Fear and intimidation can be an amazingly powerful duo, and many of us deal with them on a daily basis. The moment we see someone who seems smarter, prettier, more successful, the insecure teenager from yesteryear comes stomping to the surface. I have come to understand that confidence must rest on Who He is in me, not who I am in and of myself. Otherwise, my confidence soars or plummets based on where I am, whom I see, and what I am feeling, and that, my friends, is a roller coaster of emotions!
What if we really lived for an audience of One? How freeing would it be to dance through life singularly focused on pleasing the One Who is already pleased with us? His thoughts about us are more than the grains of sand (Psalm 139:18). He knows the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30), even the hairs that have been dyed so many times that they’re not sure of their original color. 🙂 He has seen all of my sin and selfishness and still paid the highest price to win my heart.
I believe that if we abandoned ourselves in His Love, all of the toxic self-analyses and inhibitions would melt away. Dwelling in the Secret Place in His Presence is what we were designed for (Psalm 91), and anything less undermines the abundant life that He purposed for us. So, let’s keep running toward Him, and in doing so, we can leave fear and intimidation behind!