So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans 8:12-17

So then…. this is another statement that we must pay attention too.

This means – because of this truth – now this!

We are not slaves to the flesh! We are led of the Spirit of God and are sons and daughters of God.

The spirit that we have is not one of slavery to fear, but it is one of adoption.

I love this! I spent years struggling against the spirit of fear and that spirit of fear was enforced by hard tramatic situations that happened at the hand of the man who I thought was my father. For many years I tried to get love from father figures, always manueving from here to there to gain approval and elicit some kind of “good girl” appreciation.

In 2013, the Lord highlighted a scripture that began a work in my heart.

  For God has not given us a spirit of fear,

 but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Tim 1:7

As we discussed in our last post that setting your mind on the things of the spirit, keeps you walking in the Spirit. As I began to meditate and live out the verse, I became less fearful. At that time, the Lord was calling me into ministry and I was freaking out. But our God is a Good Father and He helped me to live this out. I love how when God is doing a work, the things that are necessary for life and godliness arrive. I was invited to join a small group to go through leadership training. I learned that the enemy was using fear to keep me from moving forward. I learned where the trauma moment in my life happened that fear was deposited into my soul to thwart the work of the Lord. I was taken through a series of trainings and teachings to develope a personal mission statement.

Fearless in living, Faithful in everything, Forward regardless.

From 2013 on I have done my best to live this out. When I bump up against fear – this motto pops in my head, to remind me that I do not have a spirit of fear. I begin to put my mind on the things of the Spirit, the things He has done and worked in and through me. He reminds me of the time I was at a conference with my friend Jennifer Lee. I went up for prayer and the lady began to speak over me things that she could not have known. Then she made a statement that changed my whole perspective about not having a father and the yearning I had to have a father approve of me. She said, “the Lord says, ‘you dont have to keep looking, I am your Father. ‘” These are things I keep my mind focused on. When I dont keep my mind focused on the things of the spirit, I begin to run like an orphan child again, looking for love in all the places it cant be found.

He is worth all the struggle and suffering….

and may He receive all the glory!

Thanks for Listening,

Starla