Take The First Step: Courage When You Don’t Feel Ready
What Do I Do Now? Take the First Step When You Don’t Feel Ready
Watch the Episode on our YouTube Channel! SUBSCRIBE!
WATCH on our RUMBLE Channel! Click FOLLOW!
Have you ever noticed how often we wait for courage like it is something that will eventually show up if we sit still long enough?
We tell ourselves things like:
When I feel stronger, then I will obey.
When things settle down, then I will change.
When I get clarity, I will move forward.
But what if God rarely waits for us to feel ready, and instead invites us to trust Him while we still feel afraid?
In Episode 3 of our series, “What Do I Do Now?”, we talked honestly about something many believers experience. Most believers aren't stuck because they don't know what to do. They're stuck because they're afraid to do it.
Courage doesn't come first. Obedience comes first. And courage grows while we walk.
Ecclesiastes gives us a simple picture:
“He who watches the wind will not sow, and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.” (LEB)
Farmers in the Ancient Near East planted seed without certainty. They had no control over storms, drought, or timing. They planted anyway. If they waited for guarantees, they starved.
Many times what looks like wisdom in our lives is actually fear wearing spiritual language.
We pray endlessly. We delay decisions. We analyze every possible outcome. Deep down, we hope God will remove every risk before we obey.
But at the Red Sea, God did not remove the problem first. Israel stood trapped between the water and Pharaoh’s army. And God simply said, “Go forward.”
They walked before the miracle. God met them in motion.
Courage isn't the absence of fear. Courage is obedience while fear is still speaking.
Maybe your next step is forgiveness. Or confession. Or setting a boundary. Or saying yes to something God has been calling you to do. Whatever it is, safety is found in obedience, not in comfort.
God grows courage in people who walk forward even when they don't feel ready.
Have you been thinking about placing your faith in Christ but keep putting it off? Let’s change that in your life right now! There is power in now.
Let’s make Heaven crowded!
Father, I know I’ve sinned and I need Your mercy.
I believe Jesus died for me, was buried, and rose again. Today I turn from my sin, and I place my trust in Him as my Lord and my King.
Forgive me, make me new, and fill me with Your Spirit. From this day forward, I want to follow You.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.
If you prayed that prayer, click this: Connect with me directly
I’ll personally help you take your next steps.
Next time, we will talk about what happens when obedience feels slow, when nothing seems to change, and when God is growing roots before He grows fruit.
Until then, take the step He has already placed in front of you.
Shalom b’Shem Yeshua
© 2025 Dr. Shawn M. Greener. All Rights Reserved.
True Word, Faith for LIFE!
STUDY GUIDE
Take the First Step: Courage When You Don’t Feel Ready
Summary
This study explores why God often calls believers to move forward before they feel ready. We examine biblical examples, historical context, and practical ways to develop courage rooted in faith rather than emotion. Courage, biblically, is not confidence in ourselves. It is trust in God expressed through obedient action.
Primary Passages
Ecclesiastes 11:4
Exodus 14:15
James 2:17
Context Overview
Ecclesiastes addresses the tension of living faithfully in an uncertain world. Farmers in the Ancient Near East had to plant without certainty. Their survival depended on trusting God with outcomes they could not control.
In Exodus 14, Israel stands trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army. God commands movement before deliverance appears. Obedience precedes miracle.
James reminds believers that true faith always produces movement. Intellectual belief without obedient action is spiritually lifeless.
Key Concepts
Faith (Hebrew “emunah”) means loyalty, trust, and faithfulness lived out in action.
Courage doesn't mean the absence of fear. It means trusting God enough to obey even when fear remains present.
Discussion Questions
1. Have you ever mistaken fear for wisdom? What did it cost you?
2. Why do we prefer comfort over obedience, even when we know God is calling us forward?
3. What step do you sense God has already revealed to you?
4. How does viewing faith as allegiance rather than emotion reshape obedience?
5. Which biblical story inspires you most when it comes to courage?
Application Challenge
For the next seven days
Pray briefly each day, asking God for courage.
Read one short passage of the Bible.
Ask God, “What is my next step?”
Act on one obedient step each day.
Closing Prayer
“Father, give me courage to obey even when I feel uncertain. Help me trust You more than I trust my fear. Amen.”
Bibliography
Carson, D. A. For the Love of God.
Heiser, Michael S. What Does God Want?
Wright, N. T. After You Believe.
Author / Host / Theologian
I am just a beggar who found Bread, helping other hungry beggars to find Him too. My life has certainly been complex and I and my halo has many dents. Heschel said; "Something Sacred hangs in the balance of every moment." I live like it. I teach like it.
As a person who survived a fatal 92 mph vs 51 mph head on crash, after dying and re-animating, and surviving several other brushes with death, my perspective is, let's say, unique. I haven't always been a theologian and I'm living REAL life, just like you... I have my hurts, habits and hangups too.
I've learned a few very important things along the way that I'm confident you'll find useful... butter for the Gluten free Bread so to speak.. Oh, you may chuckle or full on snort along the way, but you might also shed a few tears... Faith for LIFE... That's how it happens.
The Next Faithful Step
