I'm Kelly Ann Snyder. Welcome to Living Perfectly Loved, the podcast created to encourage, equip, and inspire you to live free from fear and full of joy, secure in God's perfect love. If you're longing to stand firm in Christ amidst the storms of life with a faith deeply rooted in God's perfect love, stop anxiety and fear from stealing your joy and controlling your life, shine brightly and love fearlessly, confident in who God uniquely created and called you to be, then this faith-inspiring podcast, full of practical help and spiritual tools, is for you. You're listening to Season One, Episode 13, Love Fearlessly. Brought to you by Living Perfectly Loved Ministries and my new book, Living Perfectly Loved: A Christian's 12-Step Journey to Freedom from the Grip of Anxiety and Fear. For all recommended resources, products, and freebies discussed in this episode, please see the notes for this episode. I'm happy to announce that in each episode this season, I will be sharing an excerpt from my book containing each of the 12 steps the Lord used to deliver me from the grip of anxiety and fear. In this way, you'll be getting a sneak peek into my book, Living Perfectly Loved. I'm so glad you've decided to join me. Subscribe to my email list today at kellyandsnyder.com and you will be kept in the loop with all book and ministry-related announcements I make, and be eligible to receive all free resources I create and share with my subscribers. Visit my website at kellyandsnyder.com to learn more about Living Perfectly Loved Ministries, including direct links to purchase my book and information that can help you take the next step forward in your faith journey. If you haven't yet listened to my podcast trailer, I'd like to invite you to do so after listening to this episode. All right, let's get started! The following is an excerpt from Step 12 of my book, Living Perfectly Loved, titled: Love Fearlessly. When I think about what it means to love fearlessly, I think of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. Many people celebrate St. Patrick's life and work as a missionary and priest each year on March 17th. He is known as the quote unquote, apostle of Ireland, for being among the first took successfully spread the gospel message throughout Ireland in the fifth century, until which time it had been a mostly pagan nation. What many people do not know is that St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. According to The Real St. Patrick, an article written by Ted Olson for Christianity Today,"Patrick was 16 years old in about the year 4 0 5, when he was captured in a raid and became a slave in what was still radically pagan Ireland." He was kidnapped from his home in what's now Dumbarton, Scotland, and forced to work as a herdsman in Ireland. It was during this time of bondage to his captors that St. Patrick's relationship with the Lord was cultivated and ultimately matured. God used difficult circumstances to draw a Saint Patrick closer to Him. After six long years of bondage spent mostly in prayer. St. Patrick escaped his captors and finally returned home to his parents. As the story goes, though, the Lord called Saint Patrick to return to Ireland some years later, likely went in his mid-forties, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the very same people who had abducted and enslaved him. Can you imagine? God called Saint Patrick to love his enemies in a way that is hard for most of us to fathom. As a child, I was sensitive, quiet, shy, and also quick to become defensive if I felt misunderstood or hurt emotionally. My Irish Catholic grandfather used to say to me,"Stay on the offense, not the defense." I believe this was his way of encouraging me not to get angry and defensive with people who accused me, or failed to love me the way I wish they would, but to remain calm and secure with who and whose I am. It was also his way of telling me not to be timid and afraid in my approach with people, but rather bold and fearless. His words remind me of the way St. Patrick chose to love the people of Ireland. While St. Patrick could have easily taken a self-protective, defensive stance and refuse to return to Ireland for fear of what his former heathen captors might do to him, he didn't. Instead, he took an offensive approach, allowing Jesus' love for the unsaved people of Ireland to fill his heart. St. Patrick was emboldened to step out in faith and boldly proclaim the name of Jesus to the broken, the hurting, and the lost. Selflessly, he loved the people of Ireland more than he loved his own life, and praise God he did! As a result of St. Patrick's decision to love fearlessly, a nation of people was saved for eternity. Jesus has called us each to love others in this way. I believe God wants us to understand that no matter how dark or painful our circumstances may be, or how intense the opposition to our faith, we always have a choice as to how we will respond: in fear or in love. When we react in fear, we will tend to respond defensively, putting up walls of self protection around us. This keeps us from being able to continue loving those around us, as well as receiving love from others. On the other hand, when we respond in love, courageously and compassionately, we will be empowered to release responsibility for our protection to God, trusting Him to come to our defense. See Isaiah 52 verse 12. We will come to rely on God's perfect love to fill us rather than the imperfect love of other people. This will free us to focus on loving those whom God has called us to love, joyfully and wholeheartedly. Personally, I've learned in my struggle with the fear of rejection and abandonment, that I can be tempted to withhold my love from people. Having been deeply hurt by people who have neglected to love me, rejected, or abandoned me, it can feel safer to put up walls of self-protection around my heart, rather than risk vulnerability, opening myself up to further pain. I may say to myself, because they don't fill my cup, I will no longer fill theirs and continue the cycle of rejection and abandonment. However, this wouldn't be the right response, because as painful as it is sometimes to love them, I know these are people in my life whom God has called me to continue to love fearlessly. Rather than fear their rejection and abandonment, I choose to remember that Jesus took up the pain of my being rejected and abandoned and laid it upon himself, so I would never have to carry the weight of that pain ever again. I can remember His unfailing love and acceptance, and instead of looking to other people to fill my cup and make me feel whole, I can let go of the unholy expectations I had of others and look to God, whose perfect love will always be enough to meet my every need. This will allow me the freedom to continue to love without fear. Note: this doesn't include abusive people from whom you need to keep a safe distance, or those with a pattern of hurtful or harmful behavior with whom you establish boundaries to protect your physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual health. You may choose to love these individuals from a distance by praying for them, for example, or in other ways that don't compromise your health and safety, depending on your relationship with them. I believe this is the offensive approach my grandfather encouraged me to take. It seems both Saint Patrick and my grandfather understood what I'm still learning to live out. We can be joy-filled and free in choosing to love fearlessly, knowing we are completely covered and protected by God's perfect love. Yes, to love fearlessly comes with risk, but it's a risk we're taking when God's with you, guiding you in it. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Thank you for Your perfect love. This journey toward living perfectly loved has been challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. Thank You for revealing Your plan for my rescue, restoration, and release. Teach me to love fearlessly and to live in unity with other believers in the body of Christ. Make me worthy of Your calling, Lord, and by Your power, bring to fruition my every desire for goodness and my every deed prompted by faith. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Thanks for listening to the final episode of Season One of the Living Perfectly Loved podcast. While it's true that God is love and we are perfectly loved by Him, we all struggle at times to live like this true. While we should strive to grow in Christ likeness, we can rest in knowing God loves us because of who He is, not because of who we are or anything we could ever do for Him. In Jesus Christ, we are enough! Remember, you don't have to be perfect to live perfectly loved. You have always been and will always be a completely forgiven, fully accepted, deeply loved, daughter the King. Beautiful friend, His grace is for you. Please subscribe to my podcast now and stay tuned for Season Two of Living Perfectly Loved. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He shine His face on you and be gracious to you. May He turn His face toward you and give you peace, in Jesus' name.