Reason #829
We tend to think of courage in the big ways. Running into a burning building, marching in the front lines, chasing down the bad guy, or defeating the villain. It's like it only counts if it's worth putting in the news. Jumping into a rushing river to save a child. Setting up a sting to rescue a POW. Dragging a stranger out of a wrecked car and giving them CPR until help arrives. Something big. A once in a lifetime event that none of us really ever imagine ourselves doing and, honestly, hope we don't ever have to. An act of heroism. That's real courage, we think.
But it takes courage to live sometimes. It takes courage to stand up in front of a crowd and speak. For some people, courage means jumping off the diving board in to water that is 12 feet deep. Courage can be telling the truth, standing up for what is right. Courageous people have to swallow their fears and push forward rather than retreat. Because it takes courage to go to a place you don't want to. It takes courage to admit you're wrong. Courage is apparent when confessions flow. Courage is recognized when transparency prevails. It takes courage to hold your head high, to walk free of shame and embrace freedom. Sometimes it takes courage to be the real you. Courage to just show up. But courage means you face a difficulty head on, no matter what how big or small it may seem. Courage means you don't tuck your tail and run in the opposite direction. Courage comes in many forms, and today I had to dig down deep and pull out an extra dose of courage.
I think human tendency is to retreat. Retreat when we are uncomfortable, when we are scared, when we are challenged, or when we've failed. Retreat when we're embarrassed, when we're overwhelmed, when we feel defeated, or when the going gets tough. And so I have, many time over the past 3 years, desired to retreat. I have tried to fly beneath the radar and go undetected. In fact, that was my hopes. And so I avoided, I hid, and I turned the other direction as much as I could. I made excuses, and I tried to play it safe. But courage and safety don't go together. You can either play it safe, or you can be courageous and I thought, "I'll be able to find courage if I don't have to do it alone."
God called David to be courageous. He called Him to take down a taunting giant that no one else was willing to face, and David had to do it alone. Well, I say that. David didn't actually do it alone. David was courageous with God's help, and David was victorious with God's help. Notice that no one offered to help. No one offered to stand with David and support him. They just stood by and watched. Honestly, they were probably all thanking the Lord that is was David facing the giant and not them. But David was courageous. He took that sling shot, the rock, and God's help with him and David conquered the giant. Yet more than that, David exemplified God's strength, ability, and faithfulness to everyone watching, and God was glorified in a really big way because David chose to lean on God and be courageous rather than retreat in fear.
God gives us courage to face life and do the things that aren't easy. He is faithful to accompany us. We don't go alone. We have His support and His help. And when we are courageous, when we trust God to make His strength known in our time of weakness and fear, we will find victory. We will overcome, and we'll be a living testimony to His greatness.
#829 - For the victory He grants us from our acts of faith and courage.
"David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you...And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” - 1 Samuel 17:45-47
But it takes courage to live sometimes. It takes courage to stand up in front of a crowd and speak. For some people, courage means jumping off the diving board in to water that is 12 feet deep. Courage can be telling the truth, standing up for what is right. Courageous people have to swallow their fears and push forward rather than retreat. Because it takes courage to go to a place you don't want to. It takes courage to admit you're wrong. Courage is apparent when confessions flow. Courage is recognized when transparency prevails. It takes courage to hold your head high, to walk free of shame and embrace freedom. Sometimes it takes courage to be the real you. Courage to just show up. But courage means you face a difficulty head on, no matter what how big or small it may seem. Courage means you don't tuck your tail and run in the opposite direction. Courage comes in many forms, and today I had to dig down deep and pull out an extra dose of courage.
I think human tendency is to retreat. Retreat when we are uncomfortable, when we are scared, when we are challenged, or when we've failed. Retreat when we're embarrassed, when we're overwhelmed, when we feel defeated, or when the going gets tough. And so I have, many time over the past 3 years, desired to retreat. I have tried to fly beneath the radar and go undetected. In fact, that was my hopes. And so I avoided, I hid, and I turned the other direction as much as I could. I made excuses, and I tried to play it safe. But courage and safety don't go together. You can either play it safe, or you can be courageous and I thought, "I'll be able to find courage if I don't have to do it alone."
God called David to be courageous. He called Him to take down a taunting giant that no one else was willing to face, and David had to do it alone. Well, I say that. David didn't actually do it alone. David was courageous with God's help, and David was victorious with God's help. Notice that no one offered to help. No one offered to stand with David and support him. They just stood by and watched. Honestly, they were probably all thanking the Lord that is was David facing the giant and not them. But David was courageous. He took that sling shot, the rock, and God's help with him and David conquered the giant. Yet more than that, David exemplified God's strength, ability, and faithfulness to everyone watching, and God was glorified in a really big way because David chose to lean on God and be courageous rather than retreat in fear.
God gives us courage to face life and do the things that aren't easy. He is faithful to accompany us. We don't go alone. We have His support and His help. And when we are courageous, when we trust God to make His strength known in our time of weakness and fear, we will find victory. We will overcome, and we'll be a living testimony to His greatness.
#829 - For the victory He grants us from our acts of faith and courage.
"David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you...And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” - 1 Samuel 17:45-47
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