What does it mean to live unafraid? How can we live in the freedom that is offered to us and allow Christ’s perfect love to cast out all of our fears? We want to live unafraid, oh, how we want to be free from our anxious, afraid state and let our hurts be healed and soothed by Jesus. However, when He brings His healing balm of grace to cleanse our deepest wounds we hide, we recoil and we fuss with the process, trying to control the outcome instead of giving Jesus the space to operate in His goodness for our good. So, how can we live unafraid? We need to first put our trust in our champion defender.  

‘Stop fussing!’ Twice I’ve heard it now from two different people. Isn’t it true that the repetition of a word is when God wants to get our attention? Twice hearing means that we can’t pretend we’ve missed the message, right? Is God trying to bring His stillness into my frenzied flapping as I busy myself with a lot of things, but I’m doing them all in a way that isn’t really being very effective? ‘What are you afraid of?’ I hear God’s hushed-toned whisper as He tries to bring order into my disorder. I echo the spirit of Martha in my answer, ‘Many things, Lord. Many things.’ And it is then that He leads me to the truth of His Word. Truth staring right back at me from the pages of His book of poetry. ‘…for no matter what happens, I will live unafraid!’ Okay, God, now I’m listening…  

I will live unafraid. Hmmm, it says it right there at the end of Psalm 4, the poetry of God reminding the ones who feel afraid, anxious, out of control or discouraged to stop fussing, to stop controlling outcomes. To remember that God is our champion defender and to live unafraid, no matter what happens. ‘Now, because of you, Lord, I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once, for no matter what happens, I will live unafraid!’ Psalm 4:8 [TPT] 

No matter what happens? And this is where we flinch and hesitate. We mistake the peace and sleep that the Lord offers in that verse, the slumber He promises in return for our surrender as hibernation, as shrinking back because the ‘no matter what happens’ part sounds risky business. It sounds too dangerous a path to follow. So, we negotiate with God and tell Him it’s better for everyone if we just hibernate our insecurities and lock them up in our caves where it feels safe. We let Jesus know that all the fussing, controlling, and flapping needs to come out instead of first coming to Him with our toil and struggles and learning how to trust Him and to actually let Him show us how to live unafraid. 

Does living unafraid mean we won’t ever have trouble or experience painful moments? Of course not. ‘For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous’ reminds Jesus in John 16:33. Living unafraid means allowing the peace of God to steady you even when you feel like you’re in the eye of the storm and you’re facing stormy seas. It’s learning how to step out of that safe, secure boat, the thing that has given you comfort, and decide to live wholeheartedly in trusting Jesus with every single one of your ‘no matter what happens’ moments. 

If you feel the sense that Jesus is calling you to wake up, get out of the boat and walk on water, statements like ‘I will live unafraid’ are costly because this kind of life requires us to stop guarding and covering up our pain and let the sacrificial blood of Jesus disinfect all our bleeding, oozing wounds. His scars will bind up your broken heart, His love will engulf your pain so you can live unafraid in the ‘no matter what happens’ journey of recovery. 

To live unafraid is to trust in the One who carries you when your weary soul needs rest. To live unafraid is to surrender your disappointments to His healing, disinfecting balm. To live unafraid is to let His scars repair, restore and redeem your hurts when you’re feeling afraid of an unknown future. When we say, ‘I will live unafraid’ it becomes a costly experience that requires us to keep laying down our fussing and control and let Jesus’ steady hand guide and help us along the waves. 

It can be painful as the healing disinfectant stings into our wounding before it produces a testimony scar. However, it is this posture and position that is worth the risk. It is worth the letting go of all our fussing, flapping, and controlling. It’s saying to Jesus, ‘I’m all in regardless of what happens ‘ and through our trust and surrender to the One who holds our hearts we can come out of hibernation and live unafraid! 

Wendy xo  

Where do you find yourself fussing and flapping or trying to control? Where have you not put your trust in Jesus so that you can live unafraid?

I pray today that you will hear Jesus call your name and that you will have a deep sense of His love and comfort and know that He is for you and not against you as He wipes your wounds with His disinfectant balm. I pray that His call will help you to come out of hibernation and to feel the freedom in the vast, open space of living unafraid. Amen.