Fearless

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about contentment and joy, strength, fortitude, and what it means to be striving in life. What might be holding me back in life? I have come to the conclusion that some disguised fears buried deep and hidden could be a root cause. As the unchartered territory of covid and use of words like quarantine and pandemic came barreling into our lives, so did a lot of fear. And the reality is I think that fear is and has been a much greater motivator in our lives than most realize and recognize. Fear can manifest in a lot of different ways: anxiety, insecurity, pain and heartbreak, discontentment... And sometimes I think it takes something big (like a pandemic) to expose how deeply rooted our fears have been underlying.

What would it look like to live totally free of fear? To truly have complete trust and relax in the Lord and his will?

Identifying what we fear would be helpful. We need to expose these fears. And I would venture to say that a lot of us probably have similar fears we just may not recognize them yet. We may fear failure, rejection, the unknown, not being in control, death, pain and sorrow. Some may fear belittlement, condemnation and judgment, what other people think, not measuring up, or not being "good enough". Some fear conflict and tension, injustices and bullies. Many fear being stagnant and stuck, while others fear change and being uncomfortable. There's so much more! I believe these fears hold us back in life. They may even be paralyzing. Fear prevents us from living our best life, to live to the fullest - an exuberant, rich, vibrant life. The devil is the master of fear and he individually pricks each of us with personalized fears in attempt to keep us down in this life.

The absence of fear, I believe, would look a little like this: a bold confidence in who you are as God's child- that sweet spot of humble confidence, not arrogance. This confidence that comes only from God and not in your own abilities, talents, or looks, but this deep, gentle confidence of God. You know who you are - your identity and purpose, you are grounded in what you believe in, what you stand for, what you need to fight for. You are a pillar of strength, not swayed by the hurricane of trials around you. That does not mean you don't feel sadness and pain, but you are unmoved - holding tight to God's mighty strength to sustain you. You strive forward in your purpose, working hard to please the Lord, balancing your time between priorities in life, not falling into idleness. Its a radical life - living bravely and taking chances - going against what culture dictates and listening whole heartedly to God's leading. You are selfless and generous - giving of yourself because you are continuously being poured into by the Holy Spirit. There is this spirit of embracing life, contagious to those you interact with. That joy that cannot be contained, that glow that shines because of the Lord. Its a freedom. To be free of fear, no matter what kind it is gives life, radiant, beautiful life. Turns out that this sounds like the Proverbs 31 woman. "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come" (Pr 31:25). That sounds like a strong, care-free woman, at such peace in life that she is ready to take it all on with a laughing smile on her face. As I enter into my 30's, this next decade I want to fully embody that fearless woman. She is not afraid to live her best life. I want to strive for that vibrant, free life full of hope, joy and peace.

Photos by Lyndsey Keegan Baker