bondChristian » Slavery & Submission

Stop waiting on the Lord

Marshall Jones Jr. — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:53:41 +0000

(Photo: xJasonRogersx)

Do you wait until you hear God telling you to go, or do you go until you hear God telling you to wait?

For a while, I answered this question the way I assume most people do, that it’s better to wait on the Lord first. I mean, by God’s standards, we’re a pretty messed up group. We fail on our own. We need God’s help.

So it makes sense to wait to hear God’s voice before rushing into anything. Right? Doesn’t that make sense?

Let’s see…

Direction is more important than decision

As Christians, the Spirit of God is with us. That’s a given. As Christians seeking to follow God’s will, we’re facing in the right direction. Our decisions then aren’t so much between good and bad but between good and good.

For instance, as Christians, are we really having that much trouble deciding between helping a friend move or stealing bread from a bakery? No, the tough decisions are the ones like deciding between helping that friend or going to the midweek Bible study. Those decisions are tough because both options seem good (or in opposite cases, neither option seems good). We honestly don’t know which God wants for us.

Sure, you and I can still make bad decisions. I can and certainly do all the time, even without knowing it. But I think most of the bad decisions you and I make – at least the ones we make without going against God on purpose – are decisions to stop, to hesitate, to not step out in faith.

Why? Because the Holy Spirit is with us, so His momentum moves us forward. Most options that move us forward will move us down the right path. The bad options are the options that keep us from moving forward.

All this to say, I think we need to change our assumptions when it comes to following the will of God.

Action is more important than knowledge

Usually, and I’ll just speak for myself here, I default to hesitation. Like I hear about moving to Saudi Arabia as a missionary, and my first response is, “God, if this is what you want for me, if this is what you’re calling me to do, then let me know so I can move forward with it.”

And then I forget about it.

What’s up with that? Can’t I be pretty sure that moving to Saudi Arabia as a missionary is something God will, you know, most likely appreciate? Don’t I know Him at least that well?

My first response should be more like, “God, I think this is your will so I’m moving forward with it. If it’s not your calling, if it’s not what you want for me, please let me know so I can stop.”

When God doesn’t want you to move forward

Obviously, if there’s a decision you know isn’t part of God’s will because it clearly contradicts Scripture, then don’t go for it. But for everything else, why not move forward until God tells you to stop?

In fact, even if you’re a new Christian, and you don’t know much about Scripture, I’d still suggest moving forward.

God’s really cool about telling you no.

Like if you’re legitimately wondering whether or not it’s God’s will for you to take a job at a strip club, I’d say try going for it. I trust that God will tell you in a hurry that’s not part of His plan for your life.

For example, I’ll tell you right now that working at a strip club is a bad idea. There, end of story. If you don’t trust me on this one, ask some other Christians at a local church. They can help you out and point you to some passages in Scripture. Count that as your confirmation. Then move on to the next option, assume it’s a good one, and move forward.

You can’t underestimate the importance of momentum for obedience.

Moving forward as a default

What if every time you and I heard something that seemed to align with God’s will, we moved forward with it? What if instead of asking for God’s confirmation to move forward, we asked for His confirmation to stop?

Here are a few examples of the changes I mean. What if we thought, and acted, like this?

God is calling me to start a church in Alabama—unless I hear Him telling me no.
God is calling me to be a missionary to Africa—unless I hear Him telling me no.
God is calling me to sell everything I have and give it to the poor in my city—unless I hear Him telling me no.

That’s a crazy lifestyle. Seriously, in practical terms, this will mean you’re constantly reinventing how you live, maybe where you live, and definitely who you live with everyday. It will mean dedicating your entire life, literally, to God’s plan and letting that plan sway you and move you and change you and throw you around.

But isn’t this the lifestyle God calls us to? I mean, check the Bible for yourself. Doesn’t it seem like Jesus is pretty serious about selling everything we own, pretty serious about only taking the stuff we can carry on our backs, pretty serious about leaving everything to follow Him?

You know God’s will

Let me take a step back to clarify something.

I’m not saying to go without hearing from God. I’m saying, you’ve already heard Him. It seems to me that God’s will, His general will at least, is clearly laid out in the Bible.

The problem comes when we start asking for our individual calling instead of trusting God’s general commandments. Unlike the general advice we give, God’s actually does apply to every, single one of us, you know? Have you ever considered that before, that maybe the things He tells all of us to do are actually the same things He’s telling you personally to do right now?

