Cautious Capabilities

Cautious Capabilities

-Brenda Graff

Cautious:  Being aware of potential risk and modifying your behavior accordingly; taking reasonable care to avoid risks; being reluctant to act; taking into consideration all possible circumstances and consequences before acting.

Capabilities:  The ability necessary to do something.  Talent that could be developed: the potential to be used for a particular purpose.

Do you remember the first time you rode a bike?  Most start out learning with someone behind them holding onto the seat to help keep you balanced as they run alongside of you.  

Then came that joyous moment when they let go, you peddled without realizing you were doing it on your own.  Then when the reality hit that no one was holding you up, did you fall?  Did you keep peddling faster going forward? Did you become paralyzed with fear…suddenly, realizing that no one was there to keep you from falling?

How many times did it take scraping you’re your knees before you learned to use the brakes?  Most eager bike riders have scraped their knees and ran into bushes to break their fall many times before perfecting this skill.   

You could say, “That looks a little dangerous, maybe I should stick to walking instead”, and sit idly by watching all the others get around with ease and in quicker time no less.  Eventually, you would begin to feel a little defeated or even jealous at the fact that others are moving beyond their fear.

How many times have you said yourself, “If only I could?_____then I would_____(be successful, be happy, be at peace, be whatever it is that you believe that condition would bring to you)…if conditions were right.  What is stopping you from getting from point A to point B?  What is it that you dream about doing?  Being?  Experiencing?  What are you willing to risk to get to point B?  When I speak of taking risk, I am not speaking of anything that would personally harm yourself or your family.   

A risk is stepping out in faith with the leading of the Holy Spirit, and perhaps with some really wise, godly counseling, but also the willingness to walk into, and through the fear of the unknown.  To be willing to accept the possibility of obstacles along the way.   

We all have capabilities and the ability to choose to use them or not.  Some have been told their whole life that they won’t amount to much.  However, God disagrees with that.  After all He created us in His image, not the image of who someone says you are.  He has graciously given us each abilities that often have yet to be tapped into due to lack of confidence, fear of failure, ridicule, rejection, and the ultimate unknown.  

Sometimes, it's the very ones who have the ability to further other individuals' capabilities that have caused hindrance and unnecessary caution.  This can happen by throwing them on a back-burner not helping them grow and be used in areas of ministry, work, or programs in community because of their own insecurities, jealousy, or personal prejudices.

But this is not what God ever had intended.  We as a society have caused such ridiculous restrictions on  folks who are merely trying to make it, live it, be it, create it, and soar with it.  Not getting from point A to B and then C or D was never what He planned for us.

Genesis 1:26-28 (The Message)

God spoke: “Let us make human being in our image, make the reflecting our nature.  God created human beings; he created the godlike, Reflecting God’s nature.  He created them male and female.  God blessed them: “Prosper! reproduce! Fill earth!  Take charge!

According to this passage, God made man in His likeness.  He made him to take charge, prosper, etc...and experience the gifts He has created for us and within us which are supposed to be a reflection of Him.  

When you think of God do you think of the heavens and earth creation?  How He keeps this world spinning in place with us down here held on by gravity not missing a beat of life that goes on?  If He didn't hold the earth then can you image how quickly we would be thrust into space, with debris darting from one end of space to the other causing a complete disaster?

He isn’t like the one teaching a child to ride a bike.  He is still holding on to hold you.  It isn’t He that let’s go, it is so often us!

Psalms 37: 23-24 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. 24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. 

God constantly reassured Joshua, and others alike in the Bible that they were not to fear, that He was with them at all times.

Joshua 1:5 - There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

As far as rejection and lack of confidence to move forward possibly due to the opinions of those who have in the past or perhaps present discouraged, or made you feel not ‘qualified’....just read this and know that you are more than qualified if God has indeed called you to get to point B, you will get to C, D, E, and so forth. 

He didn’t ask for anyone’s pious opinion when He called a stuttering Moses to lead the Israelites, nor did He with a frightened young boy, Jeremiah who was called to reveal the sins of the people and explain the reason for the impending disaster (destruction by the Babylonian army and captivity).

Jeremiah 1:4-5 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

He also didn’t wait for the judgement of a community, church, or organization to decide the fate of Rahab who was a young Canaanite prostitute and as such not a very likely candidate for a heroine of the faith. (Joshua 2:8-14, 15-24) Rahab has special significance for Christians: she is among the four women listed in Matthew's gospel as ancestors of Jesus of Nazareth.   If you read the lineage it will give you chills!  It will blow your ever-loving mind!

God warns those who feel the need to decide for Him who is called according to His purpose.  He states that those whose hearts are stuck on Him will not be defeated no matter what.  They will always get back up.  He also mentions that they will get knocked down.  YOU WILL GET KNOCKED DOWN!   

BUT, you won’t stay down!!!!  Unlike the wicked, whose words, attitudes, and judgment will eventually land them face-down forever, or their significance being squashed.

Proverbs 24:16 (The Message)

Don’t interfere with the good people’s lives; don’t try to get the best of them.  No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don’t stay down long; Soon they’re up on their feet, while the wicked end up flat on their faces.

Luke 10:19 (Amplified)

Behold!  I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.

You have the authority and power to disallow the scoffers, Satan’s pesky little ankle biters, and the slimy slithering speeches torpedoed to trip you.

Notice he states (physical and mental strength and ability), he doesn’t promise that you won’t get scraped knees or a bruised ego.  He does however, state that you have the ability to get beyond that!   

You can get back up over and over again!  However, many times it takes for you to get from point A to point B.  Just get there! Sometimes you just got to throw ‘caution to the wind’!

A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. 

-Admiral Grace Murray Hopper