The things I used to know

You know how when you're talking to someone, and it could be that you're helping them with a problem, or just putting your 2 cents in? Afterward, you realize that whatever your advice was, or what you told them is the best thing to do, is the very thing you do not do. Ever felt that way? Cause I do, right now.

Sometimes when I have some friends with problems going on in their life, and they're one of my Christian friends, I feel almost obligated to tell them to pray about whatever it is that is stressing them out. I'll say something like "Just give it to the Lord" or "Tell God about it, not me" A few minutes, hours, or so later, I realize that there are many things that I don't tell God about, and then I have just given advice that I don't follow myself. So I feel hypocritical, and it stresses me out.

The latest time of me doing this was me telling a friend about living the life we're called to live. Bold, and free. Well, I realized shortly after I did this that I haven't been living boldly. The free part I feel I have been, simply because I have come to the realization that we have been set free from bondage, and slavery, and sin, and, and, and, and. The thing is, I don't live boldly. I don't ask for things from Christ with boldness. I don't speak my mind boldly. It's just like I'm  letting myself get bogged down with fear, and then I try to tell myself I've been set free from this, but then it's either too late, or not the right time to say the things I want to say. Granted, a few of these things I want to say, require other people to be there. I just feel I haven't been living my life the way I've been called to. How can I expect to reach out to people and show them Christ, if I can't live boldly, or live in the freedom?

I feel as if I am very bad at giving advice that I follow myself. Why this is, I couldn't tell you. My only prayer is that I would not only start to take my own advice, but that I would really start to live in freedom. Live with all the boldness in the world. I've also told people in grades younger than me, to learn from my mistakes. Well, by God, it's time for ME to learn from my mistakes.

Thank you for listening to this.
I love you guys.
TJ