uh-ohhh squad” will still be standin...