Fear of Man vs. Your Calling

This last week I got to speak on the fear of man. This is something I struggle with, and always have. Yet, here I was asked to speak and encourage others dealing with this, and provide answers for how to overcome this. What a fun time I had preparing this talk! I had to face my own fears, and conquer them, well, at least enough to get up and speak to those I feel inferior to, or unworthy to be in front of...

So what is fear of man? It's pride. Fear of man is caring more about what people may think than what God is asking you to do. Putting your own thought or expectations and those of others above God's......

What can we do to overcome this fear?

• Remember that the gifts and talents we have (no matter to what degree we think we actually have them) were given to us to use! Not to hide, not to compare to others, not to refuse to use out of fear of shortcoming or failure, but to put out there, for all to see and all to benefit from. And they were given to us to use for God's purposes. 
• Remember that our popularity is not as important as our calling. What you were called to do, what we were all called to do is to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 That may not make you popular, but it is so much better to walk with purpose than to walk with a crowd of followers. 
• Remember that the greatest obstacle to fulfilling the call to the great commission is not our history, our financial ability, our training, but it is fear. We look in the mirror and feel we fall short of some expectation and so we don't feel qualified. So start asking God what He sees when He looks at you, what He created you to do. 
• Courage, true courage is the only thing that will conquer the fear of man. Courage that comes from the one who created you to use your gifts for his kingdom, from the one who made you EXACTLY as you are. Courage to just be you and let God direct you in how to be you in a way that helps His love and his word change the world. Courage begins when we’re honest about our fears. And then we choose to face them.

This life is your mission field, this is where you live out the great commission. Fear doesn’t get to win anymore. God is calling us to join Him in the great commission. It’s like getting picked first for dodgeball, He wants you on his team! He knows you can help him win, so stop letting fear hold you back, and get in the game.