Rejecting Fear

Fear plays an interesting part in our lives, an idea that something could go wrong or someone could think a certain way about us stops us dead in our tracks and sometimes makes us say no to God. We are afraid of rejection and being different and standing out because the enemy feeds us the lie that we don't have enough influence to make more of an impact than the person beside us. Fear can be paralyzing and I've felt that.

But God tells us something different. When we draw near to Him in the midst of our fear something changes and we begin to feel an overwhelming peace about our situation. Once we realize that God has promised good to us and we trust that, The Spirit empowers us to live out the life we have been called to.

Psalm 13:5-6 "But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praises, for He has been good to me."

It's crazy how much social media can bring fear and anxiety into our lives. What started out with an intended purpose of sharing our lives with others has developed into a competition of who can more people feel bad about their bodies or relationships or friendships. I'm in a constant battle with the enemy about what kind of image I want to portray to others. I find myself being caught up in a specific look or style instead of just putting a real and raw version of me out there because I'm fearful that people won't like that version of me. Fear stops me from embracing my true identity in God because I get caught up in creating a new identity for myself, one that will please others.

Proverbs 29:25 "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe."

Something about writing out my fears of rejection helps me to realize the ridiculousness of it and how much I long to find my identity in Christ. I don't want to be accepted by man because my God was not accepted by man. There is no security in the opinion of others because people are so finicky and have opinions that shift with the time of day. My God is steadfast and has never changed and promises to me that He never will change. I am fully known by God and I can come before Him raw and real and broken and he loves me just the same.

I pray to not be consumed by the opinion of the people around me but remind myself of the truth of Who my identity is in. I pray to be so unafraid in who My God says I am that I become ridiculed by the world because then I know I'm doing something right.

 1 Peter 4:14  "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."

So let's do it. Let's accept the invitation to truly live the life God has invited us to live. If we shut ourselves out from the world because of fear of rejection, we are saying no to the life full of adventure that God has laid before us.

Love in Christ,