From Fearful to Faithful (Transformed by His Living Word)

by Cathryn Eckley

My parent’s divorced when I was five and my childhood was filled with self-doubt, a broken heart, bitterness, and a fear of men.  I was insecure and afraid of many things, including interacting with people.  I had a difficult time speaking to anyone outside of my circle of immediate family and close friends.   I internalized my feelings and let them dictate my self-worth.

At the age of 13, a friend invited me to a summer Bible camp. It was the first time I was around Christians that prayed and talked like they knew God intimately.  One night after a time of worship and teaching I walked back to my cabin alone and told God that I wanted to know Him the way that those other Christians knew Him.  His still small voice was clear and to the point – He said, “Read my Word.” From that moment on, I was motivated by the Holy Spirit to read the Bible from beginning to end.  I committed to read at least one chapter a day in my NLT Children’s Bible to help me understand it.  It took me two years to read through the entire Bible the first time. That next Christmas I was gifted with a study Bible.

I started to break out of my “shell” of fear, self-doubt, and all the other negative emotions that had once held me back so that I could grow into the person God created me to be.  It wasn’t that my fear was suddenly gone, but I became less fearful as I became more faithful – by spending time in His Word, surrounding myself with other Christians who were growing in their relationship with God, and trusting in His plan for me.  I stopped letting fear of failure hold me back because I knew that Jesus was with me at every step.  By faith in Christ, I trust His promises and I believe that He will equip me for every good thing to do His will.

“Now may the God of peace…equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”  (Hebrews 13:20-21)

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  (Ephesians 2:10)

My life has been transformed by welcoming Jesus into it and seeking to know Him on a personal level.  I am no longer that person I once was – and by His Holy Spirit that now dwells in me, I have never felt more alive!  I still struggle, but now I know to take my fears and insecurities to Jesus.  I know how to renew my mind with God’s Word.  I know that my struggles are not against flesh and blood, but a battle in the spiritual realm that needs to be dealt with spiritually through prayer in Jesus Christ.  I pray that you will also welcome Jesus into your heart and allow His Word to transform your life!

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If you would like to reach out to Cathryn, you can leave a comment below or email her at prayrful2@yahoo.com.  If you have a story you would like to share, please email me with “Broken to Beautiful” in the subject line and I will follow up with you.  Thank you.