I know. It’s scary for me too. But sometimes scary is an indication of faith in action. If it’s not scary, maybe you’re not really using much faith. That’s not always the case, but I’d say it correlates pretty often.

What do you say?

Do you wait until you hear God telling you to go, or do you go, trusting the obvious stuff He’s already said, until you hear Him telling you to wait?

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Open your Bible to the place where you usually do a daily devotion (or if that’s not in your routine, open to where you might start if you were to begin that routine).

(2) Read until you find the first place where it gives a general command to followers of Christ.

(3) Close your Bible and try following that command immediately. If you had to live that command in some practical way right now, how would you do it? Make this a habit. Stop waiting on the Lord and move forward with what He’s already said.

Living for something greater than yourself

Marshall Jones Jr. — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:55:26 +0000

We all do it. It’s just a matter of deciding how.

[Click through to watch if you're in email or RSS.]

Serving Suggestions:

(1) What are you living for?

(2) If you were to devote your entire life to one thing, how would your life change?

(3) Of the things you already do now, how many point explicitly to the one thing you want to live for?

The bondC guide to slavery

Marshall Jones Jr. — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 21:36:08 +0000

Ah yes, the ever fun topic of slavery. As you know, I have a different take on this than most people. Hence, the “bond” in bondChristian.

I shared some of my thoughts on this in a series a while back but never compiled the posts in one place. So that’s what I’m doing here: providing a list for you to find the series and learn more about slavery, the “Jesus is Lord” variety.

It’s a turn off for some Christians, but it’s helped me understand my relationship to Jesus and how He’s more than my Savior: He’s my Lord. That’s a perspective many Christians, including me, have trouble applying.

So enter…

A guide to slavery

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Some of the posts in this series are long. I suggest reading them one at a time, not all at once.

(2) If you were God’s slave, how would your life be different from what it is right now? If God were Lord, not just Savior, what would you do differently? Live like that. Make that your resolution.

Obedience: The hallmark of wisdom

Marshall Jones Jr. — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:07:25 +0000

“Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.” -Solomon

We say experience is the best teacher, but that’s only because we’ve already thrown out advice.

(Photo: juhansonin)

The stove example

A kid touches a hot stove. Burned. He won’t do that again. That sure taught him, didn’t it?

Well, sure it did. But that’s not the intelligent way to learn. That’s the idiotic way. The intelligent way would have been for him just to listen to his mom who told him not to touch it in the first place.

The smart way isn’t to learn from your failures. That just happens to be the way we usually learn. The smart way is to learn from other people’s failures. Or even better, learn from their successes.

The consulting example

Consulting businesses love high-ticket clients. Profits aside, these clients are more motivated to follow through with the advice they’re given since they paid a lot to get the advice. That translates to higher success rates for the clients and stronger referrals for the business.

In effect, paying more money for the advice creates a stronger incentive for the clients to act intelligently. That’s fascinating to me: the smart ones are the ones who actually follow the advice.

The reading example

I read a lot. Often as I’m reading along, the author will ask me to do something, like make a list of some sort. The author will even write, “If you read the rest of this, it’ll spoil the effect. So go ahead right now and make that list. I’ll wait.” That’s written right into the text.

But do I make a list?

Nah, I keep reading. I want to find out why the author’s asking me to do this. I read ahead, spoil the affect, and then go on with whatever I’m doing (maybe even just continue reading). By percentage, I rarely apply anything I read.

Does this sound familiar?

Why we don’t obey

The problem is that we trust ourselves more than other people. Around 80% of us think we have above average intelligence, which is impossible. But it’s human nature to assume that.

As Christians, though, we should know better. Knowledge is knowing what’s right, but wisdom is doing it. We know this.

You and I can wait around to learn on our own, but that’s the hard way. The wise way is to find people who’re smarter than us, even if it’s just in one particular area, and do what they say.

The wisest people, like Solomon, are those who know who to trust, follow, and obey.

How this relates to serving

It’s how our relationship with God works. When you and I obey Him by actually doing what He says, we’re wiser and more able to accomplish what He wants us to accomplish, which happens to be serving others.
When you trust someone else and follow through with what they say, you’re honoring them. It’s a way to serve all by itself.
Finally, if you’re obeying wise people who have the goal to serve others, then you’ll end up accomplishing a lot more than if you’d tried to learn on your own. That’s why I love studying biographies of Christian leaders. They’ve been there, and if I can follow their advice, I can cut out a lot of the learning curve.

