Slight confession: I’ve always loved to travel—throughout the country and internationally sans annoying airline delays— but I haven’t been the best about taking even a vacation lately let alone taking a few days off. Could I take some time off? Yes. Should I take some time off? Absolutely.
Am I the only one who’s become bad about taking a real vacation?
Well, after almost a year, I finally did what I needed to do and took off almost a week to rest in December. Although I had planned a few things to do, I found that I slept deeply, rested daily, ate rich Christmas dishes of meats, dairy, and carbs, and watched Christmas movies nonstop and somehow still lost weight.
At one point during my much needed vacation I woke up one morning in my normal fashion, unsure what time of day it was when a statement filtered through my mind, almost as if it was being whispered to me:
“You need to break up with fear.”
I sat on the side of the bed contemplating this statement as my eyes adjusted to the daylight and my consciousness perked up. Thoughts began to flood my more-alert mind as the words “break up” cast fear in the role of someone I no longer wanted in my life.
And then it really hit me. It’s not enough to say I won’t be afraid or to be a little less timid. It’s not even enough to tell myself I would attempt to do more outside of my comfort zone and try new things in the coming year. Like an ex from a bad relationship, the “break up” is not just necessary, but healthy, and so is forgetting fear was ever in my life. I no longer needed to take its thoughts or expectations into consideration when living my life.
Like an ex who hated all the things I loved, I no longer had to adjust my preferences or choices to accommodate the person who never wanted to eat jerk chicken and seafood, go salsa dancing, or spend time at museums. I was now free to do what I wanted when I wanted without consulting this other person.
Now to be completely transparent, this is not the first time I’ve been warned about the need to eliminate fear’s entry into my thoughts and life. Years ago, before I headed to New York, I was warned about the importance of living free from fear and that even a small amount of fear would prove to be dangerous.
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
Romans 6:16 NLT
Fear is not a pet. It’s not a friend. It’s just another one of the enemy’s harsh taskmasters. It’s a small cage that first presents itself as a warm place of safety and refuge against a threat. Like a boa it steadily tightens its grip until you’re suffocating. And ultimately, it’s an entry point to your demise because fear will not hesitate to whisper its lies to you to keep you from the good things God has for you.
“Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.”
Romans 6:18 NLT
As this New Year has started, those words have followed me, reminding me to take a stronger stance to eradicate fear from every part of my life in every way it shows up and no longer live within its confines.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1 NIV
One of the names for Jesus is the Living Word, because He is the Word—as mind boggling as that concept is
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
The great thing about Scripture being consistent and synonymous with our God’s character is that the power we see Jesus walk in to set people free and bring them into peace, healing, and abundance is available to us now. Taking hold of this reality is not complicated, but I’m noticing it does take vigilance. When fear comes sauntering by to invite me to take a trip I remind myself I don’t have to even open the door. I can shout my response and use my time in more productive ways.
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:11
Like doing my final round of checks before heading to bed to ensure everything is as it should be—which becomes mandatory after you leave the freezer door open overnight—this year I’m staying vigilant to keep five specific areas in check and if you’ve noticed fear causing you to shrink back, I invite you to do the same.
My thoughts
What am I thinking and meditating upon?
Are these my thoughts or something someone else has said about me or themselves and their limitations?
My decisions
Am I making this decision based on reality or am I trying to keep myself from feeling uncomfortable?
My actions
Does this move me forward?
Am I responding to fear or to the truth?
My habits
Does this align with my goals?
My statements
Am I speaking the truth over myself, my life, and my abilities?
Am I saying what I want to see or am I speaking negative things?
While all five areas are interrelated, they all directly trace their roots to the internal world of our thought life, which is making meditating upon the Word, a 2024 non-negotiable. Like a hostage released from an indoctrination camp, meditation trains the mind to operate in the reality of who we are and who God is, and makes it second nature to operate from the reality of covenant.
In our place as beloved children, we have rest, security, protection, provision, freedom, and the certainty of victory, regardless of how things may look. We are set up to advance and increase in every way and that is the truth that leads to, and keeps us in, freedom.
This week, meditate upon the truth of who you are. Trust that the One who created you for great things has those things ready and available to you this year. He is the lifter of your head and He will not fail you.
For Your Meditation:
Romans 8:37
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.