Dharius Daniels - You MUST Overcome Your Fear and Step into Your Calling

Hey, listen, this is something I’ve experienced a lot in my interactions with people—maybe people like you—who have something to say. But you know what? Most people are afraid to say it. What I want to do in this video is help you overcome some of the fears that are getting in the way of mastering the message God has given you. In my latest book, I talk about something I think is the first time I’ve addressed it publicly, actually. I recount an experience I had around 2014, during what I believe was my final year of doctoral work. I think it was also when I was writing my first book, «Represent Jesus.» We were in the midst of two building campaigns at our church—something we weren’t supposed to be doing. One project was supposed to be finished before we started another. However, we ran into some delays with the first building project because the community didn’t want us there, for a whole lot of different reasons. All of this converged on me around the same time, and I was also traveling extensively, speaking at that particular point.

So, imagine all of that happening simultaneously. One morning, I woke up and had a panic attack, despite having no history of anxiety or any issues like that. It wasn’t chemical; it was situational. So much was going on at the same time, and at that point, I didn’t have the tools, skills, knowledge, or insight on how to organize my life, create margin, or set boundaries. The whole nine yards. Anyway, that was an incredibly tough season for me. I remember what happened on the other side of that. I started working with a counselor and a coach to help me. One thing I remember from that season, and I want all of you to listen to me as a preacher telling you this, is that season was probably one of the most transformative periods of my entire life.

There’s this image that a guy named Peter Czaro uses when he talks about spiritual growth. It depicts an iceberg. He shows the part of the iceberg that’s above the water, and we think, «Yo, that’s the iceberg.» Then he shows a picture of the iceberg that’s beneath the water, and the part of the iceberg beneath the surface is much larger than the part above it. What I experienced during that season was deep water change—stuff that was beneath the surface. That transformation, I believe, not only benefited me but also transformed my ministry. Now I am able to serve people in ways I couldn’t before. After that, my first coach was a guy named Josh Khan, and the way Josh helped me change my life was like something awakened in me. What Josh Khan did for me, I wanted to do for other people. That’s when I started getting trained, certified, and educated in coaching, and I did that for a while. Now I’m at a point where I train and certify others in transforming culture. I don’t only do it myself; I train others on how to do it.

Here’s the point I’m making, and as a preacher, I’m saying this: the iceberg change didn’t happen for me from a sermon. Are sermons important? I do one every week, of course they’re important! But that deep change didn’t come from a sermon; it came from people who had something to say but never would say it from a stage like I do. If they didn’t have the courage to master their message, then people like me would have been stuck in the ruts that I was in. This is what I learned: some of the most meaningful messages that people need to hear won’t come from pulpits and platforms; they will come from the context of conversations. This is why I am so passionate about talking to people like you who are listening to me and who have a message. You’ve got something to say. It may never come from a platform, or a pulpit, or be a keynote, or even a TED talk, but there are experiences you’ve had, insights you’ve gained, and education you’ve acquired that are literally the answer to someone else’s issue. There are people like me who need to know what you know, but they will never know it unless you have the courage to say it.

In this season of my life and ministry, I’m super passionate about helping people release the messages they need to share so they can help the people they’ve been assigned to serve. However, I’ve learned that this is absolutely one of people’s greatest fears. Maybe I’m speaking to you, and this is resonating with you right now, and you’re thinking, «Yeah, I have a message.» You’re probably in one of two seasons. Additionally, there’s a program I’m currently running, my Goen, and I call it content creation.