There are voices, both external and internal, telling you to give up. Some of the loudest voices aren’t from others, but from the fears and doubts inside you. These internal voices, born from past trauma and insecurities, try to convince you to stay quiet and stop striving. But the truth is, not all crowds are out there—some are within you, and they shape your view of what’s possible in life.

The problem many face today is the misconception of “finding yourself.” If you’re looking for yourself, it means you’re lost. And if you’re lost, you need guidance. The only way to truly find yourself is by following Jesus. He is the one who understands your purpose, because He created you. The Bible refers to God as the gardener who planted the potential in you from the very beginning.

Let’s talk about the crowd that told people to stay quiet. In your life, what are your insecurities trying to tell you? Maybe they’re saying, “You’ve missed your chance. It’s over. You’ve blown it.” Some of you may be hearing that you’ve wasted your opportunities or that it’s too late for change. These voices suggest you can’t go back, that you shouldn’t have done things the way you did, but now you have no choice but to keep going.

Even coming to church today might have been a struggle. There’s another voice telling you to stop, saying, “Church isn’t changing your life. Why keep serving God? Why try to be a person of integrity when nice people finish last? Why keep trying to live with purity when those who don’t have any morals seem to be winning?” But don’t listen to those voices. The internal crowd telling you to stop is often louder than the one outside. There’s no way to silence the doubts inside your head, no easy way to stop the negative thoughts that keep you down.

But here’s the hope: the voice of God is calling you forward. It’s calling you out of the things that hold you back, above the obstacles that are beneath you, to move forward into your future. Even though you hear that voice telling you to stop, there’s another way. Think of the two bold men in Matthew 20. They didn’t let their blindness stop them from shouting out for mercy. Their shout wasn’t a sign of blindness—it was an expression of faith. They couldn’t see, but they used what they had, and that was enough.

Even when you feel stuck, remember: the problem isn’t that you’re stuck, but that you’ve stopped moving forward. God is not finished with you. He’s still working in your life. Don’t let what you don’t have keep you from using what you do have. You may not be able to see clearly, but you can still shout out for help, and you can still step forward. Even if it’s hard, even if you stumble, you can keep going.

Sometimes, life is about shouting in faith, even when you’re stumbling through sin. It’s about declaring, “I am the righteousness of God,” and trusting that, despite the struggle, He is transforming you. No matter how hard the journey gets, keep moving forward, keep shouting, keep stepping.