What would you do for the Kingdom?
If you had no fear, what would you do for the Kingdom of God?
I come back to this question frequently. I believe there are multiple layers to unpack within this loaded question, but first I think it is important to recognize fear for what it is. The definition of fear is a feeling of distress, caused by the presence of real or imagined danger. Fear is not a bad thing; it makes us human. But where it becomes negative is when our lives begin to be overcome and guided by it. How many times does fear cripple you to a limp? Where you are unable to step into what God has for you because you are caught up in a paralyzing state of uncertainty? It is a lot of times fear that holds us back from letting the Lord guide us and is what holds us back from stepping confidently into what the Lord has called us to.
“How can God still be good & trustworthy when He allowed this to happen?”
“I feel like God is calling me to ministry, but I’m scared of how my parents are going to respond when I switch my major for the third time.”
“I want to share Jesus with my friends, but I am scared they won’t like me anymore.”
“I feel called to transfer colleges, but I just spent two years of my life investing in this one. Do I just push through three more years or do I step up to the plate in obedience?” This is my story. A little glimpse into my life, I am a going into my junior year as a division 1 student athlete. If you know anything about college sports, you would know that they are very demanding and you have to really love the grind in order to thrive. Never in my own plans did I work in the part where two years into my journey at the school and city I loved and felt called to, I would choose to move even further from home and away from a community that I loved to a rival school (go flames hehe!) There were many times in taking this step of obedience that I doubted, “Is this really God’s will? What if I am making a big mistake? Why now?” During this time I felt the most anxious, weighed down, and defeated than ever. But there was something deep inside of me that just knew, this is none other than God and it is my job to be obedient. So, I said yes. And oh my, how He has already blessed this journey in a number of ways.
Ultimately it all comes down to, “Is his plan really better than mine?”, and my goodness are we wrong if we think our plans are better! The giants in front of you may seem big, but my God is SO much bigger. His plan is much greater & immeasurably better than any life plan we could draw up for ourselves in Dr. So & So’s Business Communications class. He holds the blueprints of our lives. He is the ultimate architect. If you feel like the Lord is prompting you or calling you to something, all he needs is your yes, and let Him do the rest.
Now I want to look at the opposite of fear: faith. I read this in a devotional lately & I believe it differentiates the two almost perfectly. It said, “Let us think that fear and faith produce very similar emotions. While fear says with a tone of doubt, “What will happen if I take this step?”, faith asks the same question but with a tone of expectation, of hope, of joy, of courage, of believing in what God can do.” It is crazy what happens when we allow God full control of our lives & say yes daily in expectation. Not expecting that God will answer exactly how we want; He is no genie in a bottle. But He promises that he will always respond with what we need.
I want to encourage you today to not let fear be the inhibitor that is holding you back from stepping into the promise-land that God has prepared for you. If He calls you to it, He will fully equip you for it. Throw off the old spirit of fear & put on the full armor of Christ. It says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” 2 Timothy 1:7. Let us be a people that allow the Lord to go before us & guide us. Let us walk by faith today and every day knowing that He is a good father who is near. Allow him to hold you up with his victorious right hand & to be the helper that he is; it is in His nature.
