Don’t Lead With Fear!

by | May 18, 2015 | Uncategorized

I’m going to start this post with a confession! Sometimes I am fearful! Yes, sometimes fear gets the best of me as a leader, husband, and as a father.

Before you start quoting scripture at me about how I shouldn’t be fearful, I know those verses and yes, I grab a hold of those when I struggle with fear. What do I fear? Well to be completely honest, fear comes at me from different angles.  Fear of what others think of me, of my leadership, my admin skills (or sometimes lack of them) or sometimes its the unknown days ahead and how overwhelming it seems.

As I was in the Word this morning, I wondered about Joshua. I wondered even though he’s a great military leader if he struggled a bit with fear.  Why else would there be so many statements of “Be Strong and Courageous!” in the first chapter of Joshua?  Why was he told not to be afraid and not to be discouraged? (yes, I think discouragement is part of fear)

As a leader, I realize I must embrace my fears and to use God’s word to combat them. I also realize and have learned the hard way that the fear of man and what they think is a tool that the devil uses against us. When I have faced some difficult decisions in the past, I had to wrestle with my fears.  I had to battle inside myself to say, I believe God is truly GREATER than my fears!

Joshua 1:7 “Be STRONG and VERY courageous. Be careful to OBEY all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” NIV

Strength and courage in leadership come from a heart of obedience and the discipline of trusting and walking in the Spirit.  As we as leaders, parents, and followers of Christ walk daily we can have success in the face of our fears.

Those whom we serve and lead, need to see us take our fears and overcome them. They need to see us lead strong as they need to have someone set the example for them to follow.  Lead boldly today!

Whatever you’re facing today, go to your source of strength. Go to the person of Truth and follow his word with total obedience. Embrace the fear and release it to the one who is GREATER!