Fear

Lately, I’ve been feeling a lot of fear. 

I often ask myself questions like:

1. Am I following God’s plan for me?
2. Why does everyone else’s life look so happy on social media? Why can’t my life be like that?
3. Should I have picked a different career path? Would I have been more happy?
4. Am I living in the right location? Should I move?

For me, fear can be immobilizing. However, I have found comfort in Christ’s words: “My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” 

Over the last month I have found three ideals that have helped me find peace in a fearful world.

1. Friends:

Surrounding myself with supportive, positive friendships takes effort. Although genuine relationships aren’t fostered overnight, they have helped me my darkest of times.

2. Preparation:

My patriarchal blessing states, “With preparation, you will not fear.” As I have prepared and organized myself daily for work and projects, I have felt a calm, peaceful confidence.

3. Build Where You Stand:

It is easy to think the grass is greener on the other side. Perhaps it is, however, often it is not. Regardless, you don’t have to be Mother Theresa to change the world. Look up! Look out! The opportunities to make a difference in the people’s lives right around you are endless. You often don’t need to go anywhere, you just need to realize where you are.

I’ve often thought there is a perfect path in life that I’m supposed to follow. A perfect girl to date, a perfect job to find, some perfect plan that God has for me that I need to find: my destiny. However, I’ve come to realize that destiny is less about finding the perfect path God has mysteriously laid out for me and more about co-creating it with God. 

“God is much less a divine dictator who demands perfect compliance to a predetermined plan for our individual lives and much more a co-creator with us of the lives we want to live.” - Ariel Szuch

Peace is the anedote of fear and Jesus Christ is the literal Prince of Peace. Look to Him and we will find a destiny we are creating with Him.