I was recently invited to a podcast to share my testimony and the vision of Fulfilled, and during the conversation I shared how my vision and purpose in life was delayed by my own decisions. After the podcast recording stopped, the host—a great friend of my family—pointed out that so many people have this misconception that God "will delay" your purpose if it's not "His timing," and how we use that as an excuse not to take action. I do believe that God "has a season to everything and a perfect time for every purpose under the sun"(1), but I do not think that God intentionally delays your purpose. I think that our purpose gets delay by our own decisions, whether you made those decisions consciously or unconsciously.
In this blog I would like to go over the third factor that delays purpose.
3. The Fear Factor
Fear is the most obvious element that delays purpose. The reason being is because it's the one thing that everyone is fully aware of and has experienced. No one is exempt from the fear factor.
But once a person understands what is fear and how it works, one could actually overcome it and move forward to the fulfillment of purpose.
The best quote that I have ever heard on fear is this one: "fear kills more dreams than failure ever will." Wow. Please just read that quote a few times over and really think of the meaning and message behind it. I heard this quote from a super successful young entrepreneur around four years ago, and to this day this is the best quote on fear that I have ever heard! I love this quote so much because it literally summarizes my walk of purpose perfectly. Fear was always a major reason why my dreams were killed and my purpose paralyzed for almost a decade! Fear is literally a paralyzer. Every man or woman—in the Bible and in life—that was not able to fulfill their purpose was produced because of fear. Fear paralyzes and prevents people from walking in their purpose. Fear is the devil's greatest weapon because it is the only thing that can prevent someone from using faith! In my beginning with God, I always thought that the opposite of faith was unbelief, but as I grew closer to God and His Word I realized that the opposite of faith is fear. The devil will always attack you with fear because it is the only thing in his arsenal that can kill your faith. The purpose of fear is not to attack your emotions, mind, or body, the purpose of fear is to attack and prevent you from using faith. Faith is the true vehicle to reaching your purpose and potential, and since the enemy knows that, he will always attack your faith with fear to try to stop you from using it.
The two greatest fear that you will face in your life and that you must conquer if you wish to accomplish your dreams and purpose are, the fear of failure and the fear of people's opinion:
The first, fear of failure (FOF), is the number one fear of all but it is the most irrational and illogical fear of them all! Success is literally 90% defeat and 10% victory. It is impossible to reach success, accomplish your dreams and goals without failing along the way. "Failure" is nothing more but an instrument to success. Every "failure" is just but a temporary defeat that reveals the road to victory. Listen, when you know which route will not take you to your destination,—by law and mathematical certainty—you will automatically know which road will take you there. One day I was talking to my dad about launching myself as an educator and teacher and he said to me, "every newborn has to learn how to talk." It was his way of saying that everything in life has to be learned. You will not be magically gifted in your gift. You have to learn how to use your gift.
The second, fear of people's opinion (FOPO), is the most scariest self-made haunted house we have ever invented. This fear is a self-contained cage we entrap ourselves in. I remember when I used to be extremely afraid of what people would think or say about me for trying to reach my dreams and goals. I technically still do not understand or know where does this fear comes from. Why are we so afraid of other people? Why do we care and worry so much of someone opinion of us? At the end of the day, is just that, an opinion. Like Les Brown say, "someone's opinion of you doesn't have to become your reality." You will never be happy in life, be yourself and reach your full potential until you quit thinking and fearing the opinions of others. You will never influence the people whose opinions of you you are afraid of.
I'll finish with this: It is said that there are 365 verses in the Bible with the phrase "do not fear," and its purpose is to serve as a reminder from God to not allow fear to steal away our dreams and hope. All fear are an expression of our lack of identity and low self-image. You will learn to face your fears when you grow in the knowledge of who you are.
References:
(1) Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)
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