You unravel me, with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance, from my enemies
Till all my fears are gone

My sister emailed my family this song a few weeks ago, but I didn’t get around to listening to it until now while (finally!) reading emails. Turns out, it’s the perfect message for this mid-semester morning.

It can be so easy to dart our eyes around quickly and stumble into listening to the world’s message on every front in life, especially during stressful times. The common lies that we choose to hear and believe are sometimes shocking. Concerning school: “You should be scared. That exam is going to be so difficult. And you definitely didn’t study correctly for it. Plus, you’re not even smart enough to be doing this.” Concerning relationships: “You never do anything “fun.” Fun friends do this. Why can’t you just shut up and join the crowd for once?” Concerning identity: “You’re not unique in any way. You are not special. You’re just like everyone else.” Concerning ability: “You don’t have any talent whatsoever. People are probably laughing at you behind your back.” Concerning practically everything else: “You should be worried. You should be hesitant. You should be filled with fear. Good luck getting through this.” That’s why the constant refrain of this song couldn’t be any more powerful or true:

I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God.

There seems to be an invisible because before I am a child of God. This is an important because. It’s one word that brings so much meaning into who we are and how we approach life. The world will ask frantically, Why aren’t you afraid? Why are you overcoming? Why are you so joyous in the midst of such hard times? How can you still have such strong faith among the crazy things happening around us?

Because.

Because I am a child of God. And what happens as God’s child? I don’t have to be afraid of anything! I’m no longer a slave to fear – or to the rest of the world’s nuances – because I am a child of God. He has taken the burdens that the world throws upon me and relieved me of that stress by instead giving me a spirit filled with His overcoming strength and peace. That designation, that identity as God’s child, brings so much more power to my life than I think I’ll ever realize this side of heaven. As God’s children, He’s given us power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7, which happened to be today’s Verse of the Day), rather than fear. We don’t have to be afraid of anything life throws at us because we have unimaginable support in God and His family. Literally, the Creator of the universe is upholding us with His hands. We have an important identity as His children that means everything when we focus our eyes above and realize that God loves us unconditionally, that He’s gracious and kind, that He’s here to help us through every step of life, and that we can trust Him fully without fearing the future.

From my mother’s womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I’ve been born again, into your family
Your blood flows through my veins

You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
So I could stand and sing:

I am a child of God.