“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17, NLT).
Years ago, I was invited to speak at a summer camp for girls, and my teenage daughter came along. Between worship sessions, we had a chance to sign up for outdoor activities, including a ropes and zip-line course strung high in the mountain trees.
We geared up and waited in line. She was filled with excitement. I was filled with dread. What if I get up there and can't come back down? What if I get embarrassed? What if the rope gives way? The longer I let others go ahead of me, the more I became convinced I couldn't do it.
When my turn came, I climbed a few feet up the little wooden steps nailed into the tree, looking down instead of up.
Then my fear kicked in, and I climbed right back down.
Moments later I watched my daughter sail from platform to platform, wind in her hair, hollering down about the view. When she splashed into the lake at the end of the zip line, her face was lit with the joy that only comes from saying "yes" to something hard.
Those wooden steps were never really the obstacle. My eyes were — because they were fixed on the ground instead of the platform just above me.
That's exactly what James was getting at when he wrote to believers who understood plenty about faith but weren't living it out. They nodded along to truth yet fixed their eyes on fears and distractions.
James 4:17 reminded them, "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." James' concern wasn't only the obvious sins but the quiet, everyday choice to sense God's leading and stall anyway.
Maybe it's neglecting to care for the vulnerable or refusing to make peace with someone. It might look like the ministry we keep putting off, the book we're meant to write but haven't started, the volunteer role we keep saying we’ll get to, the "yes" we keep negotiating with God. The command doesn't shrink with the size of the task; knowing and not doing is still the gap where sin lives.
What we miss by saying "no" isn't just a pretty view. It is the chance to find out what happens if we stop watching the obstacle and start watching God. Every time fear wins, we never get to see what God would have done through our "yes."
Jesus never asks us to feel ready. He asks us to move and meets us in the risk with exactly what we need.
So if He's placed something on your heart, a calling you keep circling but haven't stepped into, let today be the day you stop looking down and start looking up.
Lord, give me the courage to take a risk for You, the strength to take a leap of faith in whatever You call me to do. Help me stop guarding my fear and start trusting what You can do through my "yes." In Jesus' name, amen.
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Every one of us has a story, and yours isn't an accident. If God has been stirring something in your heart, maybe sharing about the life He's given you could be the very thing someone else needs to hear. Don't let that stirring be the platform you climb halfway up and then walk away from. Tracie would love to gift you her free e-book, Your Story, Their Transformation: How to Write a Book That Actually Changes Lives, to help you take the first real step toward putting your story into words. Click here, and claim this encouraging free guide today.
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Joshua 1:9, "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (NLT).
2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (NLT).
What is one area of obedience God has placed on your heart where you've been circling indecisively instead of taking next steps? What has fear told you might happen if you obey?
Think of a time you either took a leap of faith or backed away from one. What did that moment reveal to you about where you were placing your trust?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2026 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.
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