What have you wanted to do but haven’t? I’m not talking about that closet that needs cleaning out or organizing the garage; what have you wrestled with that would benefit or change your life or possibly the world, but you’ve been dismissing it? It could be that book you want to write, a degree you want to start, running a marathon, or launching a ministry; the Lord has placed dreams and desires within us, just waiting to be realized. The fear of even starting whatever it is will often keep us sidelined.

Fear masquerades as perfection, and the anxiety that comes along with it keeps us benched until one day, you realize a decade has passed and that “dream” still only exists in your mind.

I know this all too well. I’m almost embarrassed to admit I’ve been stuck on the starting line with certain things for years. Fear takes over, and before long, the anxiety of even putting one foot in front of the other has me crippled. I become bombarded by thoughts of not being good enough to finish the race, fear of opposition or criticism that could come, and fear that I don’t possess what is needed. All of this fear builds, and before long, I convince myself to participate in the next race and bow out. Then comes the inner torment of letting myself down. It’s a cycle that I’ve determined to stop.
But how do you stop the fear of starting something new?

You start.

Fight the voices in your head that tell you that you’ll write tomorrow, train tomorrow, or get started on that tomorrow. Step one is starting. So, no matter how messy, raw, or unconventional, start today. Don’t think it to death; do one step today. I can promise you this: the forward motion will create momentum, giving you confidence and courage to take another step tomorrow.

In Joshua, God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous three times. God doesn’t require Joshua to muster up something; what He’s telling him is to step into His strength, power, and peace.

“Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide the land which I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, which you may observe according to all written in it. For then, you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9

The Lord has given you an assignment, and as you move forward, you will step into His power, peace, and strength. He’s given you a destiny, and as you embark on that, He is faithful to ignite you with the courage needed to fulfill your destiny.

Acts of obedience strengthen courage. The momentum you feel when you take action is courage, responding to your obedience.

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“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” –G.K. Chesterton

In this quote, Chesterton says that whatever our “doing” is, the most important thing is that we do it, not that we do it perfectly. A lot of us have done an excellent job of convincing ourselves that we’re not good enough, smart enough, or expert enough to do whatever the Lord has put in our hearts to do. Do you have a fear of failure?

How freeing it is to embrace the idea of doing whatever it is in sheer obedience to the Lord, even if it doesn’t meet our standards of “good.” If we focus on the pure act of obedience to The Lord, the perfection mindset has to take a backseat when obedience drives us.

Right now, what have you been putting off? Could you write it down? I feel more committed when I write something down because it’s out of my head and on paper. Right beside what you wrote down, write one step you will take today.
Don’t overthink, do it.

I pray and release the courage, strength, and power of The Lord in exchange for your obedience! I declare that all procrastination and distractions, no matter how small, would be pushed out of the way and fresh waves of creativity would blow into your soul. We speak a hedge around your time, that as you take control of the hours you’ve been given, your return investment would be more than you could imagine.