This morning I woke up with a sense of calm and peace that I haven’t experienced for a long, long time. My peace, calm, and rest all came from one simple act that I performed yesterday: I took and passed an exam. Thank you, Jesus!

This year, I have determined to live fearlessly. To live my life based on the question: “What would you do today if you knew that you couldn’t fail?” The response to this question is directly related to two of my favorite scripture verses.

Philippians 4:13 NASB2020
‘I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me.’

Isaiah 41:10 NASB2020
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

The life-changing exam that I mentioned in paragraph one was a certification exam that I had taken and passed years before in another state, not long after getting my undergrad degree in Chemistry. Fast-forward to the present, almost two decades after being in a chemistry class, I’ve lived in multiple states and settled into my new home state, which requires me to retake the exam.

Initially, fear blocked me from taking the exam, then COVID hit, then chemotherapy, radiation, and brain fog. All the “life that was happening” enhanced fear and self-doubt, and I convinced myself that I was incapable of passing the test. So, I put it off, and put it off, and put it off again.

Procrastination became both my best friend and my worst enemy: I didn’t have to deal with the stress of studying almost two years’ worth of college Chemistry, but dread, fear, and worry increased exponentially as my deadline got closer.

In keeping with my theme of living fearlessly, and with some gentle nudging from my husband, I decided that I would commit to taking the exam, so on January 2nd, I signed up to take the exam on January 11th. I did an intensive review, completing the last few chapters of a review book that I had been picking through for years, and a full-length test, within 3 days. I then signed up for an online review course and spent the next few days and nights preparing for my exam.

On the morning of the 10th, I got up at 5 am, after just a couple hours of sleep, and did a full-length interactive practice test: answering 125 questions with numerous calculations in 2.5 hours without a calculator, before heading out to work. My grade was a disappointing 75%.

As soon as I returned home from work, I reviewed the feedback provided for each question that I got wrong. I finally went to bed just after midnight and slept, trusting that I was not going to fail because I was going to do the exam ‘through Christ, who would give me the strength’.

My husband had prayed over me, and I had asked a couple of friends to pray for me as I prepared for and did the exam.

I woke up at about 5 am on the morning of the exam, and sat on the edge of my bed thinking of all the reasons that I should postpone it:
-It snowed overnight, the roads were an icy mess, and my exam was a 20-minute drive away.
-I wasn’t ready and could use the 3 weeks plus left of the online prep course that I had paid for.
-It would be irresponsible to waste the $130 exam fee when I could study and be better prepared for the exam.
-My score would automatically be reported to the State, so I should ensure that I was ready before taking the exam.

As reasons, (lies from the devil) kept pouring into my head, I got two texts that bolstered my faith and vanquished the fear party that was going on in my head:
*My sister wrote, “Prayed for you. Take care. We overcame through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.”
*My husband wrote, “You are covered by God. Don’t worry, just relax. Have A Good Exam!”

I got up and dressed, and before I drove to the exam, I prayed, “Lord, I am far from comfortable with my level of preparation for this exam, but I trust you and your word, so I am going in your ability. When I pass this exam, I will know that it wasn’t me in my ability, but it was you who did it through me, and you will receive the praise. I will tell others about your faithfulness as my Abba Father, as I stood on your word, in faith, while being bombarded by the devil’s fiery darts of fear.”

After praying, I experienced a peace that I truly couldn’t understand. I drove to the testing center, and while checking in, the receptionist received calls from people who were being allowed to reschedule their exams due to the inclement weather. As I chastised myself for not thinking of that, the Holy Spirit reminded me that ‘this was no longer my exam, but that I was going to do it through His strength’.

I finished the very intense and difficult Chemistry exam with eight minutes to spare, and almost fell off the chair when I saw my unofficial score. I have to wait a little over a month to receive my official score report, but I passed way above the required passing score for my state.

In an instant, that thing that had been hanging over my head for years, inducing all kinds of stress, and no doubt impacting my health, was gone, just like that, and I was free to relax, read articles, and watch a movie, without feeling guilty for not studying.

So, I ask you, “What would you do today if you knew that you couldn’t fail”? What is it that has you crippled by fear? What is hanging over your head that has you completely stressed out?

As a child of God, Living Fearlessly is your birthright, “You can do all things through Christ who gives you the strength, (the ability, the focus, the wisdom, the capacity, the creativity, skill, the confidence, the grit, the bravery, ….) to accomplish anything.”

Please pause and take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to give you clear sight of the depth of the meaning of that scripture, then ask Him to make it your reality.

If you’re up to it, join me on the journey of living fearlessly this year by trusting God and believing and living the truth of His word. Ask our Heavenly Father to empower you make it your theme for the new year.

Let’s start a movement of believers who are living the way we were intended to live, as a result of Christ’s finished work of Salvation on the cross. We are children of the Most High God!

Let me know by leaving a comment that says “I’m living fearlessly”, or something similar.

Abba Father, I am so honored that you would use my journey of growth in you to bless others. I pray for the person reading this that you would lead them on a journey of clearer understanding and greater acceptance of who they truly are in you.

I vanquish every spirit of fear that has plagued them and held them back from experiencing the abundance that You have called them to, and ask that You would build within them bold and strong faith in You.

I declare that beginning today, they will thrive in every area of their lives, as they step out in faith, into the Jordan Rivers and Red Seas that lie before them, knowing that they can’t fail. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!

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Be blessed!