Wonderful, Fearful People

If you've never heard me talk about Emeli Sandé there's a chance we're not true friends. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but my borderline obsession hasn't broken since I was first introduced to her artistry summer of 2012 and you're not going to come between that.

Someone asked me recently what took me so long to write. I don’t have an answer, other than I just wasn’t ready. I was journaling privately, but I wasn’t ready to share my thoughts publicly for many reasons.


I tend to be painfully honest, and I didn't want anyone to hurt when they read my words. I also had a fear of disappointing many people, especially when I felt I needed to carry the weight of the entire black race at my previous job, so I couldn't make a mistake and stain the efforts of all my people.

But the great thing about growing older, and growing up in Christ, is you stop worrying about what the world thinks and you only focus on pleasing our One True Savior. 

You'll notice all of my posts are about Him….that's because I want all of my life to be about Him. It took me long enough to acknowledge God as the King and ruler of my world and as each day passes I continue to erase the lines of separation where I previously took great care to place God in specific compartment of my life. 

No longer is He just a Sunday God, no longer is He just a God to pray to when I'm in need of saving, no longer is an "anything specific God"….but He's my EVERYTHING God.

"The Lord is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;

He is my God, and I will praise Him; 

My father's God, and I will exalt Him."

Exodus 15:2 (NKJV)

And this is the person I pray people who do not know Him in that relational way are introduced to when they read my posts.

I was speaking with one of my best friends last night about the various reasons why people avoid becoming a follower of God, even when they are doing everything else "Christians" do (such as tithing, participating in church events, etc.).

One painfully sad conclusion we came up with, (thought process assisted by another friend of ours), was that people don't want to follow Jesus because they don't want to give up their sins.

Ahhh!!! I just die inside when I hear this. [And knowing how dramatic I am can be only sometimes, you know I actually screamed aloud.]

You don't want to give up your sins?

Pardon this harsh reality...and I promise it's not coming from a judgmental place, but a place of overwhelming gratitude.

Jesus gave up His entire LIFE. 

You can give up lying or sleeping with your ex or addiction. You can, I promise.

And the best part about it is, Jesus doesn't want you to give up that stuff before you come to the altar so that you can earn your "Saved" status.

He wants you to BRING IT TO THE ALTAR, and lay it at His feet. And then He wants your recognition of His unfailing love to drive you to stop out of appreciation for what He did, not out of fear of messing up or disappointing Him.

And I can tell you from experience. When you have felt God's love, heard His whispers about His plans for your life, felt His arms hold you through sleepless nights and mornings where it doesn't actually feel like all things were made new….you will consider it a PRIVILEGE to give up those things.

But even more, don't become intimidated with the thought that you may fail because "today ends all failures" and if all failures don't end today, well you're a failure in God's eyes.

That's not how it works.

It is day by day. You WILL continue to make mistakes. But His mercy truly is new each morning. And a beautiful mercy it is.

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends,

His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each morning."

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

Besides, what do you have to lose by accepting Christ? A few "friends" who are mad you don't want to drink every Saturday night, anymore?

Sounds a lot better than the alternative….Hell, for eternity.

I've experienced what can only be considered the smallest glimpse of what Hell is possibly like here on Earth, and I can guarantee you, there's no way I'm spending eternity there.

Back to Emeli….one of my favorite songs is Read All About It, Pt. 3 on her Our Version of Events album. Though she's not specifically singing about God, it definitely sits in my heart as my song as to why I write.

You’ve got the words to change a nation,

but you’re biting your tongue.

You’ve spent a lifetime stuck in silence afraid you’ll say something wrong.

If no one ever hears it, how we gonna learn your song?

So come on, come on. 

Come on, come on.

You’ve got a heart as loud as lions,

so why let your voice be tamed?

Baby we’re a little different

there’s no need to be ashamed.

You’ve got the light to fight the shadows,

so stop hiding it away 

Come on, come on

I want to sing

I want to shout

I want to scream til the words dry out 

So put it in all of the papers,

I'm not afraid

We can read all about it, read all about it 

At night we're waking up the neighbors while we sing away the blues, 

Making sure we all remember, 

Cause we all matter, too

If the truth has been forbidden, 

Then we're breaking all the rules. 

Let's get the TV and the radio to play our tune again, 

It's bout time we had some airplay of our version of events, 

There's no need to be afraid, 

I will sing with you my friend. 

So come on, come on. 

…. 

Yeah, we’re all wonderful, wonderful people,

So when did we all get so fearful?

Now, we’re finally finding our voices,

So take a chance, come help me sing this

Yeah, we’re all wonderful, wonderful people.

So when did we all get so fearful?

And now we’re finally finding our voices

So take a chance, come help me sing this.

We are all wonderful people. 

And we all have beautiful voices, but they are stifled by our fears.


We were not made to be fearful people. The power of Christ that is within us surpasses all. 

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear,

but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

There is power in communication and love is felt through connection and understanding.

Besides, you never know how God will choose to use your story to help others.

Stanley Hauerwas said, “I write in order to figure out what I believe.”

My reason is quite similar: I know what I believe, but often I have to figure out what I believe about what I believe.

And today, I believe God wanted you to read this so you can recognize He wants nothing but your whole heart. Everything else you can deal with as it comes.

So what is it that you want to shout?