Braver Than You Believe

When I was little, one of my favorite Disney shows was Winnie the Pooh. To this day, his voice makes me smile, and one little quote from Pooh and Christopher Robin has stuck with me. 

“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” 

• Winnie the Pooh 

These words of affirmation are so simple and speak so much truth that they have stuck with me as a young woman. I think this little quote is something God wants to encourage us with every day, especially when we are in doubt in spirit, mind, and body. Our Bible gives us so many people’s journeys when they also felt less than called to what God had asked of them, but in every story, God called them, even if it didn’t start or end the way they planned. It didn’t matter where they were in life. It didn’t matter what wrong they had done. And it didn’t matter if they were born able or disabled; He still used them. 

Esther, you are braver than you believe. Ruth, you are stronger than you seem. Like Mary, the woman who followed Jesus with the disciples was smarter than she probably felt around the Messiah, and yet He still wanted her to follow Him. And it ended up being the smartest choice she could have ever made, even though society said it was uncommon. 

I know in my own story that I hadn’t felt brave, strong, or smart in areas of life, especially when it came to being around other women of God, and sometimes I was so intimidated that I missed out on opportunities that could have helped me grow. The enemy gets in the way of our calling because if he can make us believe that we are not brave enough to speak out or if we are not physically or mentally strong enough to go after what our dreams and ambitions are, then he has crippled us more than our bodies ever could. How do we respond and fight back these doubts? We take back what the enemy tries to use for harm. Speak it out loud in prayer as if we are face to face with our enemy. 

I am Brave.

I am Strong.

I am Smart. 

I will try and make mistakes, but Jesus still chooses me. He has chosen me because He trusts me and loves me. I will rise up and choose to be brave in the midst of darkness. In my weakness, He makes me strong, and with Him giving me strength, I will not fail. He has given me the intelligence to push towards my ambitions, and when I make my goal, He will challenge me with new ones to continue my learning because my God is a faithful teacher. 

Of the three brave, strong, and smart, which one do you need to ask God to give you more faith in? Have you allowed the enemy to lie, saying you are not enough? Begin declaring out loud who God calls you to be, and do not let the enemy whisper those doubts again!