"Vivir con miedo es como vivir a medias."
It's a line from one of my favorite movies "Strictly Ballroom" (Add it to your Netflix list for fun! No, it's not all in Spanish.) And it is current theme that keeps popping up in random convergences in my life this week.
A devotional reading this week included the following: "Seek My Face, and I will share My mind with you, opening your eyes to see things from My perspective. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid. The Peace I give is sufficient for you." (from "Jesus Calling" - p249 by Sarah Young).
The lines of a new song by Randy Gill read:
We are not afraid. We are not afraid.
We will be fearless for You, fearless for You.
We will be faithful in all that we do.
If we step out on the waves,
or walk through the flames;
Whatever You ask us to do,
we will be fearless for You.
We are not afraid.
It is an admonition given often "Fear not!"
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18 (Uh-oh, now two themes intertwine...both fear AND love!)
Can we really be expected to live without fear? Romans 8:15 says "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship." Ok, so I guess we CAN be expected to live fearlessly. But what in the world does that look like? It's not careless. It's not thoughtless. Perhaps it is the act of love outweighing the emotion of fear. Doing what we most want to do (to His glory) but that the thought of doing leaves us feeling the most fearful.
I have one small window of time of my life when I felt fearless. Not some "devil-may-care" attitude, mind you. But truly unafraid even in the midst of huge uncertainty. But things were completely out of my hands - maybe it's easier to trust when there aren't really any options or choices to make. Maybe that's the lesson. Those things that make fear rise up within me - let go. Let them out of my hands. Give them up to the Father. To the ONLY One who can offer true Peace even in the midst of turmoil...that Peace that passes ALL understanding. Lay them at the foot of the cross. And have faith in His faithfulness. Because whatever He asks us to do is for HIS Glory and is not a plan to harm us, but to give us Hope, so today I choose to live fearless for Him.
A life lived in fear is like a life half lived.
It's a line from one of my favorite movies "Strictly Ballroom" (Add it to your Netflix list for fun! No, it's not all in Spanish.) And it is current theme that keeps popping up in random convergences in my life this week.A devotional reading this week included the following: "Seek My Face, and I will share My mind with you, opening your eyes to see things from My perspective. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid. The Peace I give is sufficient for you." (from "Jesus Calling" - p249 by Sarah Young).
The lines of a new song by Randy Gill read:
We are not afraid. We are not afraid.
We will be fearless for You, fearless for You.
We will be faithful in all that we do.
If we step out on the waves,
or walk through the flames;
Whatever You ask us to do,
we will be fearless for You.
We are not afraid.
It is an admonition given often "Fear not!"
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18 (Uh-oh, now two themes intertwine...both fear AND love!)
Can we really be expected to live without fear? Romans 8:15 says "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship." Ok, so I guess we CAN be expected to live fearlessly. But what in the world does that look like? It's not careless. It's not thoughtless. Perhaps it is the act of love outweighing the emotion of fear. Doing what we most want to do (to His glory) but that the thought of doing leaves us feeling the most fearful.
I have one small window of time of my life when I felt fearless. Not some "devil-may-care" attitude, mind you. But truly unafraid even in the midst of huge uncertainty. But things were completely out of my hands - maybe it's easier to trust when there aren't really any options or choices to make. Maybe that's the lesson. Those things that make fear rise up within me - let go. Let them out of my hands. Give them up to the Father. To the ONLY One who can offer true Peace even in the midst of turmoil...that Peace that passes ALL understanding. Lay them at the foot of the cross. And have faith in His faithfulness. Because whatever He asks us to do is for HIS Glory and is not a plan to harm us, but to give us Hope, so today I choose to live fearless for Him.
