Dare to Believe

Take a moment and think. How many times have you learned to live with your problems, issues, illnesses, etc? I know I certainly have. We believe the lie that things aren’t going to change and we adapt and settle. But when you settle for something, it’s not what you really wanted or what you had your heart set on and when you settle for something against God’s word it isn’t what He intended for you either. Settling is accepting mediocre. Mediocre is barely getting by, just normal or average. God didn’t send His son to die on the cross so you could just live a mediocre life! He came so that you would live abundantly!

A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow! John 10:10 TPT

For far too long, we have allowed the enemy to come in and steal from us. We’ve let him continually beat us down and believed the lie that it’s how life is going to be. God has more for you and everyone around you! He has so much more for His Kingdom! It is time to quit settling. There is more. There is greater. Dare to believe!

Dare to believe. This phrase has such great meaning to me because while I was praying and asking the Lord for direction while I was designing shirts last year, I came upon these three words in Mark chapter 5. As I’m sure most of us are familiar with, there was a woman with an issue of blood who had been bleeding for 12 years. Her problem had not gotten better but actually worse. She had been to numerous doctors and done everything possible but nothing helped. I’m sure at some point she settled. She learned to live with her issue. She identified with it and believed the lie that it’s how life was going to be.

Until one day, her desperation surpassed her choice to settle. She heard about Jesus and decided that she was going to do whatever it took to get to Him, if that meant walking out in public where she was looked down upon as unclean and dirty, if it meant pushing through a crowd of people, if it meant stepping out and acknowledging in front of everyone she had touched Jesus, she didn’t care. She moved pass comfortability in order to obtain abundance. As soon as she touched Jesus' garment, she was healed and His reply was,

“Daughter, because you dared to believe, your faith has healed you. Go with peace in your heart, and be free from your suffering!” Mark 5:34 TPT

Last year, right after Thanksgiving I was hospitalized from strep throat and became septic. I was severely sick and in the worst pain of my life. At one point I thought things had started getting better but then they started getting worse again. One night in the hospital I was literally in so much pain that I could barely swallow and was using tissues to spit so I didn't have to swallow. Even drinking lidocaine didn't help the pain and my nurses wouldn't give me any stronger meds until the next dr came. I was in such desperation that I began to cry out to God from my hospital bed in the middle of the night. I was desperate for change. I didn't care who heard me or what I sounded like. I needed a healing!

Dare to believe. Dares aren’t easy. They are hard, intimidating, seem impossible and scary. I can vividly remember as a child playing truth or dare and just waiting for the other person to dare me to do something that was way out of my comfort zone. Jesus said, “Dare to Believe”. Believing involves action. What's holding you back from acting on what God has from you? Is it fear, disappointment, embarrassment, ego, etc? Don't allow these tactics from the enemy to hinder you any longer. Until you become desperate enough for change, you'll keep wallowing in the lie that life was meant to be that way. Change is a big dare; like a triple-dog dare. I dare you to believe that there is more for you, that it's better than where you are now, and now is the time to receive it!

Where are you today? Are you barely getting by? Are you settling in so many areas of your life? Do you feel like you have to pick and choose where you are thriving? Dare to believe. What is it you need? Healing, restoration in a relationship, a job, finances, salvation for someone, etc? It doesn’t matter how impossible it seems or long it’s went on. God wants your life to align with His will and His will is is that all creation would look like Heaven. God has a life of abundance for His children! Don’t settle for anything less.

 

Blessings,

Joanna

Dare to Believe Raglan Triblend Tee