I am honored to share my space with Sarah of Redemption Diary today. I’ve been following her blog as long as she’s been writing, and she is such a blessing. She writes to encourage woman in matters of faith and motherhood, among other things. Make sure to head over to Sarah’s blog and read more of her beautiful and authentic words.

“The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten-the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm-my great army that I sent among you.” ~ Joel 2:24-25

Up until a few years ago I did not know this verse. I was aware of God’s love for me but did not understand how deeply he cared about every aspect of my life.

God allows events to happen because of man’s fall in the garden. Sin entered into Adam and Eve, and we all suffer from fleshly weaknesses. But, nothing crosses our path that God doesn’t know about first. His provision is clear and it’s our job as believers to trust Him through the trials.

Many things have happened in my life that caused me to question God’s love for me. That’s what Satan wants us to do. He slinks around blaming God for worldly circumstances and knows where our hearts are the weakest. Instead of denying the lies I sometimes fell prey to those whispers and let them consume my thoughts.

God wants us to live differently. He desires a real relationship where we come to Him with anything. He loves us unconditionally and understands our hearts completely because He created us!

So how do we go from always questioning God with our circumstances to trusting Him with our lives?

Sometimes the only way to get over the fear is to walk through the door with our palms facing up and give ourselves completely to Him. We must cultivate a confident heart in order to be healthy for ourselves and those around us.

When I first began writing I feared judgement so much that I would literally sweat before hitting the Publish button. I was trusting God, but worrying way too much!

I’ve been sharing my heart virtually for over two years, and I can see so many changes in my relationship with Christ. I still get nervous about letting people read about my weaknesses, but now I understand more how sharing leads to connection and hope for others.

God is waiting for you to lay down the fear and rest in him. He knows we are messy, broken people. The change He wants to do in your heart is not an overnight fix. We are works in progress that will never fully mature in our Christian walk until we get to heaven.

[tweetthis]Our lives here can be full when we allow God to change us and we decide to change our way of thinking. @sarahknepper [/tweetthis]

Here are five ways to help you develop confidence so you can begin to walk in obedience and feel the love of Christ.

1. Give your voice the authenticity it deserves. You are unique and God has given you your life for a reason. Let your voice blossom!

2. Live your life to please God not others. He is the One who has given you a voice. Use it for Him!

3. Forgive those who have hurt you and you will find freedom. This does not mean they get a free pass to hurt you again, it means you are releasing the anger in your heart. Live free!

4. Be yourself. No one is perfect!

5. Handle situations calmly. You best tactic is a smile and kind words!

When we allow God to work in our hearts he will not disappoint. The key is accepting ourselves as merely human and desiring to grow more confident in Christ.

And remember those locusts don’t stand a chance against the Creator of the universe!

Sarah is wife to an engineer, mom to four little monkeys, and a lover of words. She’s been redeemed by a grace-giving God and her heart work is encouraging other women by sharing her own story of pain and healing. Sarah volunteers for women’s ministry at her church and holds a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education.  You can find Sarah blogging, hanging out on Facebook, or sharing her life through photos on Instagram.