Once again, we say experience is the best teacher, but that’s because we ignore advice. The wise choice is really to quit ignoring the good advice and obey it.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Think of some situations in your own life where you’ve been given advice but you’ve put off the follow-through. Perhaps make a list. How could you start obeying wise advice instead of trying to learn on your own?

(2) Do you have an example of a time when, looking back, you realize that someone gave you some excellent advice but you ignored it… only to learn the same lesson the hard way? Share in the comments.

What’s the hardest part of missionary life? Being forgotten?

Marshall Jones Jr. — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:34:25 +0000

(Photo: martingreffe)

The other day, I read through some answers, given by missionaries, to the question, “What’s the hardest thing about life as a missionary?” I’ve said before that I’d rather be hated than forgotten, so this response immediately grabbed me:

A. Being forgotten.

When I left for the field, I predicted we would be forgotten within six months. I was wrong. It was two months. Except for an occasional email directed to the entire Church, we received an email here and there. Birthdays and anniversaries were forgotten.

Even though we sent updates via email every month, very few people responded to them.

My emotions were already cracking at this point, but he continued…

That was my thing, but perhaps God knew that I was a people person and required a feeling of loyalty and support. Perhaps by not getting it, He taught me to depend only on Him. It worked! We have a great ministry. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it!

Wow, what an amazing testimony. I love learning about dependence on God. I don’t always like the day to day struggle of being dependent, but when God helps me step back for the bigger perspective, I know He loves working this way.

As I thought more about this simple answer and how similar it sounded to some of my own experience, my eyes landed on the small, gray type below the post:

Answer from Jack, who has served in the Philippines for 37 years.

And that’s when I lost it.

Or found it.

The hardest part about being a missionary isn’t being forgotten – it’s learning to depend on God.

Even for 37 years.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Don’t forget the people who are serving. Appreciate them. Maybe send them an email or even a hand-written letter… regularly, not just once.

(2) How do you learn dependence when no one else remembers you? Is it just sink or swim, give or give up? Or can we engage God in a way that helps us stay focused on Him despite a lack of support from others?

Spotting manipulation – 7 red flags

Marshall Jones Jr. — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:08:14 +0000

(Photo: cogdogblog

It’s tough being a slave, you know.

People don’t really trust you at first. After all, who actually serves others without some sketchy motive? Once they realize you’re legit, though, they start taking advantage of you.

Ah, sweet, they think. These people actually do serve others. I’ve always wanted a slave.

And so the process goes… until at some point, you’re like, This is insane. Certainly not what I signed up for. This isn’t about love. I’m just doing this ’cause I have to now. I really am their slave.

Bam!

A red flag should automatically shoot up for you. Being a bondChristian isn’t about servitude. It’s about choosing to serve God and – by extension – choosing to serve others.

Let’s run through a couple of these red flags, signals that should alert you to situations where manipulation might – just might – be trying to sneak in.

1. Concealing the truth

The difference between manipulation and influence is deception. Influencers move you by revealing truth. Manipulators move you by concealing truth.

Both have motives – influencers are probably even clearer on theirs than their manipulative counterparts. The difference is what each does to achieve their goals.

So if you run across someone who’s concealing truth, whether that’s through outright lying or just not sharing all the relevant info, you might be spotting manipulation.

2. Limiting your options

This is a close cousin to concealing the truth. Manipulators love limiting your options. It’s a subtler form, but still deception. When you’re in this situation, you feel forced, like you’re having to make a complex decision with oversimplified choices.

Example: “We either need to vote for [INSERT GIVEN CANDIDATE] or leave the political arena altogether.”

Reminds me of the question for Jesus about paying taxes to Ceasar or not. Red flag. That’s manipulation.

3. Scaring you

Fear is the father of manipulation, the bully of the bunch. It’s straight up intimidation, and it works two ways:

Scare you with what they can do
Scare you with what might happen

Example: “If you don’t apologize, I’ll leave the church… right after I tell everyone else about it.”

In this example, the first part about them leaving the church and telling everyone else, that’s them scaring you with what they can do. The second part, the implication that others might leave or also get upset if they find out, that’s them scaring you with what might happen.

It seems pretty obvious when I put it like that, doesn’t it? But when it actually happens, even though it’s aggressive, it’s still super easy to miss.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” -1 John 4:18

4. Making you feel bad

This is the passive aggressive approach. They seem so pathetic that you feel guilty for not helping. As Gayle Erwin says, “You know you’re dealing with manipulators when you hate yourself for letting them do this to you.”

Example: “Aren’t Christians supposed to help others? Then why aren’t you helping me when I’m in need?” [Implied: You're not really a {good} Christian.]

