Leading Through Fear & Uncertainty

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

God Esteem & Confidence (Manifesting Sonship Series Part IV-b)

  
Sometimes WordPress behaves wacky. In the middle of my post on Moses it posted what was not finished. Hence getting more than one post today…😃

I left off talking about Moses letting God know about His weaknesses. God already knew. He knows everything. We are deeply loved by God, yet the story isn’t primarily about us…it’s about God. It’s about who God is. 

God has always existed. It’s His story for His glory, and we get to join His story. 

God had a plan to free His people, and He chose Moses to be His spokesperson. He knew when He chose Moses that he had a fear issue, fear of rejection, insecurities, and that Moses was not eloquent of speech. He didn’t walk up on Moses and say to Himself, “Hey I wonder what this guy is like? Can I use him?” 

God knows our flaws, fears, weaknesses, insecurities, wounds, shortcomings, and still calls us all to join His story. 

If you read the Bible cover to cover you will find only one who is perfect and He is Jesus. He perfectly represented the Father. 

What does that mean for us? 

1. It means we are who God says we are. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He’s right in His assessment always. 

2. Our confidence is to come from our identity in Christ, nothing else. Jesus plainly said, “I am the Vine. You are the branches. If you abide in Me, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing,“~from John 15:5.

3. If God calls, He equips, and provides provision. It’s about Him being seen through us for His glory. We can’t take credit for what He has done when He works through our areas of weakness. We can’t take credit for our strengths either…

4. It’s not about our weakness, it’s about His strength! 

5. Even if we mess up, God has a redemptive plan. 

6. Low self esteem and insecurity are not the will of God, nor is it humility. 

a. Some today might applaud Moses for telling God he wasn’t qualified or worthy. God on the other hand rebuked him. He said to Moses, “Who made the mouth?” 

You may be thinking, “Easier said than done. This God esteem seems hard to walk out.” 

Ummmm…yeah! It’s something I’m learning to walk out. Confidence hasn’t always been applauded in my life. Some Christians labeled me arrogant for thinking I could hear from God and I didn’t have great experiences walking confidence out. If I stated I was a filthy sinner or worm, there was applause for my humility. Yet the more I searched the scriptures, the more evidence I found that God wanted us to accept His assessment of who we are. We were (past tense) dead in trespasses and sin. We were (past tense) sinners on the way to hell. 

Even in my occupation other women and some men made it their mission to sabatoge efforts for success. 

I am still walking it all out with you because God calls me way, way, way out of my comfort zone. I had zero desire to lead, be known, teach, preach, be on platforms, etc…leave me in a room with God alone and I’m as happy as can be. I had zero, zero desire to be a spokesperson for God. None. And God has called me repeadily to do what I never thought I could and many things I had no desire to do. 

Life examples:

After years of being somewhat beat down in ministry and enduring some intense persecution at work and with Christians. I am not talking about people just being rude either. I’m talking about being stalked, falsely accused, publicly humiliated and lied on, people trying to get me fired, cussed out in public places, vandalized property, people I didn’t know contacting me about gossip they heard, being removed from “friend” circles without warning, destroying my work samples….on and on…God calls me after this 7 year period of testing-(lets call it that), to minister to a stranger I met one time at a conference. 

My first response was, “Are you serious? Um no thanks.” God didn’t rebuke me like He did Moses. He kept nudging. “Will you go for me?” I was still hurting, still tired, over ministry, seeking rest and restoration. I had zero desire to go minister to someone I didn’t know. And I would hold things God gave me until I had courage to send them. It was hard. I had to overcome plenty of fear. Or at least move past it long enough to bless someone else. He would state the timing was on point. God had figured in my lag time.

That one act of (delayed) obedience led to years of being obedient, faithful, facing fears, and just being a vessel God could use, even while broken. It was super challenging as I felt a truck had backed over my life, yet it brought about good things for that person and their family. It also helped me grow in God confidence.  

The purpose of me telling you is this…Sometimes, you’re going to be afraid. Sometimes you may feel really small or inadequate. Sometimes you may not be well received. Yet if you give it to God, He will do something beautiful. You may not be the benefactor. It may be someone else. It’s for His glory. I told God He could have all of my life. Since then I’ve had chances to walk it out. 

We are His workmanship created for His glory. Your reward for being faithful to God (He does like to give rewards by the way), may be in heaven where moths and rust do not decay. Some may be on earth, I can’t say. I do know it’s worth it to believe what God says about us and to step out of the boat! 

No one wins games by sitting on the bench. 

No one walks on the water by sitting in the boat! 

Papa God I thank You that Your strength is made perfect in our weakness. I thank You that all You say about us is true. I thank You that You are so powerful to heal us where we are afraid, weak, broken, and insecure. Our true confidence is in You! I bless everyone reading this with Godly esteem and God Confidence. In Jesus name. Amen. 

Love, 

Erin 

Between Fear and Faith (Book Excerpt)

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The Bible says without faith it’s impossible to please God. In order to believe in God, there must be faith. We do not see Him the way we see people. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Once we believe in God, I truly believe that’s just the beginning of the journey. The walk with God also includes believing God is who He says He is and will do everything He says He will do. There’s faith required to believe what He says in His word about us, about the future, and so much more.

It’s easy to talk about faith. It requires much more to live out our faith. Faith requires us to do something. When we believe God, we live differently. We experience peace and joy. We cease worrying.

God loves to show up in the lives of those who believe. God loves it when we place confidence in Him.

Fear is one of the many things that comes to choke out faith. It’s a belief that something or someone is more powerful than God. Fear is misplaced faith.

I’d love to tell you I’ve lived or live a 100% fearless life. That would be a lie. There are areas of my life where I have no fear, others where I cling to Jesus and ask for His courage. You won’t see me jumping out of a plane any time soon. 🙂

The Bible tells us to not be afraid because God knows we will be afraid. The more we experience His love, the more confidence we have in His ability to do what He says, including protect us.

Hope this book excerpt from I Thought I Knew What Love Was blesses you.

Between Faith and Fear
Written July 28, 2010 by Erin Lamb
Copyright© 2011 may not be reproduced without permission

There is a place between faith and fear,
where the heart, mind, and the spirit battle for who will win.
There is a consistent tug-of-war,
an outcry;
“Is God here?
Will He answer?
How will I overcome?”
The mind can waver from firm belief
that God will do what He has promised,
to a place of no hope and no peace.
The heart can be so overjoyed,
standing on the mountain of promise
thinking, “This is for me, Lord.”
It can quickly shift its place to the valley
allowing the place of faith
to shift to fear asking, “Will God leave me here?”
The spirit shouts from the mountain top,
to the echo of the valley;
“God is who He says He is,
so do not worry and do not fear.”
This is an uncomfortable place,
the place between faith and fear.
The cold sweats,
the rapid pulse, and
the times of jubilee;
will all connected parts line up and take the leap?
Will there be the leap of faith that says,
“Though I cannot see,
I will still believe?”
Will there be the leap of faith
that says,
“I cannot feel,
but I will trust that God is real.
I will believe despite emotions
that God is good and has the most pure motives.”
Between faith and fear,
a choice must be made;
which one will decide our fate?
There is a blessing on the other side of faith;
will fear strangle it,
devour it, and
destroy it?
Or will faith overcome
and be victorious?
There is no life
on the other side of fear,
just limitations,
speculations,
worry,
and lack of participation.
Fear
strangles all ambition,
shatters all dreams,
destroys anything in its path,
and leaves nothing good to be seen.
On the path between faith and fear,
choose faith.
God will not disappoint you,
nor turn away from any promise He has made.