If you’re anything like me then you know how awful it is to feel afraid and how desperately we crave the liberty of being fearless. Many things in this world can cause us to become fearful, or sadly, even terrified. One area of life that evokes fear that I want to address is how daunting it can be to live out your faith.

It has often been scary for me personally to choose to live out my faith. I do not live in a scary place, nor do I pursue scary activities. I live in a small town in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky; however, I have done my fair share of travel which has introduced me to many different places, people, and experiences. Some of my experiences have included leadership opportunities, and I have learned in my experience as a leader that it is intimidating to be on display, especially as a Christian. There have been many times where I felt judged in my attempts to live out my faith. I have had times where I was judged if I did not wear a skirt long enough to reach my ankles in various church leadership roles, was considered as being too firm in keeping the rules at my job, or had times where I felt left out when choosing not to do what my friends were doing. Situations like these hurt, and they can shake your security hard, but this is when choosing to remember what it means to live out our faith and why it is worth pursuing even when being misunderstood by people we care about and respect is vital.

Another aspect of living out my faith that has been challenging for me has been in the midst of my various health struggles. This has often made life different and confusing for an active soul like mine. If you knew me, you’d know that I love to do things! I have many dear friends that remind me that I am a human “being” not a human “doing”, so getting sick has been a very scary experience for me as I have had to learn to trust God. You may not be feeling like you can resonate because you may not be sick, and you may not be in what you consider to be a leadership position right now, but I can guarantee that you and I both have fears we face every day about how we should choose to live out our faith.

What I am wanting you to see is that living out your faith—no matter what position you are in—is not about checking off a long list of Christian good works. Living out your faith starts in your mind and with the decisions that you make. Being sick, I often feel that God has put me on a metaphorical bench in his waiting room where I have no importance or impact in life for his glory. I have to intentionally choose to believe that God is good and that his perfect love can cast out my fear if I actively choose to believe what he has said in the midst of my fear. I have learned that courage is not the absence of fear but choosing to do what is right in the midst of my fear. It is not always easy to live out faith—or hold onto faith for that matter—especially in the midst of scary circumstances, but living out your faith and choosing to trust God is vital for growing as a believer. God says that he will give “strong support” to those who trust him and that when we “acknowledge him” in what we do instead of “leaning on our own understanding” he will make it clear what direction we need to go even if it seems scary (2 Chron.16:9, Prov. 3:5-6).

I have learned that I cannot live out of the fear of man and instead I need to live out of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and those who have it rest satisfied (Prov. 9:10,19:23)! What is the fear of the Lord? The fear of the Lord is having a trust and respect in/for the Lord that is grounded in belief of the promises of who God is and what he has said. He is bigger and stronger than any fear you may have.  When you fear God, the pressures and judgments of man are so much less painful—they still hurt but the reward of peace that comes from trusting God is so much better. The fear of the Lord fills our heart with peace and gives new perspective—hope—to whatever situation you may be facing because, “steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord” (Psalms 32:10).

Carolyn McIntosh is a recent Moody Bible Institute Graduate. She has a passion for helping others see God without the misconception that fear gives in our understanding of who God is. She enjoys sharing her love of Jesus with others and basking in God’s creation in her home state of Kentucky. Carolyn looks forward to writing more in the future for the glory of God and the edification of the body of Christ.