Fearless

Fearless

Showing a lack of fear. Bold. Brave. Spirited. Courageous. Confident.

This is the theme I chose for my first year on the field. When I boarded that plane to move here to England, this is what I knew God was leading me to. It's by no means a light word, and it's one that I had never striven for or imagined I'd call myself.

But God has made me brave. God has given me a bold, confident spirit. God has made me fearless. 

1 John 4:18 says this:

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

Up until about 3.5 years ago, this is not the definition I'd use to describe the kind of love I've experienced. My relationships were riddled with fear.  Fear of people leaving. Fear of fights and words. Fear of letting them down. Fear of not being enough. Fear of messing up. Fear of not performing well. Fear of not measuring up. Fear of getting hurt. 

Yet in my mind, I thought all of that was love. I thought I was loved by these people - truly loved. Society and culture told me they were loving me how I deserved, and I shouldn't expect more. 

Can I just be honest for a minute? It was exhausting. Always having to be on, always having to work and perform, always having to be the best, always having to be strong, always having to do things right, and always having to analyse situations to see if they were safe. I get exhausted again just typing all that....

So what changed 3.5 years ago that made me start to rethink my definition of love? I discovered a new love. 

Ravishing. Passionate. All-Consuming. Relentless. Sacrificial. Fearless.

Today, I pray that you take the time to discover this love. Today, as people all over the world remember what happened over 2,000 years ago, I pray that you see how that moment forever changed and redefined what love looks like. 

Jesus knew that he was going to be betrayed. He knew that he was going to be mocked and scorned and shamed. He knew that he would be beaten, whipped, flogged, and endure incredible amounts of pain. He also knew that if he wanted to, he could have avoided it all. He could have called down an army of angels from heaven. 

But he didn't. His love for the Father led him to perfect obedience, even obedience to the cross. His love for us was as fellow brother and sisters and friends. 

To put it simply,

His love was

 fearless. 

His perfect love on that cross has allowed us to have access to the Father. His perfect love has allowed us to be called sons and daughters. His perfect love has allowed us to be cleansed of all of our sin. His perfect love has allowed us to be able to worship and glorify the Lord for ETERNITY. 

Reflecting on this has made me see and understand that Jesus was the true demonstration of love - and that I can sit in that love, in His presence, and have it wash over me. His love washes away any doubt, insecurity, and fear that I have. 

Not because I think I won't experience pain or heartache or trouble - but because that fear has been defeated. 

There isn't space for fear in a heart that is so full of His perfect love. 

Brothers and sisters, I pray that this kind of love washes over you today. As you reflect on all that the cross means and symbolises, I pray that it makes you Bold. 

Brave. 

Spirited. 

Confident. 

Fearless.