Fear of Man

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline." II Timothy 1:7

The verse has been ringing in my heart and head the last few weeks. Being bold and going against the culture's worldly norms to bring the Gospel to others is scary sometimes, but deep inside it is something I know God has called me to do.

The concept of ministry is uncharted foreign waters for so many. People just don't understand sometimes why we do it. Life's not about the cars, the houses, the fancy retirement, or achievement. Look at the eternal perspective. Life's about reaching others with the message of Christ and deepening your relationship with God. Nothing else fulfills the need your heart has. Nothing else satisfies that longing in your heart for something more in life.

Through this support raising process, God has already taught me a lot about fear of man. At first, I thought it would be easy to just take the glances that come with the negative comments directed at us. Now I'm realizing it is something I have to lean on God daily for to give me the strength to get through. Stepping out in faith to reach others stirs up people. It rattles them because they reflect on their own lives and relationship with God. Hurtful comments will come...it's part of the job description of becoming a missionary. Folding in and crumpling inside is not an option though. Sometimes you just have to put on a thick skin and take the comments. Instead of lashing out in anger, I've had to so many times ask God for the strength to be loving and pray for people who hurt me.

As believers, we don't have a Spirit of timidity inside us. We have a bold Spirit eager to be a light in this dark world if we just rely on God to lead us. Yeah, its hard taking those first few steps away from what the world thinks is normal, but when you do and look back upon them, you get a deeper hunger for the plans God has for your life.

If I've realized one thing these first few months of support raising its this: Don't fear man's opinion of you. Fear missing out on the opportunities God has planned for you to live life abundantly. Trust God and have a bold faith.