“Laughter is poison to fear.”
— George R.R. Martin

There are a lot of things in these pictures that I am afraid of:

1. The ocean. The ocean has terrified me for so long; it’s immense and overwhelming, and full of unknown creatures lurking beneath its surface.
2. My body. I am not known to be a particularly self-conscious person, but lately I can’t seem to look at myself with loving eyes.
3. My smile. Crazy, right? I’ve been challenging myself lately with the things that make me smile…am I truly happy, or just content?

Fear is the inner voice, created to hold us back, and act as a barrier to keep us stuck. Complacency is the same way; we find ourselves in an “okay” place, then look up and twenty years later..we’re still right where we were when we started.

Caution is a tool that I believe God intended fear to be. Caution allows us to have insight an perspective on events before they occur. But caution, unlike fear, doesn’t keep us from acting on the things we want to do, it is an aid to help us get there. Behind caution is a leap of faith, behind fear is a barrier.

Lately, I have been so fearful. I’ve been afraid of what others have to say (including friends and family), afraid of being inadequate, afraid of failing, but mostly, I’ve been afraid of living my life as a person God never intended me to be.

Looking at the things in my life, I can say without a doubt, that I have not been walking the way God intended me to. I’m walking timidly, worried, and questioning. I should be running, taking bold strides, and remaining faithful to what He has promised me. This line of thinking has made me question my actions, and if I am executing them with a heart for Jesus, or a heart for others. I hated the answer.

I listened to a Podcast from Elevation Church today, and he said this: “Shallow values, produce empty victories.” Let me say it again: If my values are shallow, my victories will be empty…BUT when my actions match my values according to God, I am victorious.

BUUUUUUT what does this have to do with fear?

Fear distorts our values. Fear tells us that it doesn’t matter if we are called to do something; it tells us that x, y, and z, matter more than what God says. Fear warps our purpose and tries dictate our lives.

and we need to stop letting it. 

fear is a liar.

Fear is born out of comparison, (and thank you Rachel Hollis) comparison is the thief of joy. YOU CANNOT HAVE JOY WHEN YOU ARE AFRAID. YOU CANNOT LIVE A HAPPY LIFE WHEN YOU ARE SCARED. you cannot live to your fullest potential, if your own mind is what’s holding you back…and it’s what’s holding you back.

I’m tired of living a life of mediocrity when I know I can be doing so much more according to HIS purpose. It is a process. Take a step back and determine what your values are…do your actions reflect them? Look at what fear is keeping you from moving toward those values. Don’t seek empty victories. Be authentic, and don’t look for approval from others; you’ll never find it.