Fish Out of Water: Fearless

John Piper once tweeted “It is grievous to have a fresh insight from God, neglect to write it down, lose it forever, only to recall that it was good.”

Preciously why I am writing this down. I don’t want to look back on 2015 and what I learned from God only to remember it as…good.

A colleague of mine recommended a book (My One Word by Michael Ashcraft) and a different slant towards a New Year’s resolution. A lot of times our resolutions look at something negative about ourselves that we want to change, and if we fail in our resolution we can get easily discouraged. Our resolutions to change seldom work because they center on the type of person we regret being rather than on who it is God is calling us to become. This process ditches the long list of changes you want to make and instead gives focus to one word for the year that you hope God will do in you.

FEARLESS is my word. The word fearless kept coming to me towards the end of 2014 and early in 2015; not that I was scared of something but rather I believe God called me to pursue this word to encourage me to be bolder, take more risk and give Him more trust.

Through the year I pursued knowledge on fearless. I researched the word, listened to messages on Fearless, read Bible plans and focused on how God wanted to show me what he had for me. I even changed my passwords to contain the word (go ahead try to hack me; I’m fearless). This is what I learned.

Fearless by definition is lacking fear. Synonyms being bold, brave, courageous, valiant, gallant or unafraid. Fear is an emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc. whether the threat is real or imagined. Imagined… A lot of times we are not fearless because of the stories we make up in our head. How many times do we play out scenarios that will never come true only burdening us with anxiety?

I learned to test God not in a skeptical way but to test in believing it will succeed. Coming out of insecurity and into the confidence of God. Perfect love has no fear (1 John 4:18). But none of us our perfected in love.

Most of us have a large aura of a fear to fail. We have to reframe failure as growing, as long as we learn. As a leader at work, as a father, as a husband, as a student leader I must make sure I create an atmosphere where it is safe to fail. My work blossomed as I took more risks, became more confident while trusting God resulting in building one of the fastest growing teams.

At a leadership summit I listened to a message from Albert Tate preaching on John 6 when Jesus feeds 5,000. The young boy fearlessly gave his 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. The disciples said “what good is that with this huge crowd” and then Jesus feed 5,000 with it. Give what you have to God and get out of the way – let God work the miraculous. Am I telling God how to use what I have? Am I telling God I have too little? Am I afraid God doesn’t know what to do with what I have? Wow! I need to bring what I have to God, get out of the way and let Him use me.

It’s amazing how God used my one word throughout the year to continue to teach me. At Keystone Student Camp in summer where I was a leader, God placed a student with me that was struggling with fear. His past was marred with failure and people letting him down. At the heart of his struggle was the fear of letting go of control. Through this journey of teaching, God allowed me to encourage, pray and love on this young man to have a fearless resolve, putting trust in God and see how he leads you.

Thru most of 2015 I was afraid of having a third baby. I mean c’mon a lot of things change with a 3^rd – have to get third row seating car, have to move my home office, zone defense vs. man on man, table of 5, etc. I prayed throughout the year trying to get clarity, but my prayers were clouded by my own fear. I was holding back our family because of fear. At that same student camp God spoke to me clearly about having a baby. During the Thursday night of worship when across the room I saw a group of girls, hands held high singing & worshiping, God told me he wanted me to have a girl – a girl like that one day worshipping Him. I broke down in tears knowing that God clearly spoke to me, calling me to trust him and not worry. At that moment I knew we would begin trying to have a 3^rd baby which I had no doubt was going to be a girl.

And as I was crying, guess who put his arm around me. The young man I spoke to the night before about fear of letting go of control. God you are funny.

I have learned to hold on to the promises of God when at my heart I am not being fearless.

When I am fearful of being incapable or weak to do my work, I battle unbelief with the promise of Christ stating “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in your weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

When I am anxious/worried about a risk, meeting, or crucial conversation, I battle unbelief with the promise “Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God; I will help you, I will strengthen you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

When I am nervous and stressed about a difficult task, I battle unbelief with the promise, “if God is for us who can be against us” (Romans 8:31).

And if I ever need a song to remind me:

I’m no longer a slave to Fear.
I am a child of God.
You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
All my fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
So I could stand and sing
I am child of God.