I've always admired people who were undeniably theirselves. I always strived to be that way, yet most times I would put up a wall and shield myself inside. Why? Fear.
Throughout my life, fear has been one of my largest setbacks.
I remember when I was in school I was in history class one day. My teacher asked me if I was going to be taking the more difficult history class the following year and I replied, "I don't know. I'm scared to." That same day I had been talking about something else and expressing my worries, but I can't exactly recall what it was about. What I do recall, however, was when my teacher told me this:
"It sure seems like you have a lot of fear."
It hit me like a truck.
I'm sure fear is not only an occurrence in my life. The thing is, fear is natural. We all experience stress, anxiety, or fear at one point or another because that is human nature.
If you think about it, fear seems like an effect from Original Sin, doesn't it?
Before Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, humanity was in perfect harmony with God and the rest of creation. However, after their defiance of God's rules, this was lost.
One of the first things that happened to Adam and Eve after they sinned was that they experienced guilt and fear. When God called out their names, Adam and Eve hid from Him, both ashamed of what they had done and fearful of what He would think.
Then the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking in the garden. It was during the coolest time of the day. They hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)
Although humans are now inclined to these feelings, God tells us 'do not be afraid.'
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
Fun fact: The phrase 'do not be afraid' is written in the Bible 365 times in the Bible, which is almost like a daily reminder for us not to fear!
One of the main reasons that God does not want us to fear is because He wants us to put our complete trust in Him and remember that He is always by our side. (I could go on and on about putting trust in God!)
SO. Let's get back to the topic of this post!
For those of you who don't know, I run a TikTok account, @faithfilledyou on TikTok, where I post all about faith to TikTok's large array of users!
Here's some reasons that I love using TikTok:
There are people of all ages and situations who see my posts!
There is a countless number of people who can see my posts!
People love to ask questions so I can help them on their journey with God and so many people tell me how much my content has helped or inspired them!
It makes me SO happy knowing that I'm spreading God's word with others and also helping and encouraging others to grow closer to Him. As a Christian, I feel like that's exactly what I'm meant to do!
However, there is a huge downside to TikTok. The hate.
TikTok is becoming more negative each day that passes, and it's not fun! Not only is this sad as a creator, but I HATE seeing so many innocent people being hated on. I have never showed my face on any of my social platforms, although I hope to in the future, but I still get comments that pull at my heart!
Here's the truth: Some people are all about the attention. If they think saying something hurtful will get them attention, they'll say it despite who they may harm. And people will always find something to criticize!
As you probably know, one of the most controversial things is religion. This is mainly because there are so many different beliefs and religions and sometimes people just clash over it!
So...how can you find courage to spread God's word despite the fear you may experience from the critical world?
I want to share my story with you about how TikTok actually taught me how to share my faith without fear or shame.
If you're interested in learning more about my experience on TikTok, check out my YouTube video on it! I go into more depth on why and how I move past judgment and courageously spread God's word on such a large platform! (Maybe subscribe while you're at it! :) )
My TikTok account grew surprisingly fast. Well, at least I think it was pretty fast...
It's been less than 6 months and I'm almost at 20,000 followers...WHICH IS INSANE! I am SO thankful for all of my followers and their support.
(I actually think it's sort of funny because I used to joke around about TikTok before I started my account but now here I am!)
My largest insecurities I had when starting my journey were:
People were going to bash me for sharing my faith.
My friends and family were going to realize that I was the owner of the account.
Now, before I carry on, I just want to make this clear: I am not ashamed of my account and I know I am doing the right thing by sharing God's word.
But let me be completely vulnerable with you. I was so fearful that I would be judged or looked down upon if people knew that I had this secret account and was sharing my faith. In all honestly, many of my friends didn't see the same importance in faith as I did, which made me think that people would think it was 'weird' in a way.
I can't speak for others, but I'm sure many people have experienced a feeling like this. Insecurity or fear of judgement.
Maybe it doesn't even have anything to do about faith! Like I said, its normal to get insecure or nervous about what others think about you.
I started off this post by saying:
I've always admired people who were undeniably theirselves. I always strived to be that way, yet most times I would put up a wall and shielded myself inside. Why? Fear.
And now, here's where the connection comes in.
I hated the fact that I was fearful over this. I also battled some comparison, because I would see so many other people preaching God's word so openly and without worry for how others might view them, and I wanted to be that way.
I'm here to tell you that it's okay to not be where you want to be. And that's when it's time for a journey to begin.
I spent a lot of time thinking about this and even talking to God about my feelings, and one day I received exactly what I needed to hear.
One day I went on Jana's livestream. (For those of you who don't know Jana, she's amazing and an absolute ray of sunshine! Find her on TikTok and Instagram!)
Since she is a well-known Christian content creator, I asked her if she felt ashamed or got nervous about what other people thought about her sharing her faith.
Her response truly changed me. She said something along the lines:
No, I do not insecure or ashamed about what others think about me spreading God's word. I know that I am doing the right thing by sharing Him with the world and encouraging others to grow closer to Him. I live to please Jesus and only Jesus.
I live to please Jesus and only Jesus. Those words are so powerful.
(Just to clarify, I'm not saying to not try to please others. I'm just saying, the priority and most important thing is to make Jesus happy and spread the word of God, even if others might not agree with what you say! :) )
I think its important to remember why we are here. We are here to spread God's word with others in hopes that we will all receive eternal life in heaven someday. So why let others opinions prevent you from doing that?
These words changed me!
Since hearing this, I have been more confident and open than ever about sharing my faith not only to TikTok, but to my friends and family. I even started telling some more people about my account, which for me was huge because it had been something I had been so fearful about before!
I've learned that it doesn't matter if I get judged or shut down by others who are unwilling to listen to what I have to say. But what does matter is that I am sharing God's word and helping so many people start or continue their journey with God!
In my YouTube video, I talk about how one of the main things keeping my going is hearing how I am helping others. If I had stopped making videos because of my fear of judgment, think of how many people I could have been helping but wouldn't have.
Now, I do not say this to brag in any sort of way. One of my most popular videos has over 150,000 views, over 50,000 likes, and about 500 comments. If I had stopped doing TikTok because I had let these feelings take over, think of all the thousands of people who would not have been touched by that message.
It is mind-blowing to me.
So many people on that video alone let me know how much it helped them feel God!
So, how does this pertain to your life?
The message that Jana gave me is not just relevant when it comes to TikTok.
Instead, it is a lesson that every single person can use in every single aspect of your life!
If you are ever fearful about sharing your faith, here's what I want you to remember:
Live for Jesus, not for others, and do not be ashamed of your faith. For all you know, you could be saving someone by choosing to share God's word with them. Your words could change them and it could possibly be the reason that heaven would be more crowded! If you get judgement for it, just remember that you still made Jesus proud. And that is all that matters! Have courage and proudly present your faith to the world. Never let fear get in your way because God is by your side! Just trust Him, His plan, and His timing always.
This is one of the most important lessons that I have learned throughout my life and that is why I wanted to share it.
I know that this can help others out there just as it helped me.
I'd like to end this post with a Bible verse that sums up the message:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope that it speaks to you and helps you throughout your life.
I hope to see you soon!
XO,
Leah