Choosing Faith Over Fear

“My fear doesn’t stand a chance when I stand in Your love” is a song that has officially become an anthem for me. In February, I made the decision to begin choosing faith over fear and get baptized. I’ve known God for 26 years of my life but have never been brave enough to take that next step. I was so incredibly terrified to stand in front of the church and take the plunge (pun intended) :).

Part of me was nervous because of the number of people you stand in front of. The other part of me was nervous knowing the importance of the decision. Choosing to get baptized is a declaration in front of the church to commit your life to walk with the Lord. It can be very scary to truly give your heart to someone or something. You have to allow yourself to be vulnerable, which is very hard for me. It takes stepping out in faith in God’s plan for your life. And being okay with messing up and making mistakes. You see, I can be a perfectionist and will allow fear to paralyze me if I know I will make a mistake.

In this case, I knew there would be mistakes made because I am human and I am aware that I am not perfect. I am also not always good at hearing what the Lord is speaking to me and then following in obedience. Committing your life to the Lord is committing to a relationship with him. Relationships can be messy and confusing and people are guaranteed to mess up. But, the beauty of a relationship with God is that He extends never-ending grace, love, and forgiveness for which I am truly grateful.

When you begin choosing faith over fear, you learn that God cares more about the process. More about the development of our character and souls. He cares more about how we treat one another. How we lift each other up. How we love each other through our mistakes, struggles, and hardships. He wants us to strive to be more Christlike. The thing is even Christ himself was tempted but never sinned. He isn’t looking for perfection, He is looking for an authentic connection with you.

The Lord simply craves a relationship with you. He wants you to bring any little need or worry no matter how big or small. Lay them down before Him and allow Him to be your safe place and to fight for you. If you are continually making strides towards that no matter how big or how small then you are on the right track. You are doing EXACTLY what He wants. So keep stepping out in faith. Stepping closer to His love regardless of your fears, because that is the absolute best thing you can do and it’s such a beautiful place to live in.

If you are interested in taking the next steps in your walk with the Lord, I urge you to take that leap of faith. Don’t stand paralyzed in fear any longer. Begin choosing faith over fear. What God has waiting for you is far greater and far better than any plan of our own. If you live in Arkansas and are looking for a church near you, New Life Church is a great option. They have campuses all throughout Arkansas.