When Walt Disney was a young dreamer, people told him he lacked creativity. Before Arianna Huffington launched The Huffington Post, 36 publishers rejected her. Nearly a decade after Steve Jobs founded Apple, his board fired him from his own company. When they brought him back years later, Jobs reinvented the phone, presenting to the world the first Apple iPhone.

Some people assume leaders and influencers rise to success overnight. But this is seldom the case. Many of the most notable change makers in the world achieved their goals despite hearing they were too young, too poor, or too inexperienced.

Our culture often gives us good reasons why we should hold onto our dreams instead of pursuing them. Complete your education. Acquire experience. Become financially secure. Only after we’ve checked all the boxes do we feel it’s safe enough to move forward.

But the most effective leaders aren’t out to play it safe. Rather, they’re out to complete what they have decided in their hearts to do. Despite the cost, the failures, and the adversity, they push toward their objectives.

So what is it that drives the average Joe to bring to life and lead an extraordinary dream? Bold moves and big vision. This is especially true for Christ followers pursuing a God-given vision by faith.

God expects us to be bold as we step out for Him.

In The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson writes, “Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. God isn’t offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less. If your prayers aren’t impossible to you, they are insulting to God.”

God expects us to be bold as we step out for Him. God doesn’t mind big leaps of faith. He is more concerned when we hold back because of a lack of trust in His promises. Interestingly, Christians are often more hesitant than most to move forward with the dreams brewing in us.

We can easily complicate the ideas of calling and purpose, and feel conflicted about our passions. We may wonder, Is this what God wants me to do? Is this truly my calling? While these are certainly healthy questions to ask in our Christian walk, we often confuse our purpose with our vocation.

Philippians 3:14 says, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Our calling is to know Jesus, to be followers of His example, and to reflect His love and mercy to a broken world. That includes using the gifts He gave us for His glory — not just sometime later, but now.

So what is holding you back from following your God-given dreams? Is it a difficult life situation, the fear of failure, or simply the overwhelming weight of comparison that is draining away any drive to move forward?

There will always be a reason to wait, some excuse of why it’s just not the “right season.” Yet Hebrews 11 reminds us that some of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament had one thing in common: bold faith to rise above their circumstances.

Now is the time to stop worrying about all that may be standing between you and this dream, because you may be the only problem standing in your way.