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Courage wins over fear. Yes, that is the surprising secret! As you move forward with courage, small though it is, it will become stronger and your fear will be overcome. As a Christian, you have the Spirit living in you to be close to remind you of this truth. You are his dearly loved daughter. With God with you and in you, you have nothing to be afraid of.
Courage: Not deterred by danger or pain;
Strength in the face of pain or grief; brave.
Our assumption is that courage is an act of bravery, and it is. But we assume the person has no problems with fear. This is totally false!
Courage does not come without fear. The person who is courageous is often fearful, but moves beyond her fear to become courageous.
Think of a soldier. He does his job. But I’m certain there is fear involved in his work…all the time! Of course, he feels fear. He would be very unwise not to. Fear is a protective device. It puts our body in a mode to protect us from danger or perceived danger. His job is to make his nation or the nation of those he is assisting, a safe place to live. He has a role to play and that is what he is assigned to do. Despite his fear, he does it. Sometimes, he pays with bodily injury.
Or think of the woman who is having a baby. In this day and age, often she and her spouse make a choice regarding when they want to have a child. For some people, that decision actually works out! She gets pregnant. During the pregnancy, she puts up with a variety of discomforts. Thoughts of fear about the pregnancy and labor certainly cross her mind. If she is wise, she stays away from those who tell their horror stories. Why? Because she has plenty of fears to plague her as it is.
When she goes into labor, there is a new layer of fear. In the end, courage wins out over the fear. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t cry out in pain. She even experiences fear during labor at intense times as well. But she is courageous in that she goes through whatever pain she needs to in order to bring the baby into the world.
Sometimes, it means she has to have a C-section. If she realizes this is the best thing for her child, she agrees to it. In the end, her courage ends up with a healthy baby…usually. Sadly, there are times some women go through all that and something happens to the baby. Sometimes, her own health is put at risk. Then she is called on to use courage she never dreamed she could summon as she and her husband adjust to the changes they must make. Once again, they face the future with courage in the face of fear.
Seeing courage can sometimes be easier than defining it
Sometimes, it can be more difficult to describe courage than it is to know it when you come across it. How many times have you had a friend who was struggling to fight cancer or a chronic disease? As you look into her eyes, you see courage hiding deep inside her even though her body is often gaunt and pale. Or the young child who is in a similar condition, who courageously goes through procedures, hoping to feel better again soon. Sometimes he does. But at others his parents realize the end is coming and sadly say their good-byes. Then, they have to fight on with a new layer of courage as they face a future without him.
I also think of many single moms who have so much on them to think about: making a living, caring for their children, providing for their future…and often with few resources. That doesn’t take into consideration if there has been any abuse involved or they are unable to work with the father of their children in decision-making for the children. Sometimes, they can be really down at times, but many develop strength and courage because of their love for their children, to overcome the fear.
It isn't a sin be be fearful, per se. The problem comes when we allow fear to rule our lives. Share on XAsk GOD to help you live out courage over your fear with His help
I’m sure you have your list of people you have watched over the years. You have heard their stories. You have seen their courage to keep on in spite of fear. They are a mix of terror and courage. But in the end, courage wins out. They know that GOD triumphs. He will help them do the right thing in a given situation. He will help them develop the courage to live out what they need to do and truly want to do over their fears.
Why does courage win out? Because GOD is with us! If we are not “in Christ” and part of His family, we cannot claim this promise. But if we are, we have the Lord GOD Almighty with us to help us and provide for all kinds of needs. We simply must ask Him. Therein lies another important point that I will only briefly mention here. One reason we have little reason to fear is because our Heavenly Father promises to provide all our needs. It can be difficult to believe, but He uses all kinds of ways to do it.
How do you want to be remembered? As courageous or fearful? This desire may help you as you seek to live out the gospel to those around you.
As you think about courage and fear, do you want others to remember you as someone who may have been overrun by fear? Maybe that was your natural state, but by the grace of God, you learned to trust GOD to guide and help you move forward with courage despite fear, even to the point that people who knew you later in life had no idea that fear was a big problem for you in your younger years.
It isn’t a sin be be fearful, per se. The problem comes when we allow fear to rule our lives.
That is when we have a problem. That is when we aren’t trusting GOD to provide for our needs, no matter what kind of needs they are! If you are a child of GOD, He is with you and will be with you wherever you go. Trust Him to care for you, protect, and guide you, yes, even in the face of fear! (For more on this topic, click here.)
The words below are truly encouraging as we realize that God’s Spirit in us is not a spirit of fear. The truth of Joshua is that we are able to be strong and courageous because God is with us!
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
II Timothy 1:7 ESV
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”Joshua 1:9 ESV
