03/28/2026
Have you ever felt like you should be further along by now?
I’ve been there.
Fear can quietly hold us back—but God never intended for us to stay stuck.
I shared a new column today called Spring Forward in Faith, Not Fear, and I pray it encourages you to take that next step.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
What if the very thing holding you back from becoming all God has called you to be is fear?
Not the loud kind of fear, but the quiet kind that whispers, “You’re not enough,” or “You should be further along by now.”
I’ve wrestled with that kind of fear.
There are moments, especially as I’ve gotten older, when I’ve asked myself, “Am I truly fulfilling the calling God has placed on my life with excellence? Is there more I should be doing?”
And if I’m being honest, there’s another layer to that struggle.
When you live in your hometown, the place where people knew you before you became a believer, it can be difficult for others to fully understand who God has called you to be. They may only see the pigtails or the problems of your youth. Sometimes you feel more accepted outside of that familiar place, whether that’s through an opportunity to serve, speak, or even share your story in a broader way, than you do right where you are.
That can stir up doubt if you’re not grounded in God’s truth.
But I’ve learned something important. Your calling is not validated by people’s recognition, it is established by God’s purpose.
Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) reminds us:
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
God doesn’t say, “Don’t be afraid once everyone understands you.”
He says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.”
That means His presence, not people’s approval, is what sustains us.
Fear will always try to shift our focus. It whispers lies like:
You’re not doing enough.
You’ve missed your moment.
You should be further along by now.
But fear is not from God.
Second Timothy 1:7 tells us that God has given us power, love, and self-discipline, not fear.
And that truth applies not only to our spiritual lives, but to our physical lives as well.
I often tell my fitness students, especially when we’re doing an exercise like bouncing on a stability ball, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”
They’ll laugh and say, “We fall.”
And I remind them, “Then we get right back up and bounce again.”
We don’t sit there and overthink it.
We don’t wait and let fear settle in.
Because if we wait, we might become afraid to try again.
That simple moment carries a powerful truth.
You don’t overcome fear by avoiding the fall. You overcome it by getting back up.
The same is true in our walk with God.
You don’t step into your calling by having everything perfect.
You step into it by being willing to move, even when there’s a chance you might stumble.
Psalm 34:4 (NLT) says:
“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.”
God doesn’t just comfort us in fear. He frees us from it.
And one of the ways He does that is by reminding us who we are in Him.
First John 4:18 (NLT) says:
“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.”
When you begin to truly understand God’s love, you realize something freeing.
You are not striving to become someone God will accept.
You are already someone He has called, and He is continuing to shape you.
You are not behind.
You are not overlooked.
You are not lacking.
You are in process.
And God is faithful in that process.
Every step you take in faith, no matter how small, is a step away from fear and a step toward strength.
So what does that look like today?
It might mean showing up when you don’t feel seen.
It might mean trusting God’s calling even when others don’t fully understand it.
It might mean taking that next step without overthinking it.
Just like getting back up on that stability ball, you don’t wait, you move.
Because fear will try to talk you out of what God is calling you into.
But God is not asking you to have it all figured out. He’s asking you to trust Him enough to take the next step.
Spring is a season of new life, growth, and fresh beginnings.
Don’t let fear keep you from stepping into yours.
Step out of fear.
Step into strength.
And trust that the God who called you will carry you every step of the way.
