Purpose and Identity 2024/2025 Discussion Board 1

[pastorderrick]

In what ways can fear pose a threat to discovering and fulfilling one’s purpose.

• Your post should be a minimum 500 words while your reply should be at least 300 words.

Paste the same submission from the previous step here by clicking on the REPLY link just above. Your submission should be made by Wednesday the 23rd of July 2025.

Then scroll down to see your peer submission and click reply to comment on their submissions. You MUST comment on at least one post with a minimum of 300 words by 11:59 p.m. (WAT) on Friday the 25th of July 2025. Your comments will also be graded.

[femionas]

IN WHAT WAYS CAN FEAR POSE A THREAT TO DISCOVERING AND FULFILLING ONE’S PURPOSE?
Throughout scriptures, fear is portrayed not merely as an emotion but as a spiritual obstacle, a force that can hinder God’s people from walking fully in his will. When fear takes root, it can derail divine assignments, cloud identity, and hinder the manifestation of God’s purpose in a person’s life. Fear, if not checked, can pose a serious threat to discovery and destiny.
i. Fear often leads to inaction, especially fear of failure, rejection, or judgment. This paralysis keeps people stuck in their comfort zones, avoiding the risk of necessary self-discovery and growth. Fear of inadequacy can keep you silent when God has called you to speak and lead.

ii. Fear hinders obedience to the Call of God.
Fear causes hesitation and disobedience in the face of divine instruction. When God called Moses to deliver Israel, his responses were not with faith but with fear and self-doubt (Exodus 3:11, Exodus 4:13), Moses nearly missed his purpose. Fear delayed his obedience if not for a divine reassurance. Like Moses, many people today miss or delay their assignments because they focus on their limitations rather than the power of God. Another example is in Jonah 1:3. Fear made Jonah to run from his purpose, but the grace of God brought him back.

iii. Fear distorts reality and magnifies obstacles:
Fear is not merely an emotional response. It is often a spiritual distortion. When fear takes hold of an individual, it alters how they see themselves, their circumstance, and even God. In Numbers 13:31. the Israelites at the border of the promised land were afraid of giants (the Anakim) they refused to enter. Their fear led to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness

iv. Fear limits visions and identity:
Gideon was hiding in fear of the Midianites when God called him a “Mighty man of valor” Judges 6:15. Fear clouded his true identity and potential

v. Fear prevents total surrender to God’s plan : fear makes us want to control outcomes. (Genesis 16:2) Abraham feared that God’s promise of a child was taking too long. instead of surrendering to God’s timing, he and Sarah took matters into their own hands

vi. Fear focuses on the problem not on God. In Mathew 14:30 Peter walked on water by faith, but began to sink when he focused on the storm. Fear shifts our eyes from God to circumstances, weakening our ability to walk in the supernatural.

vii. Fear of people prevents bold faith: Peter, one of Jesus’s disciples, denied knowing him three times out of fear of persecution. same way, fear of what people will say makes us deny our belief in Jesus Christ.

viii. Fear can be masked as Wisdom or caution: sometimes, what we call “being careful” is actually fear in disguise. God may be leading someone into a bold or unusual path, but fear will use logic to delay or reject God’s prompting.

In conclusion, the bible consistently teaches that faith overcomes fear. Walking in purpose requires trusting God’s voice above the noise of fear.

[Wechie]

Your last point struck a chord . Indeed fear can be masked as Wisdom or caution.
Thank you for sharing.

I’d like to begin with the definition of fear.
The English dictionary defines fear as an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.

The Hebrew word Yare in Isaiah 41:10 conveys not only fear but also reverence. Fear becomes beneficial when it leads us to revere God, but it turns into a hindrance when it results in anxiety, avoidance, and paralysis. The Greek word deilia in 2 Timothy 1:7 refers to cowardice or timidity—fear that causes us to shrink back and is incompatible with faith.

Fear, in its many forms, is a significant threat to discovering and fulfilling our God-given purpose. The Bible repeatedly addresses fear because it is a common human experience. In Isaiah 41:10, God reassures us: “Do not fear, for I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you.” His presence is our confidence.

Fear often traps us in our comfort zones—safe, predictable spaces that feel secure. Yet, purpose lies outside that safety. It requires exploration, risk, and trust in God. Fear of failure, rejection, or the unknown can keep us stuck, convincing us to settle for less than God’s best.

