Fear.

We are all scared of something. When I was a little girl it was monsters under the bed, cooties from boys, and being alone in the dark. As I got bigger— so did my fears. I was terrified to begin high school, scared to fall in love, and afraid to take risks. Not only does fear thrive on insecurity, hopelessness, and loneliness, it takes root in our past and flourishes when stealing our future. Those same fears that started out so small, have now grown to control every aspect of my life. So.. here I am at age 19.. alive, but not at all living.

A common phrase that teens use is “FOMO." (fear of missing out) Although I think this phrase is meant to be used as a joke, believe it or not, it is a very real thing. I blindly have been feeding into satan and the lies he's told me for years without even realizing it. The fear of missing out on this party, that trend, this club, or that friend has slowly but surely become the foundation on which I make every decision in my life upon. Will they still be my friend if I tell them I don't want to drink? Will he be into me if I don't have premarital sex with him? Will people think i'm not cool if I don't go to this huge party? These very questions which sound silly, are the same questions that have lead me down a path I never intended to take. A worldly path that has caused pain, heartache, and loss.

In a world where we are so easily pressured by the people around us, it's easy to fear. Am I just not good enough? Will I find a job in the career path i've chosen? Will I find a spouse? I'm sure we have all felt like a failure at some point in our life. BUT—we are called to be so much more than what the world thinks of us. I recently found lyrics that shook me to my core.

“All for love You rose triumphant, all for love You are, all for love You came back for me, all for love my name is worthy, all for love You've come, all for love Your scars cried mercy, all for love, all for love." miracles// mosaic msc

Fear can be crippling. It can hold you paralyzed to every mistake you've ever made and leave you desperately searching for approval from all the wrong people. Luckily, we have a savior who loves us enough to not leave us in the depths of fear. Instead he gave us a spirit full of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7) He walks beside us in the valley and rejoices with us on the mountain top. That same love talked about in the song I quoted earlier, is the same reason why fear can't keep you locked away.

The truth is, YOU are proof that God delights in second chances. YOU are his most prized possession. The scale, the rumors, the mistakes you've made do not define you. Life is scary. I think fear is inevitable. At some point, you will not know what to do and be so uncertain of what lies ahead, that you'll be afraid.

Thats okay, as long as you remember you do not have to stay there. You do not have to be discouraged by the insurmountable amount of unanswered questions in life. Choose to combat the fear that guards your heart with the truth, peace, and wisdom found within the Gospel. Let Jesus take hold of every fear that's holding you back from everything he has called you to be.

In a heart filled with Jesus, there is no place for fear.