Don’t Wait Until You’re Not Scared
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There’s something that you really want to do that you’re totally afraid to do. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know your motives and desires behind it. You have been longing to make this dream happen for days. Or maybe weeks. Or months. Or even years. You believe that you can do anything in the strength of the Lord but the truth is? You’re afraid.
You’re afraid that you won’t succeed. That you’ll fall flat on your face and fail.
You’re scared to death of what people might see when they hear or see that you’re trying this new thing. You’re really worried that someone will tell your mama what an idiot they think you are and how she should rein you back in.
Or you’re afraid to even tell your mama that you want to do this brave thing. Or your husband or wife. Or your children. Because they just might think it’s pretty crazy. Or daring. And they might tell you that you shouldn’t. What if the church should get wind of this new brave thing? Oh the prayer chain aka gossip train that might ensue! “Please pray for Sister ___________. She knows not what she does.”
You’re afraid of the whispers and slanted glances and Satan is lying to you. Because he will do whatever it takes to prevent you from doing God’s work.
Last week I attended the Business Boutique in Dallas. (Highly recommend for any Christian businesswoman, by the way! More about that later.) One of the quotes in the conference guide was this:
Don’t wait until you’re not scared to do the thing you want to do. Do it scared.
I fully believe this quote. Because if you wait until you have no fear at all, then you’ll never follow through. You’ll never take the leap of faith. Actually you’ll never even take the first step of faith.
While at the conference last week, one of the exercises was to write out a letter of encouragement and the idea was to give that letter to another Christian businesswoman at the designated time. However, I somehow missed the given moment. (I was most likely in the bathroom. Yes, I thank my 6 children.)
Today I realized that writing the letter was not a waste of time although I missed “the moment.” YOU are here because you need to know to move forward with that idea. Take the first baby step. Write it down. Make a plan. Dream a dream and then put hands and feet to it. Pray a dream and then put hands and feet to it.
Do it scared!
This letter is for you.
Dear Friend,
God has given you a unique calling on your life. A job that no one else could do. This venture- this adventure- is for your good and His glory. He will never leave you alone. He goes before you- preparing the way. He walks alongside you- strengthening each step. He goes behind you- protecting your heart. (and maybe prodding you along a little.)
His plan for you is greater than you can possibly imagine. You can’t wrap your mind around how much He loves you and longs to use your dreams. So go forward in confidence! Lean in to hear every word He whispers to your heart. Ask Him for guidance because He knows the path. You can do all things through his strength!
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Your friend,
Rachel
What if we dared to start dreaming and actually tell someone that dream? I’d love to hear what God has been placing on your heart. Is it a new ministry? A start-up business? A volunteer position? Will you share your new venture with us today?
Over the Weekend
This is fun to see at the church bookstore! I am so thankful that I have the privilege of living out God’s call on my life. Whatever your dream is, go for it! He will show you the way!! #onemorestep
This is exactly where I am in my life right now, God has been pouring more and more encouragement through his Word and now through your article in the past few months. More so within the last couple of weeks. I know that I am destined to do something great but for His purpose. Thanks for the wonderful article!!!
Wow Just in time!!!! Thank you so much!!!
God has called me to share my testimony and how he has blessed me during this past years…. He has putting on my heart to write a Book for womens Insecurity and how to let go and let God ..
But I really don’t know where to started and how to started…
I also started a Youtube blog for spanish womens and younge girls about beauty and how to take care of yourself, Devotionals,and favorite scriptures from the Bible…But I having feeling like I haven’t reach that point yet…is alot in me that I want to share with others womens who are related of whant I went throught and how to let God be God…
I feel that strong called on my life but I don’t know where to started….
Thank you…for this awesome message….??
First of all let me say thank you for that encouragement. God has given me a young women’s ministry to start in my Church. I know that the ministry is supposed to grow and be bigger than what i can ever imagine. I love you affirmations and your printable that you have on your web site. I use them frequently to post on the Facebook page that i have created for the young ladies. But the down fall is that the young ladies don’t really want to open up and use the ministry for what its worth but I’m working on some other things to help them along the way. I want to have t-shirts with the slogan that God has given me and also to create journals as well as a jewelery line. I know that God will make the provision for the vision and I’m now starting to know that I can only go up from here and the right people are going to be in place to help me along the way. I’m just in the beginning stage and I know that what he has given me is going to pass. Thanks again for the encouraging words.
This is awesome! I have been carrying around a dream to start a Life Coaching business to help women get unstuck by reinventing themselves (something I’ve had to do numerous times). I have had several false starts, and then I become overly critical of myself and even become paralyzed by indecision. I have let fear of what people will think, doubt in my own abilities and fear of failure prevent me from just doing it. It is something God placed in my heart but somehow I manage to sabotage myself whenever I gain momentum. My prayer is that I will finally let go, let God and move fully into the place where I belong.