Fear clouds our mindset. An anxious mind is a distracted mind, and without focus, we cannot fulfill purpose. We miss opportunities not because we lack ability, but because fear tells us we’re not enough. Thoughts like “What if I fail?” or “What if they don’t accept me?” rob us of peace and potential.

Ultimately, fear reflects a lack of trust. Fulfilling purpose requires radical faith—trusting God even when the outcome isn’t clear. Men and women in Scripture—like Abraham, Moses, Esther, and Paul—overcame fear to answer God’s call. Purpose is discovered through steps of faith, not through comfort.

To overcome fear, we must affirm God’s word over our emotions. Meditating on scriptures like Isaiah 41:10, John 14:27, and 2 Timothy 1:7 empowers us to confront fear and walk in boldness.

In conclusion, fear can sabotage destiny—but with God’s word as our anchor and His Spirit as our guide, we can rise above fear and walk fully in purpose.

[Ben]

Fear is a terrible thing. Many people live in a constant state of fear, and it can take so much out of their life. It stands as one of the hindrances to discovering and walking in purpose. Fear goes beyond a feeling, it’s a spirit and it is not of God, 2 Timothy 1:7.
Fear is one thing that is unavoidable and must be confronted by all. Fear comes knocking at the door and looks for every available opportunity to gain access into the lives of believers, especially those endeavoring to walk in purpose. Timothy had such a spirit of fear come against him at one time that the apostle Paul was compelled to write a letter encouraging Timothy to push beyond his fears and fulfill his God-ordained purpose.

With a spirit of fear upon an individual left unchecked, one would simply not be able to walk and fulfill purpose. Fear will stop you in your tracks and hinder the work that God has given you to accomplish.

In Second Timothy chapter 1, Paul used the word “spirit” to describe fear. Letting us know that fear is indeed a spirit. You can feel it when it comes into the room, and it brings with it panic and dread. But in verse 7, Paul wrote that God has not given us a “spirit of fear.”

Ways Fear Can Pose a Threat to Discovering and Fulfilling Purpose:

1. Fear weakens and puts one in a state of inactiveness. The word “fear” is from the Greek word deilia, and it describes something that causes you to retreat and to feel the need to protect yourself. If fear is in your life, you are no longer advancing spiritually or in the path of purpose which most times, is like venturing into the unknown. Instead, you are in a position of complete and total retreat because fear carries with it the picture of one cowering and going into hiding. Having a spirit of fear is so dangerous and detrimental to the believer because it paralyzes him in such a way that eventually he can no longer function normally in life or go on to discover and fulfill purpose.

2. Fear devastates one’s spiritual life. It robs one of the ability to have a sound or a clear mind. When a spirit of fear is operating in you, you are incapable of thinking soundly. Your imagination runs wild with thoughts of every terrible thing that could possibly happen to you while on that purpose of God for you, and then you suddenly begin to picture them like reality in your mind until, finally, you’re seized by that spirit and left completely and utterly incapacitated as a result.

3. Fear opposes one’s faith. Fear is the opposite of faith and where there’s fear, there is no faith in operation. Where there is no faith in operation, there is no victory. Both are as a result of what one hears. Faith comes by hearing the word (Romans 10:17), but fear comes by hearing a negative report. And the Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). A life of purpose is a life pleasing to God. Therefore, it takes faith in God to discover and to walk in purpose. So where faith is not present but fear, purpose cannot be fulfilled.

[Pchris]

