Fearlessly Walk Forward & Just Do it!

So, these questions seem to return with every turn of a new season in this inside journey…

How can we ever really break free from the fear of man?

And why is it we hesitate after we’ve heard the call?

Perhaps we all want to be liked, admired and accepted into the circles around us.  We don’t want to be the outsider.  It’s sad to even think a person can be an outsider…in a circle of people who are supposedly – in Christ.

Yet it happens.

It’s happened in the past…happens in the now and will continue to.

To you.  To me.  

To every soul who dares to live with freedom from the fear of man.  Because moving ahead in the calling of God will require leaving the comfortable of the world behind.  When God calls you and I to something, somewhere or someone – there is also a calling to come away from something, somewhere or someone.

Away from the quiet and comfortable – away from our plans and to His purpose.  

It’s a calling from this world and to His Word.  It’s a call to break-away from self-will and break-through with surrender to His.  Because there must always be an Exodus if there is to be an entrance into the Eternal things.

It’s a heart choice.  

And sometimes a hard choice.

To be willing to leave the familiar behind, in order to pursue the future He has purposed for us.  With each obedience and every surrendered yes, there is this ‘uncomfortable’ inward stretching taking place, and yet as we’re stretched, we’re strengthened and faith increases.

We may be uncertain of how, when and what, but we can be certain of who will go with us.

“Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” [Joshua 1:9]

And the thing is…for many us, God isn’t asking we leave our homes, pack up and go to a foreign land. Perhaps He’s simply calling you and I to leave the comfort of our own backyards and reach beyond ourselves to the lonely neighbor across the way.

Because I don’t want to remain
in the perimeters of a neat and comfortable life.

 
We may never see the border lines of every state, let alone country, but there are invisible boundaries we set up with labels like – our space, our home, our things, our time, even our agendas.  If we refuse to let God interrupt our lives and move us beyond ourselves, we will stunt our growth and end up spiritually stagnant and still.

And…we will miss out on so much like – seeing mountains moved and hearts changed.  Because some boundaries actually keep us bound and frightened, unable to fulfill His purpose and Will.  When Jesus called Peter, He wasn’t requiring Peter to take a huge jump or make some big splash or wave in the water.  He simply called him to come, to come and take one obedient step forward.  To place one foot faithfully in front of the other and walk toward His Lord.  

Courage comes just as our feet hit the water with surrender and yes.

The inside of the boat appears safer.  But in this Christ-following journey, the safest place to be is walking on the impossible, toward the direction of the Master calling…where sometimes nothing but faith and Jesus are there to hold us up. Because if we’re going to move forward, we must first step away from the comfort of the boat we’re sitting in.

And there’s this promise:

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. [1Thes. 5:24]

And this one:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.” [Isaiah 43:1]

When we’re called to the unknown, we take courage in ‘knowing’ He personally calls us there by name. And friends, God will always show us what to do – after we take the initial first step forward.

We don’t need to know all the details, we just need to be devoted. 

We just need…to Do it!

I would love to hear how the Master is calling you out from the border-line of your comfort and how you are moving past the fear, placing one foot in front of the other.