I was once in a place where I had a big dream that I felt was not possible. I hid my dream, always doing little things that made me feel as though I were working towards it. I was embarrassed to speak it out loud and convinced it was more a hobby than a calling.

My dream was to be a writer. I loved writing and wrote all the time. But the only person who ever read my writing was my little brother!

As great an audience as he was, there came a time where I knew I needed to step forward in my dream. I felt God nudging me forward.

One of the biggest obstacles in the way of stepping forward in your dream is doubt.

Doubt can creep in slowly or overtake you in a moment. It grips you and directs you if you let it.

Most of the time we operate from a place of doubt without even knowing it!

But we aren’t called to walk in fear. We aren’t called to hide from our dreams and our passions.

God often places our dreams, our passions and our talents within us to use for His plan for our lives. He blesses us with gifts so that we can use them, not hide them.

How many of you are hiding talents, passions, dreams? Why is it that we feel we must hide these things?

Let’s look at how you can overcome doubt and boldly step forward into following your dream.

Find Confidence in Your Dream

In order to overcome doubt, you need to find confidence and assurance of what your dream really is.

This takes time, prayer and introspection. It’s important to consider your talents, your passions and your strengths.

You may ask yourself a question like, “If I could do anything with my life right now, what would it be?”

Don’t be afraid to consider the impossible.

God is great at working in the things we think aren’t possible.

Or if you are like me, you already know the dream deep within you.

It’s time to awaken that dream. Bring it to the forefront. Tell someone about it. Start treating it like it matters.

As you acknowledge you dream more and more, you will find confidence in its validity.

Do It Afraid

No dream comes without doubts and fears.

When God calls you to something, Satan does all he can to keep you from it.

But you are a child of the Almighty God who will be with you each step of the way.

For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-discipline. -2 Timothy 1:7

If you are walking in the will of God, Satan cannot stop you. Take up the spirit of power, love and self-discipline and walk forward.

Courage isn’t something we wait for. Courage is when we walk forward in spite of our fear.

A great way to do this is to ask yourself each morning, what can I do to step forward in my dream today? And whatever it is, do it afraid. You will gain confidence and strength as you do.

When Your Dream is Your Calling

Very often God calls us to something that uses our talents, our gifts and our passions. I’ve seen that in my own life and in the lives of so many around me.

Discerning how and where to step forward in our dreams and in our calling can be hard. But God will direct you when you trust in Him.

It is essential to prepare your heart to step forward in your dream and your calling. You can do this by being still and surrendering before the Lord.

It is also important to discern God’s voice above the distractions, temptations and misled desires in your life. This requires practice and intentionality.

And finally, you must learn to step forward in courage and overcome fear.

God will equip you for whatever He is calling you to. I pray that you will find the strength and courage to step forward and boldly follow your dreams.

View the Follow Your Call Series >>