Don't Be Scuurred...

I find that this post is interesting in the fact that this particular phrase was coined several years ago as comical.  We all remember, "Don't be scured".  By the way, that wasn't a typo. I spelled it that way because that's how it was pronounced when someone would say it. Although funny, it's a very simple truth and reality. Fear is a battle that most if not all of us fight at some point in our lives.In this piece, I don't want to focus on the type of fear that many of us are familiar with like flying, water, spiders etc. I want to discuss the fear of freedom. Yes, you read it correctly. THE FEAR OF FREEDOM! Is that even possible? Absolutely! In fact, the sad truth is that fear is what keeps most of us bound. That's what kept me bound for nearly 20 years. I was afraid to be free and not only being free, but what that meant.Before I get too deep into my thoughts or opinions, I'd like to dive briefly into the scripture. Matthew 17 tells the story of a few disciples going up to the mountain with Jesus and there on that mountain Jesus was transfigured before their eyes. The disciples were terrified and as the Word says, they were overcome with fear. Some would interpret  that they were afraid because they saw dead people, namely Moses and Elijah and that was the motivator of their fear. I don't see it that way. They were afraid because the were both seeing and experiencing something they'd never seen before. They had never seen nor heard of transfiguration before this encounter so it was new to them.Lovely ones, that's what is intended for each of us. An encounter of  tranfigurative freedom in,of, and through the Holy Spirit. Literal heaven on earth. Sadly, many us don't and won't experience it because we will not take the hand of the Savior to ascend to a higher place. Notice in this text, Jesus took His disciples higher to a mountain and there they had their life-changing encounter. We are afraid of what that looks like and what that means for us. We are afraid of what we have to give up rather than what we are gaining.Along my journey, I've lost plenty of relationships. Some family and some not, but it still hurt the same. I've encountered enough side eyes and back-stabbing for the next two lifetimes. Before I was married with children, I spent lonely moments and cried many tears for understanding. I've experienced too many dissapointments to count. But here I stand...FEARLESS and FREE(for real).In order to experience this freedom, we have to surrender our fear to the Father. There's a requirement to ascend in your prayer and devotional life, your thoughts and behaviors. I'm not a hiker or mountain climber by any stretch, but I've been told that the higher you go your needs change from what you need to breathe, your equipment etc. It's called the snake line--the place where the air gets super thin and breathing is difficult unless the climber has  trained and have the best equipment for that part of the journey. Many people who do brave mountain climbing don't make it to the top because of the snake line. What's even more powerful is that their choice in equipment is vital to their sustainability.So think about it like this, you can make the decision to go higher, but the decision alone will not sustain you. Everything around you must change to adapt to the decision. Change your thoughts, and you'll change your life; Change your life, and you can change the world.