Serving is a response, not a requirement. Spotting manipulation means watching for people who point out requirements.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” -Romans 8:1

5. Making you feel good

“For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.” -Romans 16:18

Just this past week, someone in need said they’d noticed my natural leadership skills and charismatic personality. And of course, I’m thinking, You know what? He’s probably just flattering me, but he’s right. I do have some leadership skills. I am charismatic.

That’s the danger. We’re usually pretty good about noting the difference between genuine compliments and compliments with strings attached. The problem is that even when we notice, we like going along with it because it makes us feel better.

This doesn’t mean we should discount every kind word we hear. It just means our flags should go up, and we should try to understand the motivation behind it. (By the way, if it’s a sincere motivation, it’s a good idea to study it anyway – you can’t lose here.)

6. Not growing or progressing

You know those guys on the street corners, the ones with the cardboard signs asking for money? Have you ever offered to buy them a meal… or even help them find work?

If you have, you know they usually won’t take the work. They’ll give some excuse why they can’t do it. Sometimes, they’ll even pass on the meal, favoring instead to continue to beg for money.

That’s when I get aggravated and stop giving. Part of it’s my own selfishness, but another part is me spotting the manipulation.

In the gospels, the religious leaders annoyed Jesus not because they failed to understand Scripture, but because they’d stopped trying. They weren’t progressing. They’d been offered the job, but they didn’t take it.

Red flag. People who want more but aren’t doing anything with it don’t really want more. They want to manipulate for some other reason. Watch out.

7. Stealing peace

If you have to ask yourself, you’re probably spotting manipulation.
If someone’s distracting you with the craziness of life, you’re probably spotting manipulation.
If you’re not able to keep your life firmly fixed on Jesus and what He’s said, you’re probably spotting manipulation.

As you know, peace isn’t what’s going on around you. Peace is what’s going on within you. If you’re losing that internal peace, you might be spotting manipulation.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

Finally…

It’s important to realize with any of these that manipulators might have valid points. Perhaps you do need to apologize. Perhaps you do need to be more generous. But don’t confuse their conclusion with the way they argue for it.

Spotting manipulation is about spotting a lousy process, not a lousy conclusion. In fact, many of the best manipulators are right. Don’t let that fool you.

Service for Jesus is done completely out of love for Him. If not, it’s not serving Jesus. Sure, there’ll be some rough patches, but the motivation’s always the same: love, not fear or guilt or pride or anything else.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) I’ve started a list of practical examples of how people try to manipulate. I’d suggest doing the same. At first, you’ll get tons of different examples. After a while, though, you’ll notice patterns in all the examples, and you’ll spot them easier.

(2) More on this later, but for now, know that spotting manipulation doesn’t always mean calling it out or resisting it. Sometimes we’re called to go ahead regardless. The point here is to recognize it so you can make more accurate decisions and avoid using these tactics yourself.

Serve by following bad advice

Marshall Jones Jr. — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:25:41 +0000

(Photo: Koshyk)

How it works:

Someone gives you advice.
You follow the advice, even if you know it’s not that great.

That’s it. But let’s unpack it.

At first, this sounds like a ridiculous idea. I wouldn’t have thought of it on my own. Instead, it came to me as a result of not taking someone’s advice because I thought I had a better idea. Afterward, I realized I probably should have gone along with the advice instead of letting my know-it-all attitude get in the way.

Looking back, the advice was still bad advice, but by disregarding it, I missed an opportunity to serve.

For instance, compare these with me…

Advantages of following bad advice

Your friend feels respected because you actually took the advice.
If you followup with your friend, you can share how it didn’t work (or how it did) so maybe your friend will learn from the experience.
You might find out the advice really wasn’t so bad after all.

Disadvantages of following bad advice

You end up following bad advice. This is the obvious disadvantage, right? But is it really so bad? In some cases, yes, it really is pretty treacherous. But after considering it a bit, I’ve started to think it’s not always that bad to follow bad advice. The worse that could happen usually isn’t that bad.
Hmm… that first one is the only big one I can think of.

Look at all those advantages compared to the one disadvantage. Is it really worth it to blow off your friend’s advice? How bad would it really be if you followed the advice?

In some cases, no, you probably shouldn’t follow bad advice. But in most cases…?

I think of the time Jesus asked the disciples to throw their nets on the other side of the boat. The disciples had fished all night without catching anything. Jesus, after all, didn’t have much experience fishing. He was a carpenter. The disciples in the boats were the fish gurus. I’m sure Jesus’s advice seemed like “bad advice.”

