Recently, I discovered that I’m a decent public speaker.

I disclose this fact not to glorify my so-called talent, but instead to demonstrate how God sees beyond our nervousness or insignificant hang-ups. He wants to radically use us in order to share the beautiful, timeless message of Jesus Christ.

First, we need to get over ourselves. I’ll speak for myself. I need to suck it up and simply recognize that the discomfort of unfamiliarity is not nearly as burdensome as the pain of disobeying God’s direction for my life.

Truth is, it’s very unlike me to embrace something like public speaking. I’m not shy, yet I don’t like being in the forefront. I’m a reserved, behind-the-scenes type of worker. So much so that, unlike many folks, I thrive while working under strong-willed, impulsive and even disorganized leaders—since most of them are visionaries. I’m an action-oriented person who zeroes in on details and can move a project from idea to reality.

Lately, though, God’s been flipping the script.

Not only has He been dropping ideas into my Heart, but He’s also been calling me to become bolder and begin to publicly share some of the words He whispers to me. This change blasts my comfort zone to pieces; it completely places me in a foreign land.

I have to rely on Him now more than ever. I don’t know what I’m doing, really. Am I even allowed to admit that? I feel like Paul when he wrote, “And [Christ] said to me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Ben Armendt, a pastor and blogger, put it best when he shared this:

…most of us walk the line between passion and peacefulness. We play it too safe because we fear failure and criticism. I think most of us wake up every day with the goal of not looking bad or bringing unwelcomed attention to ourselves…That's just how influence works... It comes with the price of personal unrest. In almost every endeavor I go after, there is always a moment when I have tremendous regret. It's always that moment when I've gone too far to turn back, and there's absolutely no assurance of success. I start cursing my holy discontentment, my entrepreneurial nature, and I kick myself for being naive, calling it faith. And then God does something amazing, and I go do it all over again.