Brave enough to want change

Happy Wednesday Prayer Closet Warriors!

God designed us as emotional beings. Emotions are a part of our everyday lives, and there’s really no way around them.

This past week and weekend I sat in some really uncomfortable emotions, ones I honestly didn’t want to deal with. Why, because in my mind, I had already dealt with them. However, the more I sat in it, wanting to truly believe the feelings were gone, the more they kept rising up. One moment I seem to be calm, cool, and collected. Then, all of a sudden, a volcano seemed to erupt, spewing anger, fear, sadness, disappointment, heartbreak, doubt, irritation, frustration…ALL THE THINGS!

I asked the Holy Spirit to please help me get a grip on my emotions, this is too much!

I confessed every feeling to God and repented.

Saturday morning God led me to a movie. The Disney Pixel movie called Brave. It started out good, but then some spooky stuff started happening. I was like, “Abba, you do realize there’s a witch in here stirring a cauldron! Are You sureee this is the one you want me to watch?? Because You know, I’ll grab my oil and anoint this 55” TV really quick!” I heard Him say, “it’s ok to watch Tash”

Ok, cool!

Here’s the short version (my version) of what this movie’s about:

Merida, the main character, was having it out with her mother Elinor. She was tired of her mom dictating how her life would be. Tired of being told how to talk, what to wear, what she ate, and how much she ate. The laws and regulations she had to follow as the princess of their country needed to change ASAP. When her parents sat her down and said, “We are looking for a suitor to take your hand in marriage”, Baby girl Merida said, “Nah, get somebody else to do it” LOL!!!

Merida ran off in a fit of rage after a shouting match happened between her and her mom. Harsh words were said, and few things were broken. They were both stuck in their fickle feelings, perspective, and stubborn ways.

While Merida was out in the woods still pissed off at her mother, she was led to a house. In this house was a little old woman who was carving the wood, to make figurines to sell (aka being messy!). They started talking and Merida realized she was a witch. She said, “I need a potion to change my mother. She’s tripping! I’m not marrying any of these fools they got lined up.” Now she didn’t say those exact words but, this is my version. I heard it like that. 🤣

Merida told her, “I’ll buy everything in this store if you give me a portion.” The witch was more than happy to help after that.

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She gets the potion, puts it in a pastry, and serves it to her mother, and her mom magically turns into a bear! Merida had no idea this would happen. The witch had said nothing about a bear. Her reason for getting the potion was to change her mother's mind. She was in complete denial that she was at fault for what her mother had turned into. She blamed the witch. Oh yeah, and to top it off, her father King Fergus is known for having an epic battle with the demon bear that haunts their country. He’s immediately ready for battle when seeing any bear.

Merida returned to the witch’s house to change her mother back. Unfortunately, she wasn’t there. Listen, the old lady witch went on a vacation after that payment! Haha!!

There was a message left for Merida, A riddle: "Fate be changed, look inside, mend the bond torn by pride.” If she didn’t figure out this riddle before time ran out, the change would become permanent.

In the beginning, when they got into the fight, one of the things broken was a tapestry. Elinor was working on a family portrait. Merida cut the tapestry creating a big hole that separated the family. When she read the riddle, she instantly thought this is how to fix her mother.

Now, how is this aligned with my/our walk with Christ?

Merida and Elinor responded out of their feelings!

We have to stop being doctrines of our feelings. Yes, God acknowledges our feelings, But, our feelings aren’t God's truth. Speak to your feelings and remind them what God said! Surrender your emotions to Him.

Merida went to extreme measures to change her mother's mind, as many of us do! ALOT of us are determined to change people. That’s not our job… ONLY God has the power to change people, for only He knows what is in every individual's heart.

Proverbs 21:1

“The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; He guides it wherever He pleases.”

Merida acted out of selfishness and only saw what was wrong with her mother and failed to look at her own shortcomings. She put the blame on someone.

How many are still putting blame on someone?

Matthew 7:3-5

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Elinor wasn’t willing to change her mind in the beginning.

1 Chronicles 28:9

And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a WILLING mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

Elinor pushed the same belief system and values that she was raised in onto her daughter. She REFUSED to hear Merida’s voice and SEE her for who she was. We have to free people of our expectations of them, it will only push them away.

The riddle was, "Fate be changed, look inside, mend the bond torn by pride.”

God hates pride! Pride has to be torn down

● Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

● Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”

● Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Merida was only scratching the surface when she thought about the tapestry. It went a lot deeper than that! It is only when we get to the root of the issues we face, that we then can walk in freedom.

That witch was messy, just like the devil but, guess what God's Word says?

Genesis 50:20

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.

He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

The most heartfelt scene in the movie was when everyone gets set free from bondage.

The demon bear appears at the end and turned out to be a man trapped inside a bear’s body. His soul was set free when the bear was killed. Merida falls to her knees weeping, repents to her mother, and acknowledges her faults. The spell breaks and her mother was set free. All laws changed, and a better perspective was realized, there was forgiveness and reconciliation between all and the families reunited.

The generational curse that had them bound was broken!

Prayer Closet Warriors… God reminded me of something that Destiny said last week. She said, “This is Generational, and it’s so much bigger than just you”.

He also said, “Natasha I’ve given you the power and authority to pray. Not just for you, it’s for others. Where you struggle, where it still hurts, As Your Father, I will intercede for you. I will fight for you. Be brave, be the brave woman I called you to be.”

Till next time, Prayer Closet Warriors! I love you all and pray this blesses you!

Sincerely,

Natasha

The Prayer Closet Mama ™