“If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat”

My dream to be a voice about how we view and use our resources has been a dream for about 8 years. I chose not to take action on this dream because I feared what people would think (Would people like it? Agree? Read it?). Yet every time a motivational speaker would share or I’d see someone pursue their passion, I’d have that same stirring going on in my heart around my passion.

Can you relate? Do you have something you’re inspired to pursue or feel a calling on your life? Do you fear what people will think or have other fears?

Today, I’d love to share that you’re not alone. I think it’s extremely common to have these thoughts and be held back from stepping out and going for it.

I’m just getting started with my blog. I have no idea how God wants to use me, but I’ve felt so much freedom and joy in just moving forward, stepping out in faith to pursue what I feel like God’s placed on my heart.

I’d like to share some questions/concerns I’ve had, along with how I feel God’s been helping me overcome these hurdles:

What if I run out of things to write about?

At the end of the day, any gift and/or passion is God-given for Him to use for His purpose and glory, and my good. If God wants to continue to use me in this capacity, I believe He’ll continue to give me things to write about. I play a part in this by learning, reading, preparing, etc. but, ultimately, my faith is in Him.

Besides, nothing I do will make a difference in someone’s life unless God chooses to impact someone through it.

What if people don’t like it?

I’ve got to remember who I’m writing for, ultimately. While I’d love to help people with their finances, and change the way we view our resources (myself included), I’m ultimately writing to be obedient and use my God-given interests for God’s purposes. Keeping this perspective helps me think less of people’s opinions. The moment I start writing for people to like and/or agree, I’m in for a mess of emotions.

How on earth can I please everyone reading this? Can you imagine how many opinions are out there, let alone trying to predict what people “want” to hear. Writing for an audience of One is way less stressful!

What if no one reads it?

Again, if I”m writing to use my gifts and be obedient, does it matter? I hope to help many people, and it’s been a huge joy to pursue this desire to speak into the topics I’ve been writing about, but, in the end, I want to please God.

I think we all struggle with similar thoughts, and I hope this encourages you that you’re not alone and to pursue your dream.

Bonus Points:

1. What are people missing out on by you NOT pursuing your passion? You were made for a purpose and wired like no one else on the planet. Who could you be influencing, encouraging, or helping by stepping out and saying “yes” to your dream?
2. Like I said, it took me 8 years to act, but the last 2 were spent preparing and reading books on topics I wanted to share on. You may not need this much time (and mine was spread out with various life distractions), but I think more often than not things take time to prepare for. Maybe you can’t pursue your dream 100% today, but what can you start doing to get there?
3. I believe Satan wishes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). I think he loves making us afraid to do anything of significance. Realizing this, put on your war suit. Fight the battle…you’re not alone.

Lastly, I recommend reading Visioneering by Andy Stanely. It gave me direction and “arms and legs” to my vision. This also gave me fuel to step out, and keep going. It’s a short read, but a great one!

“If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat” – John Ortberg

Disclaimer: I love this phrase, but I’ve yet to read the book. I purchased it several years ago because the title inspired me. #dontjudge  😉

Ask any questions in comments below!

.Em ❤