Breaking free from fear.

Fear has a way of really holding you back.

So many of us are so afraid to step out because we don't know what's on the other side. So many times I've gotten comfortable in a certain place or routine that even if I'm not happy, I won't change anything because that's what I know. We try to hard to protect ourself from what we can't see coming that we might instead be preventing ourselves from incredible happiness that we can find in taking risks and chances in our lives.

There is certainly a lot of pain in losing things. We lose friends sometimes to moving or arguments, we lose family members and friends to death, we lose comfort when changing location...life definitely bears a lot of loss. But the whole thing is, we have to recognize what we have.

In my life, I have no guaranteed constants. I could go to sleep tonight and not wake up in the morning. I could leave this campus this weekend and not make it back. I could see my family one day and not have them at all the next. We don't know what each day holds. The only certain thing about life and what we know about it, is that nothing is certain. We don't hold the future. We can't live our lives being afraid though, and holding back to avoid those types of things though, because then we miss out on the whole point.

Even though I have no certainty about events to come, and even though I personally can't control any of the events around me, I do know the One who is in control. From the very first moment of my life, He knew every detail about single moment that would follow. And when I trusted Him with my life, I trusted Him to control those details.

I have freedom from fear of death - I know where I'm going. I have freedom from fear of losing loved ones - I know I'll see them again, if they're saved (and if they're not then I know what I need to do). I have freedom from fear of the unknown, since I have a relationship with the One who knows everything.

Even with trusting in God, I definitely identify with people who struggle with these fears, because at times I do too. Sometimes I get worried about situations that I don't know how they'll work out in the end. For a long time, I've had a fear of spending all this time waiting to find someone to spend my life with, and possibly losing them. Things happen. Death happens. But if I let that control me and hold me back, I could miss out on so much trying to save myself from experiencing that loss - I would also potentially miss out on a lot of love. This is true in a lot of situations.

God has purposes in everything He does. He orchestrates the events of our world for one reason: to spread His glory and fame. His name is greater than any other, and the purpose of our lives is to share His glory with others in the world, that they might come to praise Him too. Rather than focusing on our fear of how circumstances could effect us personally, we need to purposefully set our eyes on the ultimate point of our lives: to share His name, His love, and the freedom that comes in knowing Him.

I've had many people come into my life that haven't been able to stick around. I'm 19 years old and I've lost my three grandparents (my mom's dad died before my parents were married so I never knew him). I've lost friends in different situations of sickness or simply from moving away. But, for me to wish I hadn't known them simply because I had to lose them wouldn't make sense. Without knowing them, I would have missed out on the blessings that came from knowing them. I would have lost out on memories. I would have lost out on the things that God taught me through all of those different situations.

The thing we have to focus on is that God doesn't let us go through challenges because He wants us to hurt. The question of why bad things happen is one that will be forever asked as long as this earth is spinning. The answer though is simple: God wants us, all of us, to worship Him alone. And the difficult times in our lives, more than any other, can draw us to Him, since He's the one in control. He doesn't CAUSE bad things to happen, but He ALLOWS them to happen if they will fit His ultimate purpose, which is to draw glory to Himself. However, this can be hard to accept for us in our human state. At times the pain we experience doesn't seem worth it.

But my sweet friends, it IS worth it. He IS worth it. The pain we face now is nothing compared to the joy that comes from knowing Him, trusting in Him to carry us through the hard times, and growing closer to Him. Even though it's scary to lose things and people we love, by trusting Him to be our Healer, we get to experience some of the best aspects of who He is. Because He is always there to pick us up, and help us go on.

What we have to do is focus on Him. If we allow ourselves to focus on the fear of loss and change, we will miss out on the growth that comes when we get through it. We will miss out on the things He wants to teach us, and aspects of Himself that He can show us through those times. He can use ALL things in our lives, good and bad, to help us get to discover more of His heart.

I know that the loss I've faced in the past, and surely the trials that will come later on in my life is difficult to bear. But I also know that the pain that I feel shows how blessed I am for this simple reason: I have something to miss. I miss my grandparents and friends that have passed on because of the relationship I had with them. I miss my brothers who live far away from me because I love them and the things that God shows me through our relationships. I miss things about the past because they were good. This can help us see how great our blessings are, which all come from the God who loved us first, and even through this loss, we have more reasons to praise Him! Isn't it amazing how that works??

Some people are afraid to give their lives to Christ, because they won't be the ones running the show anymore. They don't want to risk trusting Him and giving control over. But I know from personal experience that when I trust Him with my circumstances, good and bad, He always comes through and helps put things together - whether putting things together for the first time or putting pieces back together - better than I could have ever done. Letting Him have control is worth it because when we don't know what is coming, or how to shoulder our challenges, He can handle it. If you haven't yet today, trust Him. Trust Him with your fears and your heart and your life, and see where He takes you, because I promise you it will be farther than you ever dreamed if you make Him the focus of your life. He conquered the grave...what is it that we think He can't handle?!

I don't deserve Jesus but I have Him. I don't deserve this life that I get to live but, for now at least, I get to live it. I get to enjoy my family, my incredible friends, and His creation every day. But even if I had none of those things or people, He would still be enough, because He is the epitome of blessings. Getting to know His heart and be a part of His plan is all by itself, worth living for. No matter what happens in my life, God will still be good. He is neverchanging, He is constant, and because of this His goodness does not end, even when my circumstances aren't good.
So today if you're struggling, allow Him to pick you up. Allow Him to lead you through it. If you're not down right now, go ahead and draw close to God so that when you fall, because you will, He will be right there to hold you up through it all. And most of all, in all circumstances, give thanks for the blessings; for the time that we do have together as friends, for the love we get from family, for the joy in fleeting moments, because we don't know when it might be gone...but I do know Who has been and will be in control forever, and today, I'm trusting Him with whatever else comes my way.

1 Thessalonians 5:18