what do you fear?

Tonight began the last of Joe Farris' "Last Lectures". He and his family are becoming full time missionaries, and he wanted to leave the adults and teens with a few last notes about how to live lives to the fullest and to be joyful and servants to God.

Tonight was all about FEAR and how to be FEARLESS. What do you fear? Why do you fear those things? Do you fear not fitting in? Do you fear being made fun of for who you are, what you do, and for your faith? What are you willing to do to face those fears? Are you willing to face the fear of all those judgmental faces? Are you willing to face your fears and lead others to live better lives? To not go to those parties, to not drink those drinks? What are YOU willing to do to help others and to face your fears?

This was mainly for our high school teenagers who face fears every day in the judgmental halls of High School. High schoolers really have it tough. They are just beginning to have freedoms. They can drive, they can stay out later. It all seems great right? But it's really not. They have the temptations of drugs and parties and alcohol, and boys and girls in dating. But more importantly they are being judged at every moment. And the more they are judged the more they want to "fit in" they don't want to say hey come to church with me, I'm not going to go to this party. It becomes in order to be cool and have friends I have to go to this party, I have to do this and that other than pray and be strong in my faith.  They become more and more demeaning and bitter and cynical about their faith and they don't even know it! So how can we teach these teens NOT to be fearful of the judgements and criticisms that are coming their way. We can't tell them it gets easier, because as a college student it doesn't. As a girl about to get married I'm still fearful. So what can we tell these boys and girls, rather young men and women about how to be fearless? There is no direct answer. We can only show them, through stories, and faith and following God. As a humorous but still very real example we watched a clip from Rocky where for the first time he admits he is scared. Scared of losing, scared of what happened, just fearful. But Adrienne helped him, guided him...and told him it was okay. To fight the fight for the RIGHT reasons. What can the kids take away from that? To face their fears. To not be afraid. But to do what they do and want to do for the right reasons, rather than just trying to fit in.

We showed them pictures of the student standing in front of the tanks facing his fear for peace in Tiananmen Square. ONE man who stood up for peace. One STUDENT. He wasn't famous, or well known. He was a student who wanted peace and faced his fear. The fear that he could run over, shot, killed, all to lead people to peace. We don't know what happened to him, we don't know if he lived or how he died. This student didn't know he was having his picture taken. It wasn't for the fame or the fortune. It wasn't to fit in or to become popular.

Of course that is an extreme, but our teens can and should be able to stand up for their faith, for their religion, and for their God and whatever else they believe in, in a setting where that is seen so "odd" or "stupid". And I'm sorry to break it to you guys but it doesn't get easier. But we have to TRUST and PRAY that everything will turn out.

Our fears don't have to be faith related either. I am fearful of the unknown. What is going to happen after I graduate? I've always had a plan of what's coming next, but this time I don't. And that is a huge FEAR in my life. Yes I know I am going to graduate and then get married, but what am I going to do? Will I have a job? Where will we live? Should I go to school? What should I go to school for? What school should I go to? And then on top of that after I graduate I will have a husband to worry about and have fears for as well. Will he have a job? What can I do for him? How are we going to pay these bills and taxes? IT NEVER ENDS!

I can't just get all these answers right away. I have to face these fears and know that God will always lead me in the right path. I need to have faith. I need to be fearless and not worry so much. I need to jump first and fear later.

So my challenge (and Joe's as well). Be Fearless. As one of my favorite movies says "Why are you trying so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out" Stand out among your friends and classmates and say I am not fearful, I am fearless. Don't take this to the extreme and be like I will play with this rattle snake, because sometime fear is a good thing!! BUT don't be afraid to say no to temptations. Be fearless in your faith and standing up for what you believe.

"I am not afraid of anything that might happen to me on this Earth because I know no matter what nothing can take my spirit from me...How much it pains me...to think about not watching my boy excel in life, or giving my little baby girl away in marriage...Whenever I am in pain and disappointment and I will be there for you."
Adam Brown Fearless

BE FEARLESS THIS WEEK! 
God Bless
Lyndsey