But instead of ditching Jesus’s advice, they went ahead and tried it.

What if we did the same… not just for Jesus, but for anyone who is kind enough to try to help us?

The downside risk – the disadvantage – isn’t usually that risky. Most times you ask for (or receive) advice, it’s really not that bad or at least the results aren’t that disastrous. But the upside is fantastic because you start building trust with your friends. They’ll even start giving better advice if they know you’ll follow it.

Maybe sometimes you’ll even be pleasantly surprised at the result like the disciples were with their catch of fish.

Serving Suggestions:

(1) Think of some decision you’re trying to make or something you’re trying to do where you need help. Are you willing to fail at it in order to serve someone else?

(2) If you’re willing to give it a shot, ask for someone’s advice on how to do it.

(3) Follow the advice, even if you don’t really think it’s the best idea. Let me know what happens. Am I missing something? Are there other disadvantages I’m not considering? Is the downside worth the upside?

When does “you serving them” become “them taking advantage of you”?

Marshall Jones Jr. — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:02:50 +0000

This is a question I’ve been asked – in one form or another – many, many times. This isn’t the answer you’re probably wanting to hear, but it aligns pretty well with the whole slave mindset.

Let me know what you think.

[Click through to watch if you're in email or RSS.]

Takeaway:

1. Serving means that people will take advantage of you. Get over that.

2. People cross the line into “taking advantage of you” when you allow them to take from you. But instead of defending yourself, give your life away so no one can take anything from you. Remember, no one took Jesus’s life – He laid it down.

3. Don’t worry about whether or not people are taking advantage of you. Focus on whether or not what you’re doing is aligned with what God wants you to do. If it’s not aligning with what God wants, drop it. But if it is…

Serving Suggestions:

(1) As an experiment today, try to get someone to take advantage of your service and generosity on purpose.

(2) When you reach that point where you start to feel like they’re taking advantage of you, go a few steps further.

Why you can’t just “be yourself”

Marshall Jones Jr. — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:21:21 +0000

Show of hands – how many of you have heard someone say, “Just be yourself”?

They say it with the best intentions, usually trying to settle some nerves. It can feel like good advice too because it implies that you and I shouldn’t act like anything we’re not, we shouldn’t be hypocrites.

I’ve written before about my feelings on authenticity, but I thought I’d put together a little video to show why being yourself leaves so much on the table.

Check it out. [If you're in an RSS reader, you'll need to click through.]

Takeaway:

“To become something better, you have to become something you’re not.”

Serving Suggestions:

(1) What area of your life are you comfortable in? Where do you feel like you have things down, or at least you feel like they’re settling down?

(2) Shake up that area. Unless it falls in that tiny sliver of gray where what you are aligns with what God wants for you, change it. Move into the bigness that is the white circle.

Courage to serve

Marshall Jones Jr. — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:09:56 +0000

Serving by nature is social. Social by nature is unpredictable. Unpredictable by nature is scary.

That’s why we need courage to serve.

(Photo: Der etienne)

For example…

The first time I helped lead worship, I was scared to get on stage to tune my guitar.
The first time I played drums on stage, I was scared to make any abrupt, crashing noise (I obviously wasn’t a drummer yet).
The first time I knocked on someone’s door to share the gospel, I was scared the door might actually open.
The first time I taught a children’s ministry class, I wanted to just pass out Goldfish crackers the whole time.
The first time I spoke for a Sunday morning service, I said, “You know,” about fifty times in the first five minutes… because I really didn’t know, because I was scared.

Fear isn’t always about firsts, though. While the initial bite has worn off, I’m still scared in some of those situations.

And I’m still scared when I make an apology. I’m still scared when I open up about my daily struggles. I’m still scared when I try to purposely make a new friend.

I’m even still nervous sometimes when I publish a blog post… even after doing it almost 500 times.

But good grief! Enough about my fear. From conversations with some of you all, I know I’m not the only one. Perhaps post publishing isn’t your one-eyed monster, but you’re sometimes scared too. And it hinders you from serving, living all out, and totally submitting to God’s guidance.

Fear is everywhere, even in the middle of courage… especially in the middle of courage.

That’s why you and I and everyone else need encouragement. We need someone to put courage in us.

Courage is relative

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” -Romans 12:3

Like many subjective experiences, courage is different from person to person. It’s even different at different times in a person’s life.