Thanks Rachel,
This is exactly God speaking to me through you. I have been thinking of sharing an idea with my fellow praise and worship members at church that we start a fellowship as this team, where we can interact and share ideas and pray together. The truth is, we only meet to do practice or to talk about uniform issue, or to solve the issues that came up between brethren, we don’t get time to know each other, how they feel or what they do for a living. I have always been scared to introduce it to them. I am going to start praying about it and then introduce it to them the next time we meet. Also, there is something the Lord put on my heart this morning that I request my boss to give us lunch break to do lunch hour fellowship at my place of work. I have prayed about it and will continue to pray about until it begins.
God bless you so much!
This email floated in as I was making a phone call inquiring about a new position across the country from where I live now. In my mind’s “worst case scenario thinking” it would make things complicated for others in my family. But there was this sense of peace as I leaned in to make the call; maybe just making the call was creating the space for God’s best plan for me to bring Him glory. Maybe it isn’t about this opportunity but about my growth through moving forward into my fear and discovering His outstretched hand reaching for mine. Thanks Rachel for sending us all this letter.
I am so close to completing my certification as a Postpartum Doula! I need two expectant mom’s to let me serve them to certify and I am scared to ask, post or bother anyone. I believe God has put this in my heart for this time in my life. I keep trusting him for the outcome.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Thank you it is also like it was written for me . I want to move somewhere warmer near the coast. I have always lived in the same town and it us a big step as I will be going from a town where I am well known to a town I know no one. But have said that I am unhappy and lonely I feel in a new town I will be made to make new friends .but it is hard I have an elderly mother who does not understand even though she was only child and left her parents when she was 23 to emigrate to Australia . I lost ,my father when I was 17 and I stayed for her but I want to spread my wings before I am too old I gave ax husband who still likes to control me and angry if I don’t do what he wants . And I am scared but I know God is with me so thank you sometimes we need to jump off and test the water . Because I feel I will be able grow to be the person God wants me to be
Every time I go to a college graduation, I feel the tug on my heart to get a degree. I am 56 years old, work full time, and feel like I am too old, too tired and not smart enough, and scared! My son is encouraging me to go saying that I have the capability to do anything I want! But the fear keeps at me, the voices, saying that I can’t do it. Thanks for this encouragement, just what I needed.
Oh my, after reading and doing what I have been doing all day is definitely GOD’s doing. I have been tossing around starting a women’s ministry for mentoring new Christians. I have been reading scripture and praying that this is the path for me. I then read this etter from Rachel and it is like WOW I know what I have to do. Thank you Rachel!
At 50-something years old, I’ve delayed the dream/calling of ministry for 20 years…out of fear and busyness of helping raise my grandchildren, but mostly fear. I began to wonder if I had missed my calling, but God has been stirring that dream back up in me, and I am taking big, scary steps. I’ve hidden myself away for years, and now is time to find my voice so I can lead Bible studies. I’ve never even told people that’s what God laid on my heart so many years ago…now is the time to step out, knowing that He is faithful!
WELL! I felt like you were speaking to me alone! again. God has rocked my world this past yr in such an amazing way. God’s work is fascinating beyond anything else! GOD ‘lets’ me work with Him all around me. it is awesome.
He has VERY loud & clearly had me start several new ‘ministry’ things to share this passion he has given me.
I have moved forward on them and they have proved to be such a blessing!! One of the firsts was to start a blog!! I had NEVER imagined ever doing that!! had no idea how, but I did. Only I struggle with time to write these days with the other ‘in real life’ ministries.?? still asking for direction on this one because I know it was HIM for sure.
BUT He keeps them coming!! This last one, I finally did tell my Prayer Group so I would have to move forward, just trying to see where to start!!
BUT the newest ‘adventure’ is a Lunch Break devotional time for ladies in our town. The 2 words that came when He spoke this were ‘Refresh & Refocus” …just not sure what topics/where/ just logistics now.
Who knows what He will bring next!! LOL I am LOVING it, just wish I had more free time to do more. thanks for your inspiration!
Wow! I have been thinking, journaling, crying over,and praying about my dream today. Thanks for this post. I really needed this one today.
I’m a stay- home mom to 4. But dream of online Bible college and teaching God’s truth, and writing to inspire people to chase after God and their own dreams. All the while, I sit in my own tiny corner of the world, afraid of what the people in my life will think if I tell them my dream.
Thank you, Rachel, for writing to inspire us to chase God and the dreams He gives us.
Love this post! I just recently published my first book called, Journey to Acceptance – spiritual release from food bondage. When God called me to write this book 5 years ago, I just keep thinking about how glutted the market is with diet and exercise books even in the Christian realm. But I knew He was giving me a different perspective so I followed His leading. It was just released after 5 years of writing, learning, field testing, etc. It has begun to not only help others be released from regular food issues, but to my amazement, for anorexia and bulimia sufferers as well! Only God could do this! I absolutely had to feel the fear and do it anyway! I have no idea how God wants me to promote the book, but I know He has a plan.
One of my most favorite quotes regarding fear is this: The door you least want to walk through is probably your hot ticket to freedom!
wow – so timely as if it were written for me. It’s a matter of starting a new business – a new venture but SCARED to leave current job which I HATE. Feel trapped.
Thanks for sharing that Rachel.
God’s got it, Myriam!