It has been over 15 years since I first became the director of a network of churches. In the interview process, I was told they were in a solid place financially. They believed it. And, I believed it, until I arrived and discovered the income was dropping – significantly. There is no way that interview committee could have known. For me, I had already taken a massive pay cut from my previous ministry because I believed God wanted us (my family and me) to do this. As with all leaders, I had to realize to follow through fear to accomplish the dream.
Discussions with pastors only compounded the agony. “We are cutting our giving to the association,” and “What are we doing besides paying salaries there,” became all too familiar refrains. And, these key influencers determined how well that network would do.
I was scared. Afraid. “Panicked” and “terrified” probably best explain my mental state at the time.
That fear woke me most nights around 2 – 3 a.m. Staring into the darkness. When you start with the question, “Am I the dumbest person I have ever met?”, that thinking does not lead in a good direction.
Fortunately, that fear put me in good company.
Each of the key players in the Christmas story felt fear. That fact tells us:
One secret to changing your world is to chase a dream that makes you afraid.
Zechariah was the father of John the Baptist (who laid the groundwork for Jesus). He felt fear:
“Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.[1]” – Luke 1:12
Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus wrestled fear:
“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.’[2]”– Matthew 1:20
Fear disoriented Mary, the mother of Jesus:
“Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God!’[3]” – Luke 1:29-30
Even good news terrified the shepherds:
“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.’[4]” – Luke 2:8-10
Troubled? Fear fell upon him? Confused? Disturbed? Terrified?
This sounds more like people that need counseling than it does people God chose to implement His plan to redeem mankind. Not so.
If you think fear means you need to go in another direction, reassess. Put fear into a different perspective. Each of the people God used agonized with fear. Then, each of them acted in spite of the fear.
Fear’s natural consequences are to fight or to flee. The people who change the world feel fear. But, they don’t fight or flee.
People who change the world follow while they are afraid.
It happens with modern day leaders and biblical leaders. As it is for them, so it is for you.
What do you fear? For me, poverty was my greatest fear, for a variety of reasons. The fear of poverty, coupled with moving halfway across the country to an organization that was headed downhill fast, was an excruciating time in my life. After the move, there wasn’t much I could do other than follow.
Through a lot of prayer and strategic work, we have seen (and continue to see) God do amazing things. The income has increased each year. New churches start and other churches join the network every year. Now, Seventy-five (75) of our current 125 churches have started or joined since those days. Additionally, the network raised over $2M to buy buildings and another two buildings were gifted. An incredible non-profit was spun off, which is now one of the most impacting and respected in Columbus, Ohio. (stowemission.org). I was terrified; but did it anyway. So can you, my friend.
And, along the way, you will discover your fear indicates the area of your life you need to overcome to go to a higher level.
“Fear is a finger that points to what is preventing you from doing greater things in life.”
Rich halcombe
Poverty. Failure. Fear of Success. Fear of offending those who tell you, “Don’t forget where you came from.” Fear of being a big shot. You have to get over that to get to where you should go.
Just remember, fear is a factor in any great endeavor. Follow anyway.
So, chase something bigger than yourself. Chase a dream that makes you afraid.
You might be asking what Zechariah asked: “How shall I know this?”
The answer is: You won’t until you work through it.
What should I do? Go for it. Act in line with your dream. Not only are you in good company, you will see God do things through your life you will never see if you don’t.
[1]Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 1:12). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2]Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mt 1:20). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3]Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 1:29–30). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4]Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 2:8–10). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
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