Brandon Lake's "Fear Is Not My Future" has been resonating with listeners since its release on his latest album HELP! A version of the song has also been recorded with Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music. "Fear Is Not My Future" is a powerful, hope-filled declaration that Jesus has the final say over our stories and over any situation we face. Let's take a closer look at what that truth means for our lives.
Hello peace, hello joy, hello love/Hello strength, hello hope, it's a new horizon/Hello peace, hello joy, hello love)/Hello strength, hello hope, it's a new horizon
Your struggles don't define your identity; Jesus does. Fear is not my future, You are, You are/And sickness is not my story, You are, You are/And heartbreak's not my home, You are, You are/And death is not the end, Jesus, You are
In a song story video on his YouTube channel, Brandon Lake explains that sometimes we make agreements with the trials we face in life and start to believe that it's just our lot in life, a burden we have to bear. But he wanted this song to be a way to speak the opposite by declaring God's truth and breaking those kinds of agreements.
To be clear, it's so important to acknowledge our emotions and struggles honestly before God, before ourselves, and before other trusted people in our lives. Sometimes as Christians we think stuffing feelings and not talking to God about what's happening in our lives means we have more faith or we're more spiritually mature, but that's not the case.
I struggle with this too and it's an area where God is constantly having to teach me and grow me. And I've experienced the negative effects of not letting God into those places of my life sooner rather than later.
At the same time, though, I've noticed a trend in our culture that seems to go beyond a godly acknowledgment of emotions and struggles and a dependence on God and Christian community for help. Sometimes, if we're not careful, we can treat our trials as if they're a core part of our identity.
Colossians 3:3 says, "your real life is hidden with Christ in God." You might be dealing with sickness, anxiety, a broken relationship, financial hardship, or overwhelm with work or school. Those things might even be a huge part of your life because of the length of the struggle or how impactful it is on your mind and heart and circumstances. That's totally legitimate.
But the truest and deepest reality of who you are and of your life is not defined by the struggles you're going through or the temptations you might be fighting to overcome. As a believer in Christ and a child of God, you are who Jesus says you are in His Word. And that's what you and I get to anchor our hearts to in every season of life.
Thank God that His voice, and the value, identity, and purpose He speaks over us is louder and stronger than the things we walk through in life! It might be a helpful practice to search Scripture for verses about who you are in Christ, reflect on those truths, and let God encourage your heart.
Your struggles don't define your future; Jesus does. Let Him turn it in your favor/Watch Him work it for your good/He's not done with what He's started/He's not done until it's good...If you're ready for a breakthrough/Just open up and just receivе, hey/'Cause what He's pouring out is nothing, nothing/You'vе ever seen, you've ever seen
There's a mentality amongst believers that really emphasizes enduring trials and knowing God uses them to refine and mature us. That's a biblical truth (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:3-7) and I really appreciate that heart posture because it's rooted in humility and reverence for God. However, I believe it's intended to be held in tension with hope for breakthrough as well.
I'm reminded of the apostles' stories in the New Testament letters where they talk about the trials God gave them strength to endure and how God used their struggles to comfort others going through similar things, and also about how God delivered them from trials (2 Corinthians 1:3-11). Or passages like James 4:2 and James 5:16-18 and Isaiah 30:18-19 where we learn that prayer produces results and God loves to show us compassion and help us when we cry out to Him.
Whatever situation you might be dealing with today, who says God can't turn it around? Who says God can't give you strength to endure? Who says God can't give you peace and joy even if you're walking through a trial? Who says God can't bring healing and freedom into your life? Don't be afraid to believe God wants to do good things in your life.
Final Thoughts And goodbye fear, goodbye guilt, goodbye shame/Goodbye pain, it's a new horizon
Does God guarantee every situation in our lives will be solved perfectly and wrapped in a bow on this side of eternity? No. But we know from Scripture He is a God who actively works and intervenes in the lives of His people.
You can read the Gospels and see story after story of Jesus changing people's lives--saving them from sin, answering prayers, healing their hearts and bodies, setting them free from sin and spiritual oppression. You can read the Psalms and find prayers of raw honesty with God about pain and struggles right alongside bold prayers for God intervene and change circumstances.
Why not spend some time in those books of the Bible and let God remind you of what He can do in your life and give you some language to shape your own prayers to Him? And whatever the current season or the outcome of your story may be, remember Jesus is your identity and He is your future.
Find "Fear Is Not My Future" is not on Brandon Lake's album, HELP! Buy it on Apple Music or stream it on Spotify. Read the full lyrics of "Fear Is Not My Future" here.
NRT contributor Jasmin Patterson is a lifelong fan of Christian music who is passionate about helping others connect with Christ. She lives in Kansas City where she serves in college ministry and runs a blog to help seekers and believers discover and live biblical Christianity.
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