By Ryan Kelly –

It has been a busy month of conferences and speaking engagements for me, and this photo is from one of them. Many people see me today and think that I was always comfortable behind a microphone, but reality is that I used to be very shy in public. There are many times as a kid that I would have to say something in front of an audience, and I would nearly panic and freeze. It was only toward the end of high school into college where I began to feel more comfortable in front of an audience. Now as a professional, I thrive in that environment.

Why am I telling you this? It’s because the Lord helped me to overcome my fear and helped me to gain confidence in myself and my ability to communicate in front of others. This did not come naturally to me, but now it’s my favorite environment. I would now rather speak in front of a crowd of 10,000 people than 10. What used to terrify me is now my greatest strength.

God can do anything in your life. If He has a goal for you and you allow Him to work in your life, He will transform you into the man or woman that He desires you to be. Of course, this may not come easy and won’t be without its share of pain and difficulty, but pain and pressure is part of the process of molding and shaping you into something special. Like a diamond that takes years of intense pressure and then moments of cutting and shaping, God is likely shaping you into the diamond that He desires you to be with the intention of using you for amazing things in this world.

Continue to trust in the Lord and allow Him to work in you and through you. If you do, you will truly gain confidence in knowing that God has made you exactly how He wants you…no matter what that may look like in this life. We all have purpose, and it is wonderful.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7