Living a Life Free of Fear

Hey there friends! My name is Lexy and I am from Columbus, Ohio! 

Recently, my husband and I had the privilege of joining staff with YWAM Maui after periods of traveling back and forth to the wonderful island of Maui. I did my DTS in 2016, Luke did his in 2017, and while we were engaged we came out to serve the base for a few months in 2018. We then returned back home, got married and began settling in… little did we know God had other plans. Through a series of events, God clearly called Luke and I to pack everything up and move out to serve YWAM Maui. This meant leaving behind our friends, families, leaving our jobs, our cozy apartment, our church community, and most of all, leaving our “comfort” behind to follow God’s calling on our life.

In September of 2020, we officially moved to Maui and participated in YWAM Maui’s secondary school, “School of Biblical Foundations and Missions”. We wanted the next season of our life to be grounded in the word of God and His eternal Truth. Our eyes and hearts were set on the Word of God as a foundation for moving forward in our marriage and in ministry. 

I have always struggled with fear. Fear of man and how other’s viewed me, fear of not having enough financially, fear of looking stupid infront of others, and even fear of how God views me. During my DTS, God did a lot of healing in these areas, but fear will easily and constantly creep in unless you keep your eyes focused on the One who made you. One thing God continually reminds me of is how “fear and faith cannot coexist”. You can’t have fear while having faith. Fear is easy to spot, fear is everywhere in our culture, but what is faith? 

I believe faith comes naturally when you are in constant fellowship with Jesus Christ. You aren’t just making a wish and hoping it comes true. When you have faith as a Christian, you are faithful to the living God who will provide and come through for you in all circumstances. Faith in Jesus Christ is locking eyes with Him and knowing “in His timing, He will make it happen, it may not look how I want it to look but He will make a way”. 

That is faith. Trusting the unseen because you have seen the One who knows you. During our move here I had to keep my gaze focused on the one who holds the whole world in His hands. We knew that God had a good plan for our life, because we were faithful in listening to what He had asked us to do. Fear and faith have no place together in our life as Christians. I couldn’t be running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to plan it all, while at the same time declaring that God had called us and has a plan for us already in place. I had to have faith that if God wanted us out here in Maui, He would make it happen, and I watched God beautifully orchestrate the whole thing. I am often reminded of the story of Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. Peter began to sink when he focused on the storm around him and took his eyes off of Jesus. Fear creeps in when you take your eyes off of Jesus. He has so much more for us if we would only keep our gaze fixed on Him. 

I want to encourage you to constantly keep your eyes on Jesus and have faith that God will make a way. No matter how big the storm around you may seem, our God is bigger than any fear, doubt, depression, or anxiety. He sees you, He cares for you, and He is longing to have a relationship with you.