Ep:(189) This is Holding you back

So I wanna talk to you about something that I think holds so many people back, and honestly, it's held me back.

And, and I wanna open up with a story that I had with my daughter this week because she had a school performance at, at her elementary school, and it was called The Three Piggy Opera.

[laughs] So cute.

And, um, she was telling me in the car, she was like, "Mom, I'm nervous to go up on stage and sing," which is totally normal, right? Like, e- every human being really is nervous to get up on stage, so it's not, it's not strange that she's saying that.

But I wanna just share what she, the conversation that we had.

But she said, "Mom, I'm nervous to go up on stage and sing." And I said, "Why is that, honey?" She said, "Because I'm afraid that people will laugh at me." And I said to her, "Okay, I understand.

So what would be the worst thing that would happen if you went up on stage and sung?" And she said, "Yeah, it would be that people would laugh at me." So I said, "Okay, let's say that they do.

Let's say that people laugh at you.

What does that mean? What does that mean?" And she said, "I don't know.

That I'm not a good singer." And, and we just had this conversation, right? And now track with me.

But I said, "Okay.

Let me ask you a question, honey.

Do you like to sing?" And she said yes.

I said, "Okay.

Do you think that your singing honors the Lord?" She said yes.

And I said, "Okay.

And then do you, like, is your singing hurting anybody?" She said no.

I said, "Okay, so you're singing, you like it, it honors the Lord, and it's not hurting anyone." She said, "That's right." I said, "Then, honey, it doesn't matter what other people think.

If you f- if you like it, if it honors the Lord, and if it's not hurting anybody, then what does it matter?" And I wanna ask you that question today.

Like, think right now of whatever it is, right? You're obviously tuning into this podcast because maybe there's something you're wanting to step out in.

Maybe you're wanting to get online, maybe you're wanting to share your voice, maybe, maybe you're...

Really, that's what it is.

That's what this whole podcast is about, about sharing, using your voice.

I wanna ask you, is what you want to do, what you wanna say, what you wanna share, do you like it? [laughs] Do you believe in it? Do you like it? Do you like what you're gonna say? Do you, do you agree with your, what you're saying? Does it bring you joy? Number two, does it honor the Lord, right? Because w- let me just say our words are powerful.

There's a lot in scripture about our words, about what we say, right? So does it line up with scripture? Does it honor the Lord? Is it good, pleasing, and, you know, lovely? Is it tho- is it those things? And then the third thing is, does it hurt anybody? If it could hurt someone physically, emotionally, like, then maybe not.