Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

"Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you."¹

A common question asked in motivational seminars is: "If you knew you couldn't fail, what would you do with your life?"

Participants imagine all sorts of things: take flying lessons … write a book … travel around the world … start a business … learn to play a musical instrument … make pottery, and so on.

Think of Martin Luther King's life-transforming, world-impacting statement: "I have a dream." And while King didn't live to see his dream fulfilled, his dream and what he started made a powerful impact on his world and helped change the world for every American. The fears he and his family faced from constant harassment and threats on his life would have overwhelmed all but the bravest of souls. However, it was his dream that overcame his fears and caused him even in death to triumph.

Remember, it's normal to be afraid. Most of us struggle with fear from time to time. It's part of the human condition. The important thing is not to deny one's fears but to acknowledge them, and not allow them to control us. As one author put it, "Feel the fear and do it anyway."

If the fear of failure were removed, what would you really like to do? Whether it's something small or something major doesn't matter. What is your dream, or better still, what is God's dream for you? And what will you do about it? Will you choose to allow your fear to control you? Or, with God's help, will you allow your dream to control your fear?

Remember too, that it's okay to fail in attempting to reach a goal. Failures are par for the course. In many ways they are our greatest teacher. The only real failure is not to get up one more time than we fall downâ€"and to give up on our dream. Remember, too, failure is an event not a person. Know your dream. Trust God and put your dream in charge of your fears and, in time, as you step out in faith to begin to fulfill you dream, you will be able to say, "No fear. No kidding. That is, fear no longer has control over me!"

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to know my God-given life purpose and to make that my dream. Please give me the courage to step out in faith to begin fulfilling my dreamâ€"today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Acts 27:24 (NIV).

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