Living the Life You Were Meant To Live

“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61:3

Do you ever feel like you’re living a smaller life than you were meant to? Is there a part of you that yearns to be a part of something bigger than yourself; to connect with friends and family more intimately; and to unveil the deeper layers of beauty that make you uniquely breath-taking?

Wow, we all long for those things, don’t we?! And yet they seem to remain just beyond our grasp. Like a horse chasing after, but never quite reaching the carrot dangling in front of his nose, we wear ourselves out chasing after, but never quite grasping greater purpose, unhindered relationships and true beauty.

So what’s holding us back? Simply…it’s fear.

Fear of stepping out to try something new. Fear of failure. Fear of forgiving. Fear of letting the real you shine. Fear of what others think.

What if there was a way to overcome fear? I have good news for you, but you’ll have to stay with me as I explain. The Bible says perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). The only one who loves perfectly is God; therefore, the key to overcoming fear is experiencing deeper levels of God’s love for you. If you’ve never experienced God, but have only known about God, this concept will feel abstract. Believing that God desires for you to experience him will require faith on your part. You must also believe that God desires to heal and restore the places of your heart that have been devastated by fear, guilt, shame, and unforgiveness. As you experience the perfect, healing love of God, our focus verse says you will be called an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. Note the word oak. 

An oak tree is known for its strength, endurance and beauty. The breadth and width of its branches and root system are stunning, and yet a newly sprouted oak tree doesn’t always get the chance to become what it was created to be.

It can live a tremendously small life as a bonsai tree. Its keeper simply contains its tender roots in a tiny pot and continuously trims back its growing branches. Once a year, the oak is taken out of its pot just long enough to have its roots cut back.

This tiny oak will never know the life it was created to live.

Friend, this is true for you as well, as long as you allow fear to be the keeper of your heart. God’s perfect love for you can crush the pot fear has put you in and free your roots to reach deeply into his healing waters. Only his love can grow you into the woman he created you to be. The longings of your heart will no longer be just out of reach. They will be completely satisfied. 

Anna Frye is a speaker, author, television host and founder of the Chosen and Crowned tribe. She invites moms and wives to celebrate imperfect progress fueled by the grace of a perfect God. She helps women bravely talk about the messy places of life, instead of hiding shamefully under them. She believes that lasting beauty comes when women courageously surrender their ashes to God and allow him to do something mind-blowingly amazing with them. If this resonates with you, then you belong with the Chosen and Crowned tribe. Connect at www.ChosenAndCrowned.com/blog