“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 MSG
Imagine meeting a friend to celebrate their birthday and being excited about giving them the gift you’ve found especially for them. Because your friend is so special to you, you’ve taken extra time and care to shop for the gift, even wrap the gift. Your anticipation to give your friend the gift is even greater because you know they will love the gift because it is something they’ve shared with you that they have wanted for a long time.
Now, imagine as you place the beautifully wrapped gift on the table and your friend doesn’t open it. Even after mentioning the gift several times, your lunch ends and your friend says thank you for a wonderful lunch; but leaves the unopened gift on the table.
Although this scenario seems far-fetched, it happens in our relationship with God. God offers the gift of courage and, many times, we leave His gift, unopened, on the table of our lives.
God-given courage is a gift and it’s transforming.
We have to consciously choose to take courage, believe Him more than we believe our circumstances, our concerns or our challenges. Courage is a gift that we must receive and apply to our lives in order for courage to be activated in our heart and lives.
We must be courageous enough to listen to the Promises of God more than the voice of our circumstances.
Believing God, trusting Him and His Word above all else is a decision—not an emotion. It’s a commitment, a decision—even a lifestyle.
How do we take courage? Consider these four steps:
- Pray Persistently. Luke 18:3 tells us the parable of the persistent widow. She continuously petitioned the judge to “Grant her justice against her adversary.” Because of her tenacity, the judge granted her petition. God hears and listens to our prayers and tell us that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective in James 5:16.
- Read God’s Word. Perhaps you’ve heard the acronym for the Bible—Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Joshua 1:9 tells us to be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. God’s heart, God’s plan, God’s love for us is revealed in the Scriptures.
- Surround yourself with encouraging, godly friends. Proverbs 11:14 says Where there is no guidance, a person falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. We are wise to seek counsel and pursue wisdom in addressing the issues of life.
- Having done all, Stand! (Ephesians 6:13) Stand in God’s strength, stand in God’s ability to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
What area in your life can be transformed today by receiving God’s gift of courage? Know that when God offers you His gift of courage, you can be confident and secure, that the gift you are opening is even more wonderful that you had hoped for or imagined!
This post first appeared on courageforlife.org on June 22, 2018 and has been refreshed to match our current website formatting. Some details may reflect the context at the time of original publication.
