‘That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.’
- Philippians 3:10-11 -
In the midst of a morally and spiritually deteriorating culture, uncommon courage is needed now more than ever. The words ‘courage’ and ‘courageous’ appear almost 30 times in the Bible. God told Daniel: “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” (10:19). That was Daniel’s call to courage. Being told to “fear not” is one of heaven’s most repeated commands. Instead of being debilitated by fear, God wants us ‘strong in the Lord and in the power of His might’ (Eph. 6:10). Fear comes naturally, but strength and courage do not. Taking courage means we have to fight for it. We have to rise up and take it. When confronted with fear on every side, even from within, courage must be seized and our power found in the Lord.
The necessity of courage was seen when God told Joshua, Israel’s new leader, to “be strong and of good courage” (Josh. 1:6). The people were about to cross the Jordan to possess the Promised Land, and God was saying it would take courage to get the job done. They were going to battle fierce, brutal, heathen tribes in the land. So while it’s wonderful to be a child of God, there are still battles to fight. We battle the tyranny of moods, resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and depression. We also battle addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling, overeating, or laziness. Each day we fight the temptation to think, say, or do the wrong thing. So it takes courage to forge ahead and fight. Without courage, we can’t know the fullness of life that God wants for us.
One of the best ways to understand courage is to see it in action. Acts of courage can be catalysts for the extraordinary. When we take a risk, we don’t know the outcome. If we did, we wouldn’t need courage. Know this with certainty: at some point in life, you’ll be called by God to step out into the unknown. But remember, leaders rarely regret the risks they took. They regret the opportunities they missed. Scripture is full of men and women who performed acts of remarkable courage. People who stepped forward and took a risk.
Abraham showed courage by obeying God and leaving Haran for a land He would show him. By faith, he took a risk. He left all he knew and ‘went out, not knowing where he was going’ (Heb. 11:8). He showed even more courage when he obediently prepared to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah. The Books of Hebrews clarifies that Abraham followed God’s command as our father of the faith ‘considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead’ (11:19). What courageous faith! What an example!
Jacob showed courage by facing his brother, Esau, who’d vowed to kill him. Joseph displayed courage by enduring prison for a false charge, only to then face Pharaoh and interpret his dreams. Joseph also had the courage to forgive his brothers rather than have them exiled or executed. Moses was called by God to return to Egypt and confront Pharaoh. This took uncommon courage. After facing down the hostile monarch, Moses led Israel out of slavery and through the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but the faithless Egyptians, when they attempted the same feat, were drowned (Heb. 11:29). Then there was Joshua, who crossed the Jordan even after spying out giants on the other side. He showed great courage, leading God’s military campaign to take possession of Canaan.
Rahab risked it all because she believed Yahweh was the true God (Heb. 11:31). Gideon faced an overwhelming Midianite army with just torches and clay pots. David faced Goliath with but a sling. Esther confronted a king with the power and precedent of punishing an unwilling queen. Daniel entered the lions’ den and his three Hebrew friends faced a fiery furnace. Then there’s our Lord Jesus Christ, who still preached the gospel knowing the hour of darkness awaited Him (John 12:27). And ‘when the days for Him to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He set His face to go to Jerusalem’ (Luke 9:51). What fearless courage! Christ faithfully endured the horrors of the cross (Heb. 12:2) even though He could have stopped it at any moment (Matt. 26:53).
All these feats took unfathomable courage. The heroes of our faith took the actions they knew were right despite their fears. But what fueled their courage? Paul taught: ‘We are always of good courage for we walk by faith and not by sight’ (2 Cor. 5:6-7). Courageous acts are fueled by faith in the greater good. We gain such courage when we believe God ‘has given us great and precious promises’ (2 Pet. 1:4). We are grounded by God’s promise to forgive us (1 John 1:9), never forsake us (Heb. 13:5), and meet all our needs (Phil. 4:19). He promises to shine light into darkness (Ps. 112:4) and ‘provide the way of escape’ for every temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). He will see ‘all things work together for good’ (Rom. 8:28) and cause us to overcome our enemies (Rom. 16:20). And one day He has promised to ‘wipe away every tear’ (Rev. 21:4), giving us fullness of joy with Him forever (Ps. 16:11).
Since courage is fueled by faith, and faith is trusting in God’s word, true courage comes from taking hold of heavenly promises and never letting go. How great was David’s trust when he said: ‘I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!’ (Ps. 27:13-14). Based on this belief, David exhorted himself to let his heart take courage. By faith he resisted temptation to overestimate threats or underestimate God’s power to keep His word. Uncommon courage is always fueled by faith in the ultimate good of God and everything He promises us. We must take up this full armor of God so, as Paul wrote, we ‘will be able to resist in the evil day’ (Eph. 6:13). We cannot be cowards when ‘all the promises of God in [Christ] are yes and in Him amen’ (2 Cor. 1:20).
Don’t live a timid and fearful life. Be bold and live the life God wants. Exit the boat and walk on the water with Christ as your steady ground. God is encouraging you to be bold and take a risk. You’ll be amazed at the wonderful things He has planned for you if you just step out in trust. Follow Him and not the crowd. Get excited about the new things God will do in your life. Remember that when God sent Joshua into the Promised Land, there were only two things He told him to do. Joshua had to fear not, and he had to be strong and courageous. Courage is the door God gives us so He can work through us. He doesn’t work through fear but through faith, which in turn makes us courageous.
Courage comes from the heart. It's the spirit of boldness that says: “I’m stepping out. I won’t let fear stop me.” As Paul wrote: ‘God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-discipline’ (2 Tim. 1:7). With courage we can face everything the enemy throws at us. Isaiah said: ‘Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid’ (12:2). The psalmist wrote: ‘The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ (118:6). So be bold no matter what is required. God will guide you every step of the way. He will prepare the way before you. It is He who says: “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight” (Is. 45:2). Take courage and you’ll find fulfillment, discovering who you are called to be and what God has called you to do.
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