Fearless

Fearless by Jasmine Murray Reflection

This song has been one that has resonated with me because fear is the base of most of my issues. Really, though, isn’t it the base of most of everyone’s issues? Fear pushes us into impulse choices and holds us back from taking new or bold steps. FOMO (fear of missing out) is actually a term from one of my media classes. It’s when businesses convince you to make a purchase quickly because if you don’t do it “right now” then you might not have the opportunity. Fear is a common thing, but we should not let it hamper our lives. There is so much more out there when we stop letting fear guide our lives. Fear is the opposite of faith. That quote, “Let your faith be bigger than your fear” is some of the best life advice you could follow.

I wake up, I feel it
Those fears are back again
Can't shake them, Can't make them
Ever fade, Ever end
Am I good enough, Do I measure up?
Feels like a war I can't win

But I wasn't given the spirit of fear
I was given the power of love
Everything I've been fighting against
I'm gonna lift it up

I wanna be fearless
No holding back, No backing down
Fearless
Because I believe You're with me now
Bring on the unknown, Lead me and I'll go
Come set me free
God, I want to be---fearless

These mountains, These giants 
Will fall at a single word
In Your name, In Your strength
I'm more than a conqueror

I won't be afraid
I'll call on Your name
I'll walk out in faith

{Verse one}  Waking up is hard. To try to help get me going, I set this as my alarm song for a while; then I would often catch myself singing it throughout the day. (Side note-if you want to try to make your days more positive, try waking up to a great song rather than a screeching alarm tone!) Whether you’ve had a good sleep or not, getting out of bed in the morning is usually not the highlight of your day. Nights can be rough. Though a great sleep is one of my simple pleasures, night time can also bring me trouble—I think too much, get leg cramps, or have indigestion and stomach aches, or have nightmares, for example. But the night always ends, and there is a new day. Some days are better than others, but some days you really just want to turn the alarm off, pull the covers back up, and not wake up for the foreseeable future. We’ve all had those times. However, when every day becomes a burden, and waking up literally brings you anxiety, that’s a bigger problem. Not wanting to ever get out of bed is one of the signs of depression. I have been there this year. I was exhausted, yet couldn’t sleep, had anxiety and dreams about having to wake up in the morning, and laid there half awake dreading the alarm time and the day to come. Every day was just another day of the same things, and I didn’t want to do it. I tried to have a positive attitude and make changes to make things better, but I just couldn’t get my spirits up. I put so much pressure on myself to meet my own expectations. No one else knew what I was doing or how I was “performing” or held me to any standards or made me do anything (Since I have been on my own not with a team the past several months), but I made myself; I had to keep going because I said so. I was in habits of each day being a certain way, and I didn’t want to see what would happen if it changed. There was the fear. Yeah, I was tired and miserable and obviously, something was wrong, but what would happen if I changed something? It sounds simple, but the mind is a powerful thing. The day-to-day routine and my own pressure on myself was the war I couldn’t seem to win.

Verse one verses:  Psalm 30:5; 2 Corinthians 4:16; 10:12;  Galatians 6:4; Exodus 14:4
(I am noting the scriptures that relate to the sections of the song here not to take up too much space, but I will put more words at the bottom.)

{Intro to chorus} But God does not give us a spirit of fear. He fills us with His love to see things that He wants us to make changes for and do what we need to do. Sometimes we need to stop fighting so hard and let go. I know I do. I am stubborn (get it from my momma!), so you bet I’m gonna fight for it, no matter how small the thing may be. Sometimes, fighting only beats yourself up. When we are being defeated in our own fight, we need to give it up to God.

Intro verses: Isaiah 41:13; 2 Timothy 1:7; Psalm 3:6, 23:4, 27:3; Ephesians 3:18; Deuteronomy 20:4; 1 John 5:4; 1 Corinthians 10:13, 15:57; Proverbs 21:31; Psalm 55:22, 121:1-2; 1 Peter 5:7

{Chorus} I want to live fearlessly! Be bold and powerful! Just listen to that beat. Doesn’t it make you want to bust a move and do something?! God doesn’t want us to be held back by things we are unafraid of or back down when things are uncertain. He is with us through all of it. He wins every battle and has every moment for us planned out for His victory. It can be good for things to be unknown because then we don’t have to worry about planning it. Just go with it. Easier said than done, I know. But when I do best in these situations is when I decide to embrace it as a challenge and an opportunity rather than something intimidating. Take what comes and work with it! Like I tell myself in uncertainty, “When it is out of my control, it is totally in God’s control.” Following where He leads, walking through the doors He opens, can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things if we decide to do it. God often leads us down paths that we would not choose on our own, but that is because He is all-knowing and perfect, and we are naive and make mistakes. When God is giving the hint to do something, trust Him. He can set us free from whatever may be holding us back.

Chorus verses: 1 John 4:18; Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 13:5; Genesis 28:15; Psalm 139:6, 119:105; Matthew 16:24; Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 31:4, 146:7; Luke 4:18; John 8:32, 36; Galatians 5:1; James 1:25

{Verse two and bridge} No matter how dumb you think it may sound to someone else, it is between you and God. He knows, understands, and made you uniquely you. It may seem like something small or irrelevant to others, something they don’t give a second thought to, but for you it is big. That happens with me. Considering I’m a runner, lots of things bother me that other people have never even heard of or care about. Example: Extra credit or other various events on campus tended to be at or after dinner time, and many fun things didn’t start until late. Sure the majority of people would attend or participate all gung-ho, but there I would be thinking, “That’s dinner time! I gotta eat! Or I’m going to be in bed before that even starts!” Others would just sleep in if they were tired or stayed up late, but I would get up to run. People are just wired differently, and that is okay. That’s how God made us. We all have our own mountains to climb and our own giants to face. When we make it about Him rather than about us (which is how it is supposed to be anyways), He will guide, provide, and do things that we could not imagine. With Him on our side, we have nothing to fear.

Verse two and bridge verses: Matthew 17:20; Job 9:5; Luke 4:32; Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 8:27; John 14:13-14, 15:16, 16:23-24; 1 Peter 4:11; Romans 8:37, 31; 2 Corinthians 5:7

Again, simpler said than done, but with God there is nothing to fear. We just have to commit our minds and hearts to it. Remember that “The Lord God is a sun and shield, bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

I realize that altogether that is a ton of verses, so here are a few from each section/topic. Otherwise, opening up your Bible is a good idea.

“…weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

“…I will fear no evil, for You are with me…” Psalm 23:4

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…” 1 John 4:18

“…they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:23

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then…” Galatians 5:1

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

“What kind of a man is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him!” Matthew 8:27

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.” John 15:16

“In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37