Do not give way to fear. (1 Peter 3:6)

Isn’t that why we hide, why we strive, why we control, why we do anything but offer beauty? We are afraid. We have given way to fear. Just think about your life—why you do the things you do. Have you asked yourself how much you are motivated by fear? Janet’s beauty regimen is totally motivated by fear. She doesn’t believe she’s beautiful. She believes she’s ugly. So she strives. June would not let fear in.

That is why God says to us, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isa. 30:15). In repentance and rest. He loves it when we, gripped with doubt and fear that he will not be enough, turn the gaze of our souls to him in hope. He loves to prove himself faithful and more than enough to satisfy our hungry souls. When we do turn to him, our souls rest and we are saved. Again. And again.

We can’t wait until we feel safe to love and invite. In fact, if you feel a little scared, then you’re probably on the right path. Of course it’s scary. It’s vulnerable. It’s naked. God calls us to stop hiding, to stop dominating, to trust him, and to offer our true selves. He wants us to bring to bear the weight of our lives and all that he has given to us, worked into us, and offer it to our world. To entice, allure, and invite others to Jesus by reflecting his glory in our lives. He will give no guarantee that others will enjoy us and respond well.

In fact, we can be sure that there will be times when they do not. Jesus offered like no other, and many rejected him. In those moments or seasons when that happens to us, God’s invitation is to bring our sorrow to him. Not to shut down with, I’ll never try that again. But to keep our hearts open and alive, and find refuge and healing in his love.

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