Tag: choosing love

Leading Through Fear & Uncertainty

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From our mission work in Asia

Leading Through Fear and Uncertainty

There are moments in leadership when the path ahead is anything but clear.

The plans we carefully crafted change. The outcomes we hoped for remain uncertain. The challenges in front of us seem larger than our resources, our experience, or even our courage.

In those moments, we have a choice.

We can resist, retreat, and cling to fear. Or we can move forward despite the uncertainty, trusting that purpose is greater than our anxiety and hope is stronger than our doubt.

I have faced this reality many times through our work serving people experiencing homelessness and survivors of human trafficking. Some situations carry significant risks because the goal is not simply to meet a temporary need. The objective is freedom. The objective is restoration. The objective is helping someone escape exploitation, poverty, or circumstances that have held them captive for far too long.

Whenever we step into difficult situations, there is always a question that emerges:

Is the risk worth the reward?

For me, the answer has always been yes.

Every life restored is worth it.

Every child given a second chance is worth it.

Every person who discovers freedom, hope, and dignity is worth it.

Over the years, I have found two forces that are more powerful than fear: love and purpose.

When we live with a clear sense of purpose and a genuine love for others, our “why” becomes louder than our fears. That does not mean fear disappears. In fact, there have been many moments when fear felt overwhelming.

Fear has a way of screaming.

Love often whispers.

Yet I’ve learned that courage is found in that whisper. It is found in the quiet reminder to remember why we started. It begins as a small seed, but when nurtured through faith, conviction, and action, it grows.

That seed of courage moves us from saying, “Someone should do something about this” to asking, “What can I do about this?”

It challenges us to ask deeper questions:

  • Why am I here at this point in history?
  • What unique gifts have I been given?
  • What role am I meant to play in this story?

The truth is that none of us can do everything.

We are not superheroes.

But we can all do something.

Perhaps your leadership journey does not involve life-threatening situations. Perhaps you are leading through organizational change, economic uncertainty, staff turnover, or personal challenges. Maybe you are carrying the weight of difficult decisions while wondering what the future holds.

If so, I understand.

And while every situation is different, I have found that the principles remain remarkably similar.

Remember Your Why

When uncertainty rises, reconnect with the reason you stepped into leadership in the first place.

Who are you serving?

Who benefits from your vision, wisdom, and perseverance?

Purpose has a way of steadying us when everything else feels unstable.

Use What Is Already in Your Hands

Many leaders spend so much time focusing on what they lack that they overlook what they already possess.

Experience.

Relationships.

Wisdom.

Skills.

Faith.

Resilience.

Take inventory. Often, the tools needed for the next season are already within reach.

Focus on What You Can Control

Fear tends to magnify everything beyond our control.

Great leadership focuses on what can be influenced today.

You can control your attitude.

You can control your words.

You can control your behaviors and responses.

You can choose to lead by example.

One step at a time. One decision at a time. One day at a time.

Let Feelings Inform You, Not Direct You

Fear is real.

Ignoring it is not leadership.

But allowing it to dominate every decision is not leadership either.

Feelings are indicators, not dictators.

They provide information, but they should not determine our destination.

Acknowledge the fear. Evaluate the situation. Then move forward with wisdom and purpose.

Love Still Wins

One of the greatest privileges of my life is hearing stories from individuals whose lives have been transformed. Every letter, every testimony, and every story of restoration reminds me why this work matters.

Love changes lives.

Love restores hope.

Love overcomes fear.

And every time I witness someone’s journey from despair to freedom, I am reminded that the reward far outweighs the risk.

For me, it is far better to step into the arena and serve than to sit on the sidelines wondering why no one intervened.

The world may never need us to do everything.

But it does need us to do something.

So whatever challenge lies before you today, remember your why. Lean into your purpose. Let love speak louder than fear.

You may discover that courage was there all along, waiting for you to take the next step.

—

About the Author

Through writing, speaking, and nonprofit leadership, I am passionate about helping individuals discover purpose, lead with courage, and create lasting impact in their communities.

To learn more about our work serving individuals experiencing homelessness and survivors of human trafficking, visit:

https://OperationGodisLove.org

Love,

Erin Lamb

Love is Never Wasted

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Be imitators of God as dearly loved children.

Love one another as I have loved you.

Build each other up. Encourage one another daily.

Don’t just look out for your own interests, look out for the interests of others.

Do nothing out of selfish motives or vain conceit.

Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; love your neighbor as you love yourself. This is the greatest commandment.

The words above are from the Bible. Many are from Jesus. I’d love to tell you that I always think love is a good idea. I don’t. Sometimes the logical response for me is to choose isolation from people and forgo loving anyone but God. As an introvert, loving people is sometimes exhausting. Sometimes, honestly, love feels like a waste of time. Just keeping it real…yet part of loving God is loving people, not just in word but through actions.

When you really love people, you are vulnerable to them. They have the power to hurt you in ways you never thought possible. Sometimes they do it and blame you. Sometimes they are ambivalent or indifferent. Sometimes people are cruel or unkind. Sometimes the people you’d give your life for are the ones nailing you to a rugged cross. My heart has some pretty interesting scars. 🙂

Guess what? No one bears more scars than Jesus. We cannot fully comprehend the pain our sins caused Him. He was marred beyond recognition. His friends denied Him, forsook Him, and betrayed Him. Love cost Jesus everything. He felt the weight, shame, and pain of every sin.

This same Jesus says to us, “Love as I love.” He gave us His Spirit to help us to love. He doesn’t ask us to do anything He has not done or will not empower us to do.

So what are we to do? Do we throw in the towel on this love thing?

We could, but we would be living a life in disobedience to God. God never gives us permission to stop loving people. He never gives us permission to hold grudges or withhold forgiveness. If we don’t forgive, we are not forgiven. God never stops loving. He said the world will know we are His by our love for one another. If we don’t love, we don’t know God.

