Along with resolutions, goals, and planning, selecting a word for the year can be a common new year tradition. In 2018, I first decided to take part in this practice, so I prayed and sought after the Lord for a word. The word I felt led to choose for the year was “fearless”. This bold, fierce, empowering word caused me to be so excited for what was to unfold in the coming months. As the year was drawing to a close, I could have shared with you several ways I lived out this word by stepping out of my comfort zone in action and belief. However, as one of my Christmas gifts that December, I received a gold key necklace with the word “fearless” stamped on it. My beloved friend shared that she felt this word would be important for me in the upcoming new year. The word that I had focused on for 2018 would be the word I would need for 2019... What? Did I do something wrong? Did I misunderstand God? Did I not do enough? Did I fail? All of these things were running through my mind, and I was initially frustrated in receiving this word a second time.
As time went on and 2019 unfolded, a lot of hard choices, big steps, and transition began to occur. It was the most interesting and challenging year of my life so far. In all the ups and downs, I pressed on and pressed through. Once again, by the end, I could have given you a list of the ways the word “fearless” was evident in my life. Then, lo and behold, for Christmas I received another gold key necklace from a dear friend with “fearless” stamped on it.
I mean, really? Again all of the same questions went through my mind. Although these gifts from my two friends continue to mean more and more, I was deeply discouraged at first. Instead of reading “fearless” on the necklace, I saw “failure”. The enemy was trying to tell me that whatever I had done each year was not enough to be considered full of faith instead of full of fear. However, I have walked with God long enough and with these friends long enough to detect this dialogue of deception taking place within me, and it was not going to survive very long.
The truth is that living with the Lord is a relational journey of faith. It is not a checklist. It is not a contest of perfectionism. It is not temporary. Life with the Lord is choosing to say “yes” to Him over everything else. It is continually taking one step away from fear and one step forward in faith. Some fears will persist and some will change with circumstances, but with each comes a choice to give in or proceed in faith.
Romans 1:17 says that through the gospel “the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith.” It does not say that the righteous will live by success, meeting goals, never failing, or never fearing, but by “faith to faith”. It is a continual process of walking in the presence and power of God. As we move from “faith to faith”, we also experience God’s “grace upon grace” (see John 1:16). There is enough grace to cover every hesitancy, doubt, and backwards step in fear and enough grace to push us onward in the direction of faith.
Let me share a little bit more on that necklace of mine. As it turned out, my original fearless key was stolen during a break in. The token that reminded me of my friend’s encouragement was taken as I walked into a pivotal season of transition containing both joy and grief. A season in which I had to be brave. Receiving the same necklace a second time was a true gift of God. It was a second opportunity for me to embrace a choice of faith over the identity of fear and failure. It was a second opportunity to receive the encouragement of the faith of my friends. It was a reminder that they are praying for me, and they believe God works mightily in me and through me. For Paul, this encouragement in the faith was the reason he longed to visit the church in Rome. He called it a “spiritual gift” (Rom. 1:11-12), and what a gift it is to help each other keep the faith! The physical restoration of my necklace reflected the spiritual restoration of faith, trust, and obedience God longed to continue within me.
The movement our journeys take from “faith to faith” through “grace upon grace” reveals the redeeming power of God to the world around us. Through Christ, we are not failures even though we will fail. We can choose to be fearless because God is taking us from one degree of faith to the next. Fear will not win because He is faithful.