MY REPLY TO BEN
I totally agree with your words, especially your last point that states that ‘ fear opposes one’s faith’.
Indeed fear hinders faith, in that fulfilling purpose requires trust. Often in what’s unseen and unclear. Fear competes with faith, making people doubt God’s ability to guide equip and use them. It casts doubt on God’s character.
Fear is not from God, it weakens purpose while faith strengthens it.
Fear is not just an emotion , it is a throne if not cast down , it will begin to rule , subtly replacing divine instructions with logical hesitation.
Take Saul’s case for instance in ( 1 Samuel 15:24 ” I feared the people and obeyed their voice” ) he confessed. This fear cost him his kingship. Fear often times disguises itself as diplomacy or wisdom , but it’s root is rebellion.
Saul’s failure wasn’t ignorance , it was fear induced compromise. He partially obeyed God , keeping what seemed good and excused his actions as an act of worship.
Fear replaces divine guidance with people pleasing and this subtle shift is enough to disqualify one from fulfilling purpose.
When it comes to fulfilling purpose, fear tells you what’s ahead is too big , forgetting that the one who has called you is bigger. Fear neutralizes the voice of purpose . A person gripped with fear becomes a double minded person , unstable in all his ways ( James 1:6-8), such a man scripture says ” should not expect anything from the Lord”, including the fullness of purpose.
The enemy knows he cannot stop God’s plan , but he also knows that if he can make you fear the plan, then you will abort it yourself.
Faith , courage and a renewed mind in Christ are keys to overcoming fear and walking fully in purpose.

[Paulpraze]

According to the English dictionary, the word “fear” can be defined in the following ways.
I. an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.
II. A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.
While it is commonly believed that the phrase “fear not” and similar or related phrases occur 365 times in the Bible, implying one phrase for every day of the year, this idea may not be an accurate one.
However, what is true is that there numerous (over a hundred times) occasions in Scriptures where God encourages His children against fear.
In 2 TIMOTHY 1:7, the apostle Paul makes it clear that fear is alien to the identity of the believer.
One important reason why the believer must learn to overcome fear is because it poses a threat to his discovery and fulfillment of God’s purpose for his life, and it does so in the following ways using Moses as a case study;
EXODUS 3:1-22
1. It blinds the believer.
One of the effects of fear in a believer’s life is that it blinds him from seeing the picture that God is attempting to paint to him when He speaks to him generally and specifically when He reveals His plans and purposes for his lives to him.
Fear attempts to keep the believer’s mind and attention on the present situation, disadvantages, weaknesses, and disabilities, thereby blinding him from the possibilities that God is revealing to him.
God was revealing His purpose to Moses, amidst showing him the possibility of a free Israel, but all that Moses could see was his inability to speak, the possibility of being rejected by the Israelites, and possibly death at the hands of Pharaoh for the murder of an Egyptian before he fled Egypt. Another good example of this will be the story of Elisha and his servant in 2 KINGS 6:8-17.
2. It creates doubt.
As a result of the blinding effect of fear, doubt becomes the experience of the believer under the influence of fear. Doubt and fear are inseparable. They always work together.
Moses was unable to trust the Lord and exercise faith to fulfil God’s purpose for his life as long as he kept seeing all of these issues. There was no room in His heart for faith, only doubt. Moses doubted God as long as he was in fear, but thank God for His patience and kindness, who continued to speak to Moses until he overcame doubt.
3. It causes Inaction.
Sometimes, a believer could be very well aware of God’s purpose for his life and do absolutely nothing about it until they transit in glory.
More often than not, this inaction, a refusal to take steps in the direction of God’s purpose for his life is a result of fear, fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, fear of failure, etc.
The reality is that until a believer acts on God’s word and purpose for his life, it will only remain a vision or dream. Fear, as result of inaction, keeps a believer in his comfort zone and away from God’s purpose for his life.
4. It limits God.
Ultimately, the effects of fear head up here. All that God wills, desires, and purposes for the believer will continue to be nothing more than these.
In PSALM 78:40-41, we see that God could not do as much as He wanted ro do because the people doubted Him. Their unbelief was a provocation to God, who had demonstrated His power and goodness to them over and over again. Their fear of the unknown meant that they failed to experience God’s plan to bring them into the land of Canaan. A journey that could well have taken less than 40 days became a journey of 40 years.

