“The hope of the world is the church; the hope of the church is courage; and a fearful world needs a courageous church.” –A.W. Tozer
Courage is like the wind… you can’t touch it, box it, or take a pill for it. But just as you can see the wind blow, you can see courage in the actions of people who find themselves pinned in dangerous situations.
The book of Deuteronomy says something interesting about those who are fearful in battle:
“Then the officers shall add, ‘Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.’” –Deuteronomy 20:8-9
In other words, cowardice is just as contagious as courage.
When you have a “fearless leader,” you have a “fearless” army. Through what I’ve read and experienced personally to a small degree, I’ve learned that the Alexanders, Napoleons, and William Wallaces are always at the front of the battle… and when leaders lead, their armies follow.
We’re not inclined to go to battle with fearful people. Yes, we may be initially fearful for our lives, but when courageous people surround us and the first bullet is fired—like the first snap in a football game—our fear flees, the battle rages, and the mission moves forward.
I want to share a few Truths to help us develop courageous hearts:
- A person is immortal until God is finished with them. The author of Job writes, “you will come to the grave in full vigor (strength), like sheaves gathered in season” (Job 5:26).
- Only God knows the number of our days and when they will end. As the Psalmist says, “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful saints” (Psalm 116:15).
- Lastly, in Paul’s second letter to Timothy he pens, “the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6). He had lived well and had no reason to fear what was going to happen to him.
As I read these verses again and again, I am gripped by the fact that death is but a blink of the eye and then we find ourselves in eternity.
Believers should not fear physical death… but we should fear living a wasted life.
Courage is something we need daily to honor God and live out the gospel in word or deed. We need courage to speak when there’s an opportunity to share the gospel because we’re often anxious and fearful to open our mouths.
In Acts 18, Paul was fearful while ministering in Corinth, but God told him not to be afraid and to keep on speaking. Paul’s courage to speak despite his fears was a result of great trust in this promise from God: I am with you.
I think the depth we believe, understand, and trust what God says impacts our level of obedience and the depth of courage the Holy Spirit works in and through us. After all, the words of our Lord mean nothing unless we believe what He says, and our actions show what we truly believe.
Today our Lord is speaking the simple words of Joshua 1:9 to each of us… “be strong, be of good courage – for I am with you.”