Some people might need more courage for a small obstacle than others need for a large obstacle. For example, I needed more courage to play drums that first time than I did to teach at church later in my life. It’s like how a body builder can bench press 300 pounds easier than someone who’s never lifted can bench 100.

Like any training, it starts small and conditions up.

Courage is trust

When it comes down to it, courage is trust. You and I are courageous when we trust God’s will in our lives.

“Do not be afraid; only believe.” -Jesus

As slaves, we have nothing to fear. Our Lord is responsible for the results. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Our responsibility is only to follow His guidance.

Courage doesn’t always mean perfect certainty, but it does mean moving forward as though you are certain.

Courage is others-oriented

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important. -Ambrose Redmoon

As soon as you and I allow fear to dictate our actions, we’ve moved to selfishness. Sure, you might be afraid for someone else – that might be a more legitimate fear. But really? How often is that the case?

If we take a hard look at our motives, we’ll usually find – at least I know I do – that fear is selfish. When we look beyond our own immediate “needs” to focus instead on how we can serve others, fear usually isn’t even an issue.

Where are you holding back?

I can almost guarantee fear is a barrier for you in some way. Am I right?

You know somewhere in your consciousness that God wants you to move past where you are now. You know you’re not living all out.

Consider these categories to spark some ideas…

Your relationships: Does God want you to get married or have children? Do you need to reconcile issues with a relative? What about making new friends?
Your career: Are you doing everything you can to serve in your current position? Do you need to switch career paths to align more with ministry rather than money?
Your education: Have you been putting off that advanced degree? Could you take a few extra classes here and there? Could you join a public speaking group? Could you start seriously studying a particular topic on your own?
Your church involvement: Are you being called to start a Bible study at work or in your home? Do you need to start a prayer or accountability group?

Once you’ve drilled in on a category, consider what is means to be courageous in your situation.

First off, realize that if something is scary for you, it’s scary for you… even if it seems like no big deal to others. Accept the fear. Acknowledge that you’re allowing it to control your life in the wrong way. Don’t keep ignoring it.

Realize, though, that others have had similar fears even if they’re not in the same situation you’re in. For example, your pastor might have been terrified of public speaking – my dad was. Don’t assume that people got where they are today naturally. In most cases, the people who are living courageous lives had to purposely push through their fears, just like you.

Secondly, figure out the root reason you’re afraid. Where are you failing to trust God?

Start from wherever you’re at, whatever fear you have, and take a small step to overcome it. Take a step that challenges you but that you’re fairly sure you can follow-through with. Start trusting God in the small things.

Like if you’re having trouble trusting your finances to God, try giving away five dollars to strangers every week. That’s something manageable. The goal here is to pin-point the lack of trust and then begin stepping out where you can… so you can later move into the things that seem impossible right now.

Finally, get clear that you’re most likely afraid for selfish reasons. The fear you feel is a result of survival thinking – you’re trying to protect yourself or stuff you’re attached to (even if that stuff seems really good).

Like the “giving away five dollars per week” example, you can often move through your fears by re-orienting to serve others. Try to find a way to frame your fear and attack it in an others-oriented context. What can you do to move through your fear by helping someone else instead of yourself?

The courage to live all out

Most people want to avoid their fears instead of recognizing that they’re manageable if taken slowly. Ironically, most people are skeptical about fear being a lack of trust in God. And they won’t admit it’s all based in selfishness.

But that’s why so many of us live puny lives for God. That’s why God can’t use us the way He really wants to use us. That’s why we miss the blessings He’s offering us.

And listen… I’m not about all that hyper-motivational garbage. Motivational pep-talks don’t give sustainable results. They give false, short-term hope.

True encouragement, though, is based on certainty. Real courage is based on trusting a legitimate source.

Good thing too, because we have a legitimate source in God. Training our courage, trusting God, re-orienting completely for others… this it legit. You and I can’t go wrong serving Him. We can have confidence in Him.

So if our purpose really is to glorify God, you and I can’t let personal fears interfere… no matter how uncomfortable that makes us.

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts…” -1 Peter 3:14-15

“So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” -Hebrews13:6

Serving Suggestions:

(1) I suggest setting aside one day this week to pursue how you can serve more courageously. Clear your schedule as much as you can and use the available time to seek how God wants to lead you… to push you. Get advice from trusted friends and relatives. Study the Bible. Pray. Meditate on what God says.

(2) At the end of the day, purpose to move forward with something. Many options will no doubt arise, but don’t get caught in option overload. By the end of the day, move forward, even if it’s only a small step. The courageous life is amazing.