The next "take away" from the book "Next Generation Leader" by Andy Stanley, was that leaders must lead with courage. Fear has this way of paralyzing us into inaction. "What if the decision is wrong?" "What if it fails?" "What will people think?" The paralyzing questions are endless.
Sometimes we simply keep waiting and waiting until there is absolutely no doubt about direction or which decision to make. But usually by then we have missed the opportunity to speak or act or move in a way that makes a difference. By the time we've arrived at that point no courage is needed at all, and no faith is required either.
Being a leader for God means moving when He impresses us to move. No, all of the issues won't be solved, and all of the variables won't be worked out either. When God called David to pick up those five stones and face Goliath, the ending wasn't a guarantee in David's mind. But he had the courage to step out in faith.
When God called Gideon to lead the army, there were a lot of questions and major concerns for him, but in the end he had the courage to step out and act. Same for Nehemiah, and Esther, David and Daniel, Paul, Peter, James, John, Timothy, etc. The Bible is full of regular people with fears and insecurities, doing extraordinarily courageous things for God.
Ultimately the issue isn't really fear, it's obedience. Am I willing to follow God even though the next step seems kind of murky and unclear? I realize that in the end, the results aren't guaranteed, but that God's presence is! So what do I have to fear when I know that He is leading me, guiding me, and standing beside me. As the old saying goes, "Courage is not the absence of fear, it's acting in spite of it."
This is what God told Joshua:
I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
