I have heard it said there is no courage without fear. We tend to fear what we cannot see. Therefore, because we are unable to see the future, we often fear the future. Though we can't say what the future may bring our way, we can trust God is in control. I don't want fear to keep me from responding to God's pull to purpose.

In my blog "If Only..." I stated that if I was in the future looking back to today I would regret hesitating. Someone who responded to my blog post pointed out that God sometimes prompts our hestitation. They also said attempting to look into the future as if we can say how it will be is driven by ego. I agree wholeheartedly.

I don't want to be misleading. I am not promoting forward movement from selfish motivation. It is imperative that we seek God's guidance for what we do or don't do. Sometimes we may feel to hesitate because God is telling us to do so. There are times when God tells us to wait.

Neither do I intend to imply that we have much say concerning the future. Only God can know what tomorrow holds. Our job is not to worry about the future but to submit to His purpose for us regardless of what the future brings. When we get there we will most likely find the future to be very different than what we expected.

However, I have recently found myself hesitating to move forward in God's purpose for my life, and I have recognized my hesitancy as being rooted in self-preservation. It is fear based. It is based on what I cannot see nor control. It is this reason for hesitation I will regret. I don't want to fail to move forward in response to God's pull simply because I can't see. Faith is being confident in God even when I can't see. (See Hebrews 11:1.)

I have written about my recent battle with fear and how God delivered me, so imagine how surprised I was to find more fear. It is a different kind of fear, but it is fear all the same. And it is rooted in my ego.

God has given me victory over fear. But I have come to realize fear will always be present because it is an innate survival mechanism. It is something I will always have to fight to overcome, just like anger, jealousy, selfishness, etc... But overcoming is the key word. Overcoming is not about eliminating fear, but it's about not succumbing to fear's control.

Jesus told His disciples to get in a boat and go to the other side of the sea. During their journey they encountered a raging storm that made their futures seem uncertain, and they were afraid. But in the midst of the storm Jesus came walking towards them on the water and said to them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid" (Matthew 14:27, NIV). In the next verse, Peter said to Jesus, "Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water" (Matthew 14: 28, NKJV). Though we can't see the future, and it may seem uncertain, if God is there, and He is bidding us to come, there is no need to hesitate or be afraid.

Whatever God is doing in your life don't let fear keep you from moving forward into His purpose for you. Let's agree to be courageous together!

#Godspurpose #movingforward #courage