From Fear to Boldness: How the Resurrection Changes Everything
We live in a world that constantly whispers (and sometimes shouts) reasons to be afraid. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of not being enough. Fear of what people will think. Fear that our best efforts still won't be good enough.
But what if I told you that fear, the thing holding you back, isn't just a feeling? It's actually pride in disguise.
It’s not a comfortable truth, but it’s a life-changing one.
You see, fear says:
What if I fail?
What if I look stupid?
What if I lose everything?
Fear keeps the spotlight firmly on you. Your image. Your comfort. Your reputation. Fear shrinks your world until you’re living inside your own head, overthinking everything. But real freedom—boldness—comes when you shift your eyes off yourself and onto something, Someone, much bigger.
That’s what the resurrection of Jesus does.
When Jesus rose from the dead, He didn't just conquer death—He conquered fear. His resurrection invites us into a life that's no longer about protecting ourselves, but about living boldly for Him.
The Story of Peter: Fear Exposed and Boldness Born
Peter’s story shows us this vividly.
Just hours after swearing he would never abandon Jesus, Peter denies even knowing Him—three times. Not under the threat of a sword, but when questioned by a few servant girls. Why? Because Peter was afraid—afraid of what people would think, afraid for his future, afraid for his life.
But deeper than that, Peter’s fear was pride. He was still focused on his own image, his own dreams, his own plans.
And yet—after the resurrection—Jesus doesn't shame Peter. He doesn’t push him away. Instead, He reinstates him. He asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” And then He commissions Peter: Feed my sheep.
In that moment, Jesus liberates Peter from the burden of himself. And Peter steps into the boldest chapter of his life, proclaiming the Gospel to thousands, enduring hardship without flinching, and living not for his own image, but for God’s glory.
The resurrection of Jesus liberated Peter—and it can liberate you too.
Fear is Pride in Disguise
Here’s the tough but freeing truth:
Fear is not humility—it’s pride.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
True humility, the kind that leads to boldness, comes from fixing our eyes on Jesus. It’s realizing that your life was never meant to be about you—it was always meant to be about Him.
When you know you are already fully loved, fully forgiven, and fully accepted by the God who defeated death itself, what do you have to fear?
Even if you fail, He is faithful.
Even if people reject you, He welcomes you.
Even if your dreams crumble, His plans are better.
Boldness Begins Where Self Dies
The cure to fear isn’t found in hyping yourself up or pretending you're not scared. The cure is death—death to self.
It’s realizing:
I don’t have to perform.
I don’t have to impress.
I don’t have to protect my image.
Because Jesus lives, I am free.
Boldness begins where self dies.
Today, you have a choice:
Stay locked in fear, worrying about your own story.
Or lay it down at the foot of the cross, and rise up with resurrection power into a life of boldness.
Jesus is alive. And because He lives, you can move from fear to boldness.
