John Stanko

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go" - Joshua 1:7.

Joshua was about to lead the people into the Promised Land, completing a journey that Moses had begun but could not finish due to his temper when he misrepresented the Lord (see Numbers 20:9-13). God gave Joshua five directives as he prepared to lead the people in: 1) be strong; 2) have courage; 3) be careful; 4) be obedient; and 5) walk in all the Law's commandments. Those five warnings are relevant for all leaders to heed, for there are times when their spirituality must translate into practical acts that calls for courageous obedience. Courage is never the absence of fear, but rather learning to function and act in the midst of or in spite of fear, as Joshua was to discover time and again as they crossed the Jordan to enter God's inheritance.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Your Step today is to reflect on whether or not fear is hindering your walk with the Lord and your obedience to His commands as you lead. The challenge is that fear seldom identifies itself, but appears to be rational and reasonable. "We don't have the finances" can really mean "I am afraid we don't have them or won't have them on time" or "I don't have time" is "I'm afraid I don't have time." Where is fear holding you back your journey into God's Promised Land for you?