Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church said, “The dogs of doom stand at the doors of your destiny. When you hear them barking you know you are near your promise land. Most people retreat in fear instead of crossing over and capturing their land. Fear is often disguised as wisdom or stewardship but it is a Trojan Horse sent in to steal your destiny. Fear is not your friend!!!!” One of the greatest sins of this decade in Christianity is normalizing fear in our lives. It’s sad to say how commonplace fear has become. With so much technology and information at our fingertips, we believe we are better for it but actually wouldn’t you say it has skyrocketed the “what if’s” for many of us, paralyzing us from living courageously? How many of us can truly say we run to the word of God making sure what information is being presented to us is something to really embrace or something we should discard? How many of us have retreated too soon too many times in our lives instead of pressing into what God has and promised us because of all the information that presents risk and the possibility of making a mistake?
We can all say with a rational voice that fear is not our friend. But think of it this way- what would you do if you were ten times bolder? If you even thought of one thing then fear has reduced you and telling you what to do. Let that sink in. Fear is having too much of a say in so many of our lives including mine…and I would say I am not a fearful person. We tend to accommodate our fears claiming that we don’t feel fearful, but how can you feel fear if you don’t put yourself out there? So fear has reduced you and you have accommodated fear in your life. For example, if you are afraid of flying and you never fly you are never going to feel fear. Because You have reduced your life to accommodated it.
Kris Vallotton says the two indicators of your destiny is: (1) What do you love or would do for free and (2) What terrifies you? The enemy only protects treasures. He doesn’t want you to go after what he knows you would be great at. Look at Moses and the thousands of Israelites who left Egypt to go to the Promise Land. Because of fear the giants, despite God’s promise, they never entered in. Only 2 people got to enter the Promise Land. But in actuality, the giants didn’t come on the scene until 100 years later in the time of David. There is more fear in the fear of the future than the future itself. How many of us has partnered with the fear of the future and called it being safety minded? I have a time or two, sadly. An old man once said “ I have had many troubles in my life…sadly not many of them happened.”
As Christians we should hold stronger to the truth that if my Abba Father does not have the thought than I shouldn’t either. Which will always lead us to living courageously. Living courageously is not being absent of fear but going after all things despite of the fear. It’s not being deterred by danger or pain. It is believing and having faith in Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” And in 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” The Bible promises you a strong cheering section- the Lord. So I ask again, what is to fear? Why do we not believe he is going before us and with us as we go with courage? Courage is consistently on the other side of fear. Fear’s goal is to deter you from God’s best for you by creating enough danger and pain that you buy the lie to stay right where you are. Fear will hold back the breakthrough we have been believing for. But if we hold true to the fear of God, living by the praises and encouragement of God then living a courageous, destiny filled life is a sure bet. Sometimes you have to let go of something in order to grab a hold of something else.
Remember your destiny is the other side of whatever is resisting you. Press in and engage with vulnerability. Vulnerability is not knowing if victory is sure over defeat but its understanding the necessity of going for it regardless of the unknowing. It's engaging and being all in. It’s being ok with making mistakes so you can grow and learn. There is so much to learn from being victorious (joy, self esteem, encouragement) and also understanding defeat (compassion, empathy, need of building your skill level). This will determine the depth of your courage and the clarity of your purpose. But to the degree to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable will reveal to us the level of fear and disconnection we are operating at. It’s ok to be afraid just choose God and what He has for you. Choose to do it afraid until you breakthrough to the other side of courage. Courage is your friend not fear. Choose courage and to be adamantly “all in” no matter what.
Michelle Preble
Transformation Center Director
NCWC