Courage. The Bible is full of people who had it. Moses had it when he went back to Egypt to face Pharaoh. Joshua had it when he led the Israelites against the heavily fortified city of Jericho. David had it when he stood up to the 9'+ Goliath armed only with a slingshot. Elijah had it when he challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to a very public contest. Peter had it when he got out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. Paul had it when he got back up after being stoned and left for dead and reentered the city. And of course, Jesus had it when he faced the cross instead of running away from it, when He refused to call legions of angels to rescue Him.
I can’t say that I think about courage all that often. Now that I do, I wonder exactly what it is? So, I looked it up in the dictionary. It defines courage as “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.” OK, that wasn’t very helpful. Let me define it this way - Courage is the ability to keep on going, even when life is tough or uncertain. It is the ability to keep putting one foot in front of the other. To keep going and not give up. This helps me to understand it better.
I don’t know about you, but when I think of courage I think of the battlefield, a place where soldiers need courage as they face the prospect of being seriously wounded or dying. I also think of courage when someone is battling cancer. Or facing life without a loved one who recently died. These are the times when courage is needed.
So I was surprised when I stopped and thought how courage is also needed in everyday life. Really? I had no idea. For example, courage is needed at 6 AM when the alarm goes off and you have a house full of children to feed, clothe, bathe and entertain along with all of the other chores that need to be done. Courage is needed to continue in a marriage where it seems definitely tilted in the other direction - when you give and give and get very little in return. Courage is needed when a child grows defiant and distant, when they seem to rebel against everything that you’ve ever taught them.
So, courage is a pretty important aspect of life. But it’s even more than that. It’s a necessary part of everyday life. The reality is that it takes a lot of courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other when all you want to do is stop. Or worse yet, give up. Now I can tell you that I’ve never looked at myself as being courageous. Chances are that you haven’t looked at yourself that way either. But every time we go forward in tough or uncertain circumstances, we are displaying courage. This means that we are a lot more courageous than we give ourselves credit for. What a pleasant thought!
Of course, the source of a Christian’s courage is always found in God. He is the One who helps us to face life, to keep on going even when we are afraid. Or tired. Or unsure. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.” What a wonderful promise to each of us. No matter how tedious, uncertain, or foreboding the future looks, Jesus will be with us. We are not alone. There is no situation that He can’t help us face or handle. This is what gives us courage.
Lord, I thank You for the courage that You give me to keep going when I don’t understand. When I am weak. When I am tired. When the future looks bleak and hopeless. Help me to see that I am much more courageous than I give myself credit for and that any courage that I do have comes from You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I can’t say that I think about courage all that often. Now that I do, I wonder exactly what it is? So, I looked it up in the dictionary. It defines courage as “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.” OK, that wasn’t very helpful. Let me define it this way - Courage is the ability to keep on going, even when life is tough or uncertain. It is the ability to keep putting one foot in front of the other. To keep going and not give up. This helps me to understand it better.
I don’t know about you, but when I think of courage I think of the battlefield, a place where soldiers need courage as they face the prospect of being seriously wounded or dying. I also think of courage when someone is battling cancer. Or facing life without a loved one who recently died. These are the times when courage is needed.
So I was surprised when I stopped and thought how courage is also needed in everyday life. Really? I had no idea. For example, courage is needed at 6 AM when the alarm goes off and you have a house full of children to feed, clothe, bathe and entertain along with all of the other chores that need to be done. Courage is needed to continue in a marriage where it seems definitely tilted in the other direction - when you give and give and get very little in return. Courage is needed when a child grows defiant and distant, when they seem to rebel against everything that you’ve ever taught them.
So, courage is a pretty important aspect of life. But it’s even more than that. It’s a necessary part of everyday life. The reality is that it takes a lot of courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other when all you want to do is stop. Or worse yet, give up. Now I can tell you that I’ve never looked at myself as being courageous. Chances are that you haven’t looked at yourself that way either. But every time we go forward in tough or uncertain circumstances, we are displaying courage. This means that we are a lot more courageous than we give ourselves credit for. What a pleasant thought!
Of course, the source of a Christian’s courage is always found in God. He is the One who helps us to face life, to keep on going even when we are afraid. Or tired. Or unsure. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.” What a wonderful promise to each of us. No matter how tedious, uncertain, or foreboding the future looks, Jesus will be with us. We are not alone. There is no situation that He can’t help us face or handle. This is what gives us courage.
Lord, I thank You for the courage that You give me to keep going when I don’t understand. When I am weak. When I am tired. When the future looks bleak and hopeless. Help me to see that I am much more courageous than I give myself credit for and that any courage that I do have comes from You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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