Courage is one of those words that for some reason seemed to get lost in our vocabulary. We skirt around it with sayings. Such things as; ‘take heart, you can do this, believe in yourself,’ tend to come out in conversations when we realize that someone is struggling in a moment of indecision or hardship. There is nothing wrong with these words, but if you are the one facing difficulty wouldn’t it feel completely different if someone placed a hand on your shoulder and without hesitation said, “take courage.”
When I think of courage, I think of soldiers facing death. I think of firefighters battling a large and unstable fire. I think of someone jumping into rushing waters to save a child. Or someone who steps in at a moment that could result in someone else’s peril without intervention. It takes courage to be the person facing these events. If I am struggling with a difficult moment in my own life, I want to be courageous or at least feel as if I have the ability to do so.
God uses these words in specific situations. To Abraham as he requires him to trust in an entirely new way of life, he says, “do not be afraid” (Gen.15:1). He speaks them to Joshua as he is taking a nation of people into a new land (Josh. 1:6). King David’s officer Joab, spoke them to his men as they prepared to fight (2 Sam. 10:12). The angel of the Lord spoke them to Daniel when he is given a vision of the future of his people (Dan. 10:19). The words, “be strong and courageous,” have not just hope for what is to come, they reflect power. We need power to move through trying moments in life.
Do not discount the problems you face. You are in the space and time that you are for a reason. Perhaps you were not called to be a soldier or a public servant who faces danger, but you were called to walk through moments in your own life with courage. Your life matters as much as any other life matters. When you succumb and turn from difficulty rather than walk into it, two of many possible things happen. First, your self-confidence is shaken. Secondly, wisdom is limited.
When our confidence gets battered around, we tend to live back into self-deceptions, “I’m not good enough, someone else can do this better, I’m weak.” When we stifle life experiences that include challenges, wisdom that is gained for our future as well as another person’s is not given a chance to grow. Life instruction is squelched before it is given root.
Have you stepped away from a situation in fear or uncertainty? Are you facing something currently that seems far too large to take on by yourself? What if you have failed or you do fail? Well, simple answer is you’re just like the rest of us, you’re human, which means you’re prone to do these types of things. While that seems insensitive there is truth in it. I want that idea to hang with you for just a moment. There is value in hearing truth, allow it to soak in. You are human and you will have fears that cause you to falter.
Okay, the truth has permeated you. What to do next? If you are facing a particular challenge in this moment my answer to you is, “be strong and take courage.” You can face it and come out on the other side. If in you is a lingering memory of a challenge you faced and backed down from take comfort that you are not alone. In the thousands of years many have taken the same journey. You must make a choice though. If you have not been able to move passed it there are a few things you can do to move forward. Both of these situations, past and present, can benefit from this simple exercise.
- Write the main event that is now a memory or the current challenge in the center of an 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper then draw a circle around it.
- Now separate the paper into 2 sections by drawing a line vertically from the top and the bottom of the paper to the circle.
- If this is a memory treat it like a current event.
- Label the top left corner, “obstacle/decision.”
- Then label the top right corner, “fears.”
- The left side is easy, what are you facing – name it.
- The right side takes some real honesty. Give voice to as many fears or doubts you have.
- This was the straightforward part, the remainder of the exercise will take time, prayer, thought. Looking at the fears one-by-one be honest is there truth in them, pray over them if you need to, cross them out as you go if they are not relevant.
The idea of this exercise is not to help you make a decision. This is commonly used for that purpose. Instead, the goal was to give voice to fears and learn how to face them honestly. When we do that, it is easier to discuss them with others. We also have the chance to see what is really hindering us from moving forward. When I worked through this about a job, one of the fears I wrote was not enough money. I am not downplaying that this could be real. When I said look at each one realistically, I was serious. For me, that wasn’t the issue, but I was telling myself it was. Be honest.
King David was a shepherd boy facing a lunatic giant of a king. God told him to go forward although none of it made logical sense to David. The background story was that Samuel and God knew that David was going to be established on the throne. I am not asking you to consider facing something illogical, I am asking you to take courage, facing your fears head on. Who knows what the blessing might be out of this type of action.
If you did this exercise to release some memory, there is another step you need to take. There is a story of Peter and Jesus with a painful memory lingering between them, take time to read it (John 21:15-19). You see, Peter refused to stand by his friend whom he was beginning to see as the son of God. It was soon after this event that Jesus was hung on a cross. Have you ever been let down by a friend. Imagine the hurt that was lingering in this friendship as Jesus appears to Peter after his resurrection. I am guessing that this is similar to the unforgiveness you have for yourself. Accept the healing that was offered to Peter that day as your own. Forgive yourself and if needed others.
Thank you for allowing me to travel with you on this journey. Please take a few minutes to check out my website, www.monicaswank.org. You will find resources that you can benefit from all week long. – blessings
Monica Swank 