You see the point of life is to be loved by God, love God, love people, do as Jesus does, & become like Him; not by striving, but by abiding in Him.

We are transformed by relationship with God. We are being transformed by what we love and worship. Hence God saying, “Love Me most! Love Me first. Have no other gods before Me!” We are slaves to who and what we worship and obey.

We are God’s Ambassadors on earth. We show and demonstrate to the world what He’s like.

Do you know anyone who reminds you of Jesus?

Do you know anyone who represents Him well?

Does the person you see in the mirror continue to grow into His likeness?

Sanctification (the process of growing more Christlike) is part of the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. We can quench Him, resist Him, ignore Him, and offend Him. Yet He’s trying to work in us so we represent the Father well and become our truest selves.

Our world needs Christians who look, behave, and sound like Jesus. They’ve heard our sermons and worship, listened to our political agenda, but have they encountered Jesus? Have they seen Christ in us?

I ask these questions of myself. Am I becoming more like Jesus or more selfish and like the world? Am I loving people or harming them? Am I giving/serving or asking to be served? Is my life a reflection of His love and power? When God reveals weaknesses (which I have plenty of), am I asking Him to help me or making excuses for them?

Lastly, though I feel it at times, love is never wasted. People are not our audience, judge, or jury. We love and live for an audience of One. Every person will give an account for their lives. We are called to care more about what God thinks than people’s responses to us or their opinions. It’s for His Glory, not our own.

May we choose love. May we abide in the One who is love so we have love to give away. May we be known for looking, acting, sounding, and behaving like Jesus. He said those who abide (remain) in Him will bear MUCH fruit (John 15:5). I don’t know about you, but I desperately need Jesus to love people, including myself. Without God I am nothing and have nothing.

Have a blessed week! Be a blessing to others. The world needs what you’re carrying…Christ in you, the hope of glory.

You’re in my thoughts and continual prayers…

Love in Christ,

Erin

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Learning to Love Like God (Part 1)

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Photo Credit: Pinterest

If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much,~Matthew 5:46.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”~John 13:34-35.

We love because he first loved us,~1 John 4:19.

Love is the highest calling for a believer. I talk about love quite a bit because God reveals the desperate need the world has for love. Addiction is a cry for comfort. Sexual promiscuity for attention and affection. Abuse for healing. Everywhere you look, people are trying to fill a God sized void with something. Drugs, food, tv, alcohol, sex, relationships, social media, and even church activities are often used to fill the void of love.

You and I are empowered to love. How? By the Holy Spirit. He is love. Sounds easy right? God in us loving people.

In order to love like God, we must first receive love from God. We cannot give away what we do not possess. That person who fails to love you mostly likely either doesn’t know how you perceive love, or they haven’t fully received God’s love.

Even after we receive God’s love, we can choose not to love other people. It’s a process of submitting to God, not relying on feelings, and dying to self.

I don’t always feel like loving people. Nope. Some days I grow tired of being kind to rude people. Some days I have to go straight to God with unpleasant feelings towards people. He reminds me of this, “Feelings are not an indication of truth. You can love this person because I love them.”

How do we love like God?

We let God love us. Christianity is about relationship with God. Jesus paid for us to have full access to the Father.

Take time to just be with God. It can be journaling, reading, praying & listening, time in His Word, worship, etc…asking God to reveal His love on the heart level. It will then pour out on to others. God fills to overflowing. Part of it is faith as well; believing what God says about His love for us is true.

We forgive. Gosh, I don’t mind forgiving (surrendering a person to God and refusing to avenge). It’s far more difficult to reconcile and restore a relationship when someone has betrayed your trust, treated your heart like a punching bag, or just failed to be good to you. In those moments I’m reminded of these things…

1. What is God’s purpose for the relationship? Is it covenant? Will restoring the relationship be safe?

If someone is stealing from your bank account, love sets boundaries (change the info, block the person). If a person is not trustworthy, don’t confide in them. If someone is controlling and manipulative, limit the access they have to you. If someone is abusing you in any way, seek help. Forgiving does not mean you must remain in the same condition or immediately give someone your trust. We are responsible for who and what we allow into our lives.

If it’s a covenant relationship or one God is calling us to, we are to do our best to work it out (we will discuss more in a different post on covenant).

2. How does God treat me when I fail?

We are humans. We will blow it. God is so merciful and kind to me when I mess up. I am called to be merciful.

Unlike God, we can be severely damaged by others. Mercy doesn’t mean let someone continually, purposefully hurt or abuse you. Our role is to point people to Christ. It’s unloving to allow someone to continue to sin against us and not offer loving correction. We want people right with God. It does mean we offer grace, compassion, and mercy. Mercy may be refraining from gossip (which is so damaging). The person did you wrong, protect their name. Treat them better than they did you.

Lastly I will say love will cost you greatly. God has blessed me with years of experience loving people who did not in any way love, honor, or respect me. He gave me someone similar to Saul (4 years-40 hours a week. Not sure how I didn’t lose my mind), a few who behaved like Judas, and allowed people in my life who at times made me want to never love again. I’ve had to love people who have tried to take my life. I can say love doesn’t always feel good. I’m certain the experiences Jesus endured were not pleasant. They were excruciating. He suffered greatly. Yet, He did it for love.

Whatever love costs you, please know genuine love glorifies God. The world needs to see genuine, agape love through us. We may not know until heaven the impact we made in someone’s life. Though it may be painful at times, choose love!

You’re in my thoughts and prayers!

Father reduce us to love. Help us to love like You. Remove worldly views of love and replace them with Yours. Help us to see people as You do, and love them as You do. In Jesus name, Amen.

Love in Christ,

Erin