Suffocating

In a world surrounded by fear, being suffocated by anxiety, drowning in despair, how do you live? How do you be different when the entire world is telling you who you need to be, what you need to fear? How do you live outside of fear when the whole world is living in it? Anxiety and depression is not getting better in the world, especially with social media being of very common use today. Not only that, but so many people are living in complete fear. Talk to somebody and everyone can tell you something they're afraid of. So, how do we live in a world that presses fear, and at times forces fear? Don't fear.

"Your physical matter and soul exist, not out of necessity, not voluntarily, and not under their own strength. There is absolutely nothing that you or I can do to guarantee that we will continue to exist." -N.D. Wilson, author of the book "Death by Living"

On the cover of this book also, it says, "Life is meant to be spent."

How can you spend life when you're suffocating, drowning, frozen? You can't. To spend life is to live. We are only here for a moment, when we live in fear, anxiety, despair, we aren't spending life, we are wasting it.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

It's clear, there's no twisting it, we were not given a spirit of fear.

That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:5

In a world full of fear, have hope, faith, love, joy, peace, living in a way that makes people wonder what do you have that I don't? My wonderful, loved, and cherished Nana Jane passed away in 2015, she passed away due to cancer. While it still stands to be the hardest thing I've ever gone through, in the last time I got to spend with her, I remember her faith, her hope, the difference she was, how different she was from the world. As she was sitting on one couch and I on the other, though still right next to her, I remember knowing how sick she was, I remember her, and I remember her God-given wisdom she shared with me, even in sickness, something I won't ever forget. I asked her, "Nana, are you scared?" She replied after a moment of hesitation, looking at me with a sparkle in her eyes, "No... because Sky, I know where I'm going. I'm going to meet my Heavenly Father, face to face." She ended with her bright smile. I saw she had hope, she had faith, she did not fear, she just knew that when all was said and done, He remains. We need to live everyday with that hope, that faith, that peace, that joy, that love. There is absolutely nothing we can do to guarantee we will continue to exist. People fear that, people hate that. If God did not give us a spirit of fear, something else, someone else must have. Satan uses fear as a weapon to hinder us from living life with our Father. Uses it to stop us from doing as He commands us to.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

The thief here is Satan. He comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. With fear, he steals life, therefore killing life, and destroys hope, peace, faith, etc. You can't live in faith and fear. Obviously, we all do fear, but to have fear over faith, to allow fear, to allow Satan to steal, kill, and destroy us, our life, our relationship with our Father, that's not ok. The consequence of faith is hope, is dismissing fear, except fear of the Lord. Faith allows us to continue despite fear. Do you think Moses was fearless as he was commanded to lead these people, when he wasn't "eloquent" with his words? No, but he still obeyed, because his faith was so much greater than his fear, his hope was in God who is unchanging. Faith doesn't mean fearless, it means dismissing fear, and embracing faith, hope, and His peace. When people see me, the way I live, I don't want fearful to be a description of me. When people see me, I want them to see hope, faith, love, joy, peace, because that's what Christ was/is. I want them to see Him in me and that is not going to happen if we continue to live in fear. Because living in fear chokes the life out of you. Living in fear takes away from the moments of life. Fear is one of the devil's advocates.

Days may be darkest

But Your light is greater

You light our way

God You light our way

When evil is rising

You're rising higher

With power to save

With power to save

You keep hope alive

You keep hope alive

From the beginning to end

Your word never fails

You keep hope alive

Because You are alive

Jesus You are alive

-You Keep Hope Alive (Mandisa and Jon Reddick)