[Paulpraze]

MY REPLY TO BEN

Fear is indeed a terrible thing, and to think that there are people who constantly live their lives in fear reveals a really terrible situation that people are in.
The apostle John wrote about the torment of fear in 1 JOHN 4:18, intimating us that the unbeliever really has no hope of overcoming fear, and that the believer, who is learning and experientially knowing God’s love can live in victory over fear.
Also, in 2 TIMOTHY 1:7 which you mentioned, Paul admonishes Timothy to know that the spirit of fear does not have its source or root in God, and contrasts it power, love, and a sound mind. In other words, living in fear means that the believer does not get to experience power, love and a sound mind. This is tragic indeed.
Both texts gives the believer a great and much needed hope that living above fear is a possibility for him as he navigates life’s challenges every day.
Indeed, nothing is more paralyzing and weakening like fear. Nothing causes a person to want to run and hide and retreat like fear. Adam is a good example of this. After he sinned against, he hid himself from God because he was afraid.
The story of Adam shows how terrible the effects of fear can be. It also shows us that fear can make a person to hide even from God Himself, and ultimately, whatever has the capacity to cause a believer to run and hide from God in fear, has the capacity to cause him to run and hide from God’s purpose for his lives and abort his destiny.
It is absolutely impossible to live a life that is purposeful, meaningful, fulfilling and God glorifying with fear in the heart, for without faith, pleasing the Lord is impossible. HEBREWS 11:6.

[Pchris]

FEAR- Defined by English dictionaries as a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger , evil or pain.
To expect or worry about something bad or unpleasant .

By acronym it is defined a False Evidence Appearing real.
A biblical definition of Fear is found in the Greek word ‘ deilia ‘ translated as timidity that is by implication faithless : fearful.

A profound point to establish as we go on is that “ In any situation, any ramification , anyway whatsoever , fear is not from God . Understanding that Almighty God is on your side as a believer should result in a zero tolerance for fear” ( No Fear Here by Pastor Nkechi Ene).
Fear is not merely an emotion or feeling, it is a force , a Spirit that can distort vision and suffocate one’s potential. When it comes to discovering and fulfilling purpose, fear acts like fog on the windshield of destiny , clouding what should be clearly seen and confidently pursued.

FEAR BREEDS HESITATION
For example , a man called to speak boldly may retreat into silence , not because he lacks a message, but because fear tells him he is unworthy to speak. A woman designed by God to lead might hide among followers , not because she lacks direction , but because fear whispers that she lacks courage and her steps will falter.
Fear is a silent sabotage that limits exploration. This is because you can’t discover what you are too afraid to approach.
Another example is the parable of the talents ( Mathew 25: 14-30 ), The servant who received one talent, buried it not because he was lazy, but because he was afraid ( Verse 25) . Fear made him preserve what he was supposed to reproduce , to hide rather than invest. In the end, his fear became his reality, he lost what he was given.
God’s pronouncement might have seemed harsh “ You wicked and lazy servant” ( verse 26) but in reality fear becomes wickedness when it prevents divine investments from yielding returns. In the eyes of heaven, fear is not innocence rather it is negligence. The potential to fulfill purpose does not equate it’s fulfillment .

FEAR IS DECEPTIVE IN NATURE
It disguises itself as caution or humility but unchecked fear builds mental walls around divine assignments.
Exodus 4:10, Moses at the burning bush doubted himself repeatedly “ I am slow of speech” he said as though God didn’t know his limitations. Fear made him see his flaws as final, while God saw them as opportunities for divine display.

FEAR CAUSES DELAY
Discovering and fulfilling purpose is time sensitive . A person afraid to take a step today often becomes the person who misses the door tomorrow. Purpose discovery and fulfillment is packed up with divine instructions.Delayed obedience is still disobedience and fear is often the culprit. Fear focuses on the storm and misses the harvest ( Ecclesiastes 11:4)

FEAR GIVES THE WRONG IDENTITY
In the case of Gideon , though chosen as a mighty warrior, called himself the least in his family ( Judges 6:15) . That perception of himself could have aborted his mission if not for God’s timely intervention.
Fear makes people mislabel themselves and live out names God never gave them . I believe if fear had a voice , it would sound like one’s inner critic speaking in your own tone .
Gideon’s immediate reaction was disbelief rooted in insecurity and generational trauma. Fear gave him a wrong Identity , God saw a deliverer but Gideon saw himself as invincible and incapable.

In Conclusion, fear is not just a feeling , it is an enemy of purpose . It silences visionaries and blinds the gifted . It makes the capable feel disqualified and the chosen feel rejected .
To overcome fear, one must be reminded daily of God’s Word in 2 Timothy 1:7 , this scripture is not just comfort, it is a compass. Purpose requires courage not the absence of fear but the decision to walk through it because purpose thrives where fear dies.

[Author]

Posts