Faith: The First Filter for Gaining Clarity on Your Next Big Play

In last week's article titled, "Your Next Big Play: Gaining Clarity on What's Next as a High-Performing Man of Faith", I introduced one of my key frameworks for how to make your most authentic decisions as a Christian.

In the framework, I introduced 4 key filters to process our decisions from:

Faith, Family, Future, Fulfillment

In the next upcoming weeks, I will dive deeper into each filter so that you can develop a deeper understanding how to use each.

This article will breakdown the “Faith Filter.” Let’s dive in.

High Performers Want to Take Action—But What If Clarity Comes From Submission First?

When you’re used to making things happen, uncertainty can feel like failure.

You’re ambitious, focused, and disciplined. But what happens when you hit a season where:

• You’re not sure what your next move should be?
• You feel called to something bigger but don’t know what it is?
• You want clarity, but all you feel is hesitation?

Here’s the truth: The right decision isn’t always the most obvious one.

That’s why the first filter of decision-making isn’t logic, strategy, or even action, it’s FAITH.

If you’re in a season of waiting, uncertainty, or transition, you’re in good company. Because before every great man stepped into his calling, he first had to submit to faith.

Let’s break it down by looking at two high performers who had to wrestle with faith before stepping into their calling: Gideon (Judges 6-7) and Tim Tebow and what their stories mean for high-achieving men of faith today.

Gideon: When Faith Means Trusting Before You Feel Ready

Gideon wasn’t your typical “high performer.” In fact, when God first called him to lead, he was hiding in fear.

“Pardon me, Lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest, and I am the least in my family.” (Judges 6:15)

Sound familiar? Maybe your self-doubt sounds like:

• “I don’t know if I have what it takes.”
• “There are others who are more qualified.”
• “What if I step out and fail?”

Yet despite Gideon’s hesitation, God called him a mighty warrior before he had ever done anything to earn that title.

But here’s where it gets interesting…

Faith Required Clarity. Clarity Required Submission.

Instead of taking immediate action, Gideon asked God for confirmation, not once, but twice.

First, he laid out a fleece (Judges 6:36-40) and asked God to make it wet while keeping the ground dry. Second, he flipped the test, asking for the fleece to be dry while the ground was wet.

Only after God confirmed his calling twice did Gideon step up, and when he did, he led a miraculous military victory with just 300 men!

The Lesson

You might feel like you need more certainty before you make the next move, courage is the prerequisite to confidence, and courage requires faith.

Sometimes, God won’t reveal the entire plan—He’ll just give you a next step. And it’s your job to submit and trust Him, even when you don’t feel ready.

Tim Tebow: When Faith Means Trusting a New Path

Tim Tebow is one of the most decorated college quarterbacks in history. He won the Heisman, two national championships, and was expected to dominate in the NFL.

But when his professional career didn’t pan out the way he planned, Tebow had to face a painful question:

“What happens when the thing I worked my whole life for… isn’t my calling anymore?”

That’s where faith stepped in.

Sometimes, faith requires letting go of a dream to step into a bigger mission.

Tebow shifted his focus to faith-based leadership, mission work, and public speaking.

He went from trying to force an NFL career that wasn’t working to trusting that God had a bigger assignment for him.

The Lesson

Sometimes, faith means pivoting, even when it feels like you're "giving up" on something you worked for.

Tebow could have spent years trying to force his way back into football, but instead, he leaned into God’s redirection and today, his impact is far greater than football.

What This Means for You as a High-Performing Man of Faith

If you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or hesitant about your next move, here’s what you need to know:

• Like Gideon, faith means trusting before you feel ready.
• Like Tebow, faith means being willing to pivot when God redirects.
• For You, faith means seeking confirmation but not waiting forever to move.

Here’s your challenge this week:

Write down the decision you’re struggling with right now. Pray over it and ask God for clarity, even if it means a pivot and take one small courageous step forward (even before you feel 100% ready).

One step deeper: Something that helps my clients really understand where the resistance comes from is writing out a “What Scares me List”.

Sometimes we don’t take action because we either lack the vision or the strategy. Other times, it’s because we lack resources, a skill required, or an opportunity.

But when it isn’t an external barrier like one of those, it’s an internal one. One where the Enemy has your ear, strumming those fear strings.

Writing out your fears when it comes to taking the leap and handling them one by one (with the help of prayer and someone you trust who you deem wise) can be VERY helpful.

Rooting for you brother!

Blessings & Biceps,

Chris