Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you always felt courageous? In a world that teaches us that superheroes should be our benchmark, it’s easy to feel ashamed by an overall lack of courage that we’re all prone to experience. Can you really be courageous in the face of adversity?
Even if you spend countless hours trembling in fear about the things that are coming against you, as a child of God, you have access to supernatural courage.
Do you consider yourself a courageous person? Perhaps you’re an “adrenaline junky” who enjoys extreme rollercoasters, sky diving, repelling, or another extreme activity. However, when it comes to facing adversity, do you still have the ability to muster up that brand of courage?
If we’re answering honestly, most of us would say no. Our courage tends to come and go based on what we’re facing. When everything is going the way we would like it to go, we’re courageous. However, when adversity comes, our courage tends to decrease, and we’re left with more questions than we have answers for.
How can you find courage in the hard times? How can you possibly be courageous when the doctor informs you that the results indicate the cancer is back? How do you muster up the courage to continue living when your spouse tells you that they’re filing for divorce?
Is it possible to be courageous when your employer lets you know that financial cutbacks have resulted in layoffs and you’re going to be unemployed in 30 days?
Your courage is not based in what you see going on around you. Instead, the Christian’s courage is grounded in the God that we serve and what we know about Him.
Courage: The Key to Survival
Deuteronomy 31:6 (ESV)
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
Most of us will never be place into a real survival situation. However, if you’ve ever seen survivalist show on TV, you’ve seen survival enthusiasts put themselves in harrowing situations so they can display their survival skills. If you’re a survivalist, you’re already aware of how difficult those situations can be, but if you’re like most of us, you’ll never get any closer to a survival situation than watching it on TV.
Christ never said that being a Christian would exempt us from troubles. In fact, we can look to Scripture and find countless examples of God’s people continually running into trouble. While the survivalists on television shows rely on their own abilities to find food, water, shelter, and fire, we realize that the key to our survival is to have our faith firmly rooted in the truths found in Scripture.
Life isn’t all that different from the extreme situations on the TV shows that we’ve already discussed. While we can watch those shows and see the tangible elements that they rely on to survive, there is one thing that the cameras can’t detect: their courage. In the same way, courage isn’t something that you can just reach out and grab. Instead, it is something that that we possess.
God spoke the words that we just read to Moses when he was trying to lead a multitude of people across the wilderness. There were certainly times where Moses didn’t feel courageous. However, we don’t live based on what we feel, we live on what we know. God reminded Moses that He was with him, that He went before him, and that He would never forsake him. We have the same promises, and because of those promises, we can rely on the true source of our courage.
Avoiding Panic
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
What do you fear the most in life? Is there anything that causes you to lose sleep as you lie awake at night and stare at the ceiling?
Perhaps your fears revolve around losing someone close to you. Maybe you’re afraid of suffering bad health. For many people, most of their fears revolve around financial issues that could be caused by a job loss or an unexpected expense. One of the most important aspects to courageously facing these fears is to avoid slipping into a state of panic, no matter how easy panic seems to come.
Panic is a mental, emotional response to trouble. The issue with panic is that it causes you to lose the ability to think rationally. The other problem is that society teaches us to panic. It seems like every time you turn on the news or scroll through your social media feed, there is something that could induce panic.
That’s why Paul said that we have to allow our minds to be completely transformed instead of giving into the panic that society pushes upon us.
Regardless of what is going on around you, refuse to panic. Not only should you allow yourself to think rationally, but also take a moment to think about what Scripture says about the situation at hand.
Taking an Accurate Inventory
Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Another good way to fill yourself with courage is to take an accurate inventory of what you have at your disposal. Do you remember the survivalists we discussed earlier?
Before they start building a fire, building a shelter, or hunting for food, they take a moment to survey the situation and get an accurate inventory of what you have. In this case, you have the whole armor of God.
Over the next several verses that follow the two that we just read, Paul discusses the armor of God and what every piece means. When we are fully clothed in God’s armor, we don’t have to worry about the details of every situation going on around us. Instead, we can be filled with courage because we know that we have access to supernatural protection and power through Him.
Changing Your Mindset
John 16:33 (ESV)
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Finally, these words of Christ are perhaps the strongest source of courage that we have access to. Notice, Jesus didn’t say that we wouldn’t face things that caused us to lose courage.
In fact, He assured us that we would have tribulations in this life. However, we know that He has overcome everything that would come against us. When He died and rose again, He granted us the victory over any of the temporary issues that often cause us to lose courage.
We are not courageous because of any special skillset that we may possess. In fact, we’re not courageous based on anything about ourselves. Instead, we are courageous because we have the living God inside each of us. The Holy Spirit not only protects us, but He also infuses us with a supernatural level of courage that we must have in order to survive the things that life throws at us.
There will always be adversity. Some of it will be minor while other moments of adversity will leave us reeling. Regardless of the size of the issue you’re facing, be courageous. God has given you everything that you need to survive and thrive.
A Closing Prayer:
Lord, I know that You see every detail of my situation. I need Your help to not only face it, but to overcome it. I know that I can be courageous because of who You are. Help me to remember that I have access to Your armor, and that it provides me with everything that I need to courageously tackle what is in front of me. In Christ’s name, Amen.