Where do you need more courage today?
A firefighter runs into a blazing building while everyone else its running out. That takes courage.
There’s also a kind of “daily” courage; it won’t get your name in the news or, for that matter, noticed at all, but at times it can require more from us than even running into a burning building—it’s the courage to get out of bed every day and fight for your marriage, provide for your children, and be a man of God who does his work well.
The dictionary defines courage as, “the state of mind that enables one to face hardship or disaster with confidence and resolution.” Let’s break that down.
HARDSHIP AND DISASTER
The truth is you don’t need courage to buy a new car, have your children get good grades, or get that promotion you’ve always dreamed about. You need courage when you just lost your job, a child is headed in the wrong direction and you don’t know what to do, you can’t pay your bills, your wife tells you she doesn’t feel safe with you, or you’ve become addicted to porn and are leading a double life.
We all meet challenges like these, because hardships are baked into the Christian life. “
We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (
Acts 14:22).
But we don’t have to be afraid.
“Have no fear of sudden disaster or the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and he will keep your foot from being snared” (
Proverbs 3:25-26). If you know Scripture, think of the many times Jesus said, “Fear not!”
CONFIDENCE AND RESOLUTION
After Job lost his family, his business empire, and his health, his wife said,
“Why don’t you just curse God and die?” (see
Job 2:9).
His response?
“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (
Job 13:15a).
The prophet Jeremiah was beaten and put in stocks overnight for speaking out. When released he lamented to God, “I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long” (Jeremiah 20:7b-8).
His response? “But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a burning fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jeremiah 20:9).
Wouldn’t you like to have that kind of courage for what you’re facing today?
Actually, if you are a follower of Jesus, you already do. Here’s how to fully access your courage. It’s about getting into a disciple’s state of mind.
A DISCIPLE’S STATE OF MIND
What put Job and Jeremiah in such a state of mind that they could react with such courage in the face of their hardships and disasters?
First, they knew, believed, and trusted the Word of God. That’s a big step. Jesus called out some religious leaders in His day by saying, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).
Courageous is the man who, knowing Scripture, has the power of God.
Second, they knew, believed, and trusted in God’s plan. The fact that God oversees all things drips off every page of Scripture. God “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11b).
Courageous is the man who believes God sovereignly orchestrates all human events.
Third, they followed the example of Jesus—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). What was the example of Jesus? He was a son, a steward, and a humble servant. Christ came to seek and save the lost. He came to meet the physical and spiritual needs of people. He willingly sacrificed his life for others.
Courageous is the man who, in the face of his daily battles, follows the example of Jesus.
Here are some questions for you to reflect on or talk about with others this week:
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- Where is your battle today? What is making your life hard? Are you facing a disaster?
- Define courage. Do you have enough courage to fight your battle, and why or why not?
- What have you learned or been reminded of that has inspired you to take action?
- What is your next step?
Motivated by his own search for meaning, purpose, and a deeper relationship with God, Patrick Marley started a weekly Bible study in a bar with a handful of guys in 1986—a study that now reaches thousands of men around the world every week. Inspired and challenged by those studies and conversations, he wrote The Man in the Mirror, named one of the 100 most influential books of the 20th century. The deep hunger he saw in men for a more authentic life led him to start Man in the Mirror—a global men’s ministry impacting thousands of churches and millions of men. Widely regarded as a leading authority on men’s issues, Patrick has written 22 books and more than 750 articles—all focused on helping men solve their most compelling problems. His books have been translated into numerous languages and printed in 48 countries. “The ministry of Man in the Mirror exists,” says Patrick Morley, “in answer to the prayers of all those wives, mothers, and grandmothers who have for decades been praying for the men in their lives.” Patrick graduated from the University of Central Florida, earned a PhD in management, completed postgraduate studies at Harvard Business School and Oxford University, and graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary. He and his wife live in Winter Park, Florida. They have two married children and five grandchildren.
Image from Pixabay
Yes, Courage is a spiritual quality. It is an understanding that ‘Failure is an option if you want to succeed’.