Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
5 19 2025
Unbreakable. Unbeatable.
As a child of God—are you? Can you say that with confidence?
If so, where does that confidence come from?
No one can declare those words truthfully without knowing their purpose,
without knowing their calling, without knowing their Father.
At age twelve, Jesus had been missing for days. When His frantic parents finally found Him, He was sitting among the teachers in the temple. Mary asked, “How could you do this to us?” But Jesus simply responded, “Did you not know I must be about My Father’s business?”
There it is—clarity of purpose.
“My purpose is there. My love is there.”
Jesus wasn’t lost—He was aligned. And until we find that same alignment, frustration will mark our lives.
How many of us live decades unsure of why we’re here? How many people do you know who wander aimlessly, chasing careers, relationships, or validation, hoping it will fill the void of not knowing their purpose?
We grow up and grow out of our childlike faith. Society trains us to stop daydreaming. We mature, we strive, we succeed—and yet, somehow, we suffocate the very dreams God placed within us. We trade the Father’s business for the world’s distractions.
But you were born for something more.
You were born for God.
You were created for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).
Purpose Is More Powerful Than Plans
Jesus said, “Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
That childlike simplicity, humility, and trust—that’s what brings us back to the Father’s work.
God’s purpose for your life is eternal. In Isaiah 46:12-13, the Lord says:
“I alone decreed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you. So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God. Even from eternity I am He, and none can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”
You’re reading this right now because the Spirit of God called you to this moment.
He is growing you. Opening your eyes. Peeling back the veil so you can see the spiritual reality behind your everyday life.
Yes, we can delay His plans through disobedience. But God doesn’t give up on His purpose for us.
Instead, He refines us—bringing the dross to the surface through hardship and pruning,
shaping us through grace and fire.
Can God accomplish His will without you? Of course.
But He chooses to involve you to grow your faith and deepen your trust.
Counting vs. Trusting
In 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21, David took a census of Israel. But God hadn’t instructed him to do it—it came from a place of self-reliance, a need to measure his own strength. The Bible even says Satan stirred him to do it.
We do the same. We count. We track. We measure success the world’s way—ching, ching, ching.
But how many of our “brilliant” ideas have become disasters? How often have we run ahead of God, only to trip over our own pride?
We suffer because we try to walk without Him.
We bulldoze ahead, heads down, too busy or too distracted to listen.
But Proverbs 19:21 makes it plain:
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
That verse should bring comfort. Even when plans fail and seasons fall apart, God’s purpose remains.
It stands firm … unmoved by our mistakes.
Misguided Goodness
Sometimes, we even get in trouble doing “good.”
We serve, we strive, we fix—but not everything good is God.
We fill needs that weren’t ours to fill. We rush in without prayer or permission. We react with ego, impatience, and control. That’s not Kingdom work.
Paul wrote in Romans 7:19:
“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.”
Paul was zealous before he met Christ. He was perfect according to the law and that is how he saw himself. But even with all his religious credentials, he missed the mark until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Only then did he align with God’s true purpose for his life. “But God…”
Just like you and me.
God’s purpose can only be walked out daily, through surrender. We must realign every morning,
every decision, every step.
This is the Father’s business.
Your Job vs. Your Work
The world gives you a job—
They hire you, train you, and eventually retire you.
But there’s a difference between a job and your work.
A job is what you’re paid to do.
Your work is what you were born to do.
Jobs end. God’s work lives on.
That 12-year-old Jesus wasn’t talking about carpentry or stone cutting in the temple.
He was locked into the work of heaven.
That work brings fulfillment, peace, and joy—not stress, anxiety, or burnout.
So what are you doing? Are you stuck in a job and missing your work?
Retired from your career but also from your purpose?
Have you stopped seeking what God uniquely designed you to do?
Remember: Your purpose preserves you.
Your purpose is not tied to this church or any one role.
It is tied to the Kingdom of God.
And it is unbreakable.
It’s Never Too Late
Abraham didn’t begin his walk of purpose until he was 75. Moses was 80!
It’s never too late to begin or too early!
Before you were born, God had a plan. Before you failed, He made provision.
Before you planned your path, He wrote your purpose.
Jeremiah 29:11 still holds:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Closing Charge
God finished you before you existed.
He saw the end. What do you see?
Stop being afraid.
Return to those smothered dreams.
Let the breath of God revive your purpose.
Become a child again—a child with eyes on the Father’s business.
You were made for more than plans.
You were made for God’s purpose.
Side note:
I’ll be teaching a Discovering Jesus class online this Tuesday from 7:00–8:30 PM for 4 more weeks. If you’re looking to grow your faith or know someone who is, I’d love for you to join us — or invite a friend. Here is the Link: https://meet.google.com/cfm-udos-iks
If you would like to pass this lesson and future devotions to someone, send them this Signup link:http://eepurl.com/i_nlb2 My website to view past devotions is https://fearlesslycourageous.com.
God of all my days. Casting Crowns
