Do it Afraid

Actions Preach Louder Than Words

Something unexpected happened when Jackie Hill Perry stepped onto the stage for the BLAMELESS concert. Before she lifted the mic, she preached. Not with her bars, but with her presence.

The last time Jackie performed live was nearly a decade ago, and the internet responded with harsh criticism. Words that tend to linger longer than applause ever does. She read the comments and made a solemn vow: never again.

Until God interrupted that agreement.

So when she returned to the stage, I didn’t see a rapper. I saw:

• A gifted artist choosing the truth of God’s Word over the words of people.

• A wife and mother refusing the lie that family and gifting must compete.

• A servant surrendered to the will of her Heavenly Father.

She had already won before the first beat dropped. Fear didn’t disappear. It was dethroned. I find it fitting that Jackie is a teacher at heart. I have learned a lot from her sermons and lyrics alike. But this night, her obedience was the loudest sound in the room. She demonstrated the practice of what she preaches.

This goes for us all, but I am first preaching to myself, here. Theology must leave the page to become more than just information. Doctrine must reach the feet to finish its work. And truth must travel from the mind, to the heart, to the hands. It must seep into the soul and spill into daily living.

That is what she modeled, and it summoned a question in me.

So, What About You?

Amid the loud beats and bass vibrating off the walls, something even louder rose softly in my spirit: So, what about you?

Shortly after, we transitioned into a worship moment led by Trey Heflin. As he sang “Say Yes” by Shekinah Glory, I sensed a personal invitation to trust the Lord again with the things I know He is calling me to. As a new mother trying to find my footing as a person again, this season has made vision harder to grasp. I have no idea how any of it will unfold.

As a recovering perfectionist, I often have decided to delay starting because:

• The full picture was not clear.

• I was afraid the final result would be imperfect.

• I did not feel ready.

One thing I know for sure — that feeling of being ready is not coming. And if it has, it often means I am late and not walking in step with Jesus.

Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil

Recently, I wrote down every lie I have been carrying about myself. I expected tears. Instead, it was an anticlimactic experience. I looked at that list and said to the Lord, “This is dumb.” Some of those lies were planted in middle school. I am now 32.

Time does not automatically renew the mind. Truth does.

When the Lord called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he resisted. The theophany of the burning bush wasn’t enough to convince him that if he was called, he would also be qualified. His doubts were louder than the truth. So he said: “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent… for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” (Exodus 4:10)

Interesting.

Because when Moses is mentioned in Acts, he’s described very differently — educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and powerful in speech and action (Acts 7:22).

That tells me something.

Moses wasn’t lacking ability. He was lacking perspective. The lies he believed distorted his vision.

Life does that to us. Failure, rejection, old labels, broken relationships… they accumulate until we mistake wounds for identity.

But notice God’s response. He does not validate Moses’ insecurity, nor does He argue with it. He redirects him by asking, “Who has made man’s mouth?… Is it not I, the LORD?” (Exodus 4:11)

In other words: You’re looking at yourself. Look at Me.

God answers insecurity with revelation.

Self-confidence issues are not fixed by turning inward. I tried that, and it led nowhere. Even the self-affirmation cards failed me. “I am loved. I am valuable.” I could say the words, but I didn’t even have enough credibility with myself to believe the truth I spoke. I had been reciting lies for too long.

But the Lord is the One who never lies. When He speaks, things shift.

Truth interrupts distortion, and neural pathways realign. Old thought patterns can be broken. He does not merely give answers. He invites dialogue. He confronts our vision and reshapes it.

The BLAMELESS concert was the fruit of a woman who allowed her vision to be corrected.

The Safety in Surrender

Surrender is the safest place to be. There is no holier ground, and no place more fulfilling.

Surrender is always easier when we trust the One we are yielding to. And the Lord is worthy to be trusted — with our insecurities, our gifts, our time, our resources. As we keep our minds fixed on Christ, we find the confidence we need to walk in what He has already called us to.

And when we do, something shifts.

We find the confidence of David. I can almost hear it in Psalm 18:29–30:

For by You I can run at a troop of warriors;
And by my God I can leap over a wall.

As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the Lord is refined;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Blameless.

Not because we perform perfectly.
Not because fear vanishes.
Not because we finally feel ready.

But because He always is.

So what are you still calling wisdom that is really fear?

Give the Lord your yes.

Not when you feel ready.

Now.