We at LO can’t get enough of this past week’s episode of “WHOA That’s Good” podcast with Emma Jenkins! We wanted to share the nuggets of this conversation between Sadie and Emma because it is just THAT GOOD!

As usual, Sadie starts by asking the million-dollar question: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Emma’s answer, which was given to her by her mother, is straight GOLD.

She shared, “This one piece of advice was magnified in my heart. My mom told me, ‘Emma, you will never live out the incredible purpose that God has for your life if you fear people.’”

WHOA that’s good.

Proverbs 29:25 says, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare. But, if I trust in the Lord, and fear the Lord, I will remain safe and not be shaken.”

This idea of fearing the Lord and not humans, Emma described, is a truth that she has been “dancing and learning the choreography of”.

If you know Emma, you see her as such a joyful person. She let us in on a secret. She told us that often times she is hard on herself. She describes it as “three steps forward, two steps back.” And the cycle continues.

What she has learned is that the rhythm of dancing almost never looks like one foot in front of the other. It is even more beautiful.

When we put our feet firmly planted on His feet, just like a little girl dancing in the kitchen with her father, we can trust that being in Him means that we are on level ground. This is the freedom of God’s choreography.

If we lean on the inconsistencies of people, we will stumble over our feet. We were never meant to put our faith in a created thing.

In order to stand on His feet, we have to truly fear the Lord. But let’s be honest, fearing the Lord can be confusing.

Fear is something very familiar to both Sadie and Emma. During their conversation, they speak out this truth from Proverbs.

To fear the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom because you are coming to the realization of how powerful He is.

Isaiah 64:4 says that our attempt at righteousness is like filthy rags to God. Because of sin, we don’t deserve to be in His presence. But because of Jesus we can forever be with Him and always stand on His feet and dance.

Fearing the Lord is knowing that “Wow, I can sit in the presence of my heavenly Father and be in awe of ALL that He is and ALL that He says I am.”

We are not worthy of this love. Yet, He claims that we are worthy through Jesus.

WHOA that’s good.

When we fix our eyes on what He says about us, we can be freed from a life of fear. Think about what Emma’s mom said, “Emma, you will never live out the incredible purpose that God has for your life if you fear people.”

Emma and Sadie have seen this play out in social media. They have experienced the highs of praise and support and the lows of being torn apart. Social media amplifies the highs and the lows. Does that sound familiar to you?

We’ll never forget something Emma shared with us about her lowest point with social media. “I didn’t know what a meme was until I became one.” The weight of cruel words can be so heavy.

There is no denying it is not easy to face such public ridicule. However, Jesus knows a thing or two about that. In fact, He promised that following Him would not be easy and that in this life we will face trouble.

Jesus did not try to please people or make sure that everyone liked Him, as we often do. Being bold in His love means that there will be people who won’t like it, or don’t know how to receive it.

“Those who call you names, they themselves don’t know their name.”

Although the haters will seem loud, God’s voice will always be louder. When we know who we are in the Father, we can continue to dance and speak love to those who ridicule us.

Emma said with confidence: “We can continue to love them because they just don’t know how loved they are yet.”

WHOA that’s good.

There are so many voices in this life.

The world will tell us something different about ourselves every day, but the Lord speaks the SAME thing over us at all times.

In order to discern what is a not a promise of God, we need to know the promises of God. Emma is a beautiful picture of this. Scripture flows out of her not just because she memorized it, but because she lives it.

Be encouraged, friends. God wants you to know who He really is and who you are, too.

He is safe.

He is loving.

He is a great dance partner.

That’s who He is.

And He welcomes YOU.

There’s no reason to fear, simply dance on His feet.

We hope this post encouraged you as much as it did us! Comment below your thoughts and also go check out this podcast with Emma!

Emma Mae Jenkins is a speaker, youtuber, and encourager to all. Her story and struggle with bullying is powerful and packed with God’s truth. She’s currently a student at Liberty University where she is filling the campus with joy every day.

Follow Emma on Instagram @1corinthians13_love