Have courage today

Courage is a middle English word dating back to around 1300. It’s French and Latin derivatives are both rooted in the word “heart”. It’s defined on www.dictionary.com as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery”.

Courage is a quality normally reserved for soldiers, firefighters, and police officers. From our earliest days, we are often taught, under the very real guise of caution, to not be courageous. We’re told things like “don't take unnecessary risks… Don't draw attention to yourself in public… Don't talk to strangers… Keep an eye out for suspicious people… Stay safe.” Not that any of those are invalid concerns, but they tend to work against the idea of courage. But as I sit here thinking this afternoon I’m confronted with the thought that being a disciple, a Christ-follower, takes courage, especially in the times in which we live.

Everyone wants courage as evidenced by a wikihow article I found entitled “How to have courage: 5 steps”. The article states these 5 principles lead to courage:
1. Do one little thing outside your comfort zone every day
2. Believe in yourself
3. Create some goals for each day
4. Have a good attitude
5. Don’t hesitate

While these are positive steps that might make you a better person, I’m not sure they get at the idea that God had in mind when in Joshua 1 He told Joshua to “be of good courage”. I like John Piper’s definition of Christian courage. He states, “Christian courage is the willingness to say and do the right thing regardless of the earthly cost”. The bible is filled with saints that serve as examples of this type courage.
• Noah – it took courage to build a boat when no one had ever seen rain and he was nowhere near water. It took courage for him to faithfully proclaim God’s coming judgment to a society that mocked him.
• David – it took courage to face a giant named Goliath with no visible weapon save a sling and 5 stones. But knowing that God was with him gave him the courage to do so.
• Gideon – it took courage to face as Judges 7 says an army “as numerous as locusts … as the sand by the seashore in multitude” with only 300 men and no weapons. Gideon did have the knowledge that “If God is for us, who shall be against us.”
• Daniel – it took courage to refuse to eat of the kings table even though “everyone was doing it”.
• Esther – it took courage to go before the king without an invitation. To do so was risking sudden death. But she knew God had raised her up “for such a time as this”

So here’s what I’m getting at for you and me. Like Noah let us faithfully do whatever God has called us to, even if that means being ridiculed by those of the world. Like David, whatever “giant” you are facing today, be of good courage for God has said that He will “never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Like Gideon some of you face huge odds that seemingly are against you today. Remember that God does His best work when we get to the end of ourselves and simply say “God if this is going to happen, it’s going to take You doing it.” Like Daniel, some of you need to stand strong today against the temptation to give in to societal pressures. Do what is right, not necessarily what is popular. Like Esther, some of you need to have the courage today to come before the “King” … not that it takes courage to come to God as He openly invites us into His presence. But you need the courage to come clean with Him and then accept His making you clean through forgiveness. Be courageous today!

Fear of failure

Most of us are afraid of failure. If I think there’s a chance we might fail at something, I have to fight the temptation to not even try. If I asked you to name a great baseball player who would you name? Many might say Hank Aaron for hitting 755 home runs. But Hank also struck out 1,383 times. What about a great NFL quarterback? Joe Montana played in 8 pro bowls and won 4 Super Bowls. But did you realize he threw 1,982 incomplete passes and 139 interceptions … failure.

In the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-ff we read of three servants entrusted with “talents” from their master. One of the three became so paralyzed by fear, he buried the talent until the master returned. He’d rather return only what he’d been given than run the risk of losing that talent.

Maybe today you are afraid of failing. You watch people around you succeed and yet you are crippled at the thought of failing to the point you don’t even try. If that describes you, I want to share 4 things with you that will hopefully allow you to move forward from fear; to take risks that honor God.

First, you need to discover that everyone fails … yes everyone! James 3:2 says “For we all stumble in many things.” In his book The Incomplete Book of Failures Stephen Pile shares some things that make this point. Michael Jordan was cut from his middle school basketball team for “lacking talent” and when he played in the NBA he missed 51% of his shots. Albert Einstein had a teacher who said about him, “He is mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams.” How many great men of the bible failed? Abraham lied and failed to have faith in God and His Word. David, well we don’t even need to go there other than to say the name Bathsheba. Here’s the point … everyone fails.

Second, we need to recognize that failure is not final. Psalm 24:16 says, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.” History is filled with people who failed yet got up and kept going. George Washington lost 2/3 of the battles he fought during the Revolutionary War. Billy Graham when asked to preach his first sermon said he actually prepared 4 sermons and preached them all in less than 10 minutes. When it was over he thought “I’m not cut out for this.” Listen, failure is not the worst thing that can happen to a person. In fact God often uses it in our lives to make us more like Him. John Mark who deserted Paul later became useful to Paul in his ministry. How? Because failure was not final.

Third, we should recognize there are some benefits to failure. Romans 8:28 says that “ALL things work together for the good to them that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Peter failed at just about everything he tried, from walking on the water to denying Jesus. But through it all he found there are benefits in failure. Here are the benefits I find: 1. Failure educates us. Thomas Edison had 10,000 failures before inventing the light bulb. 2. Failure develops our skills. How do you learn to ride a bike? You likely fell but you got back up and on that bike. 3. Failure tends to make us less judgmental. Without our own failures, it becomes easy to look down our noses at those who fail.

Finally, in regards to failure we need to stop comparing ourselves to others. Our society has become so competitive. But I believe success can be defined as doing your best. God defines success by obedience. Failure is when you don’t even try.

So what are you “failing” at right now? Your marriage? Your parenting? Some spiritual or moral failure? Whatever it is I don’t believe that it has to be final, or even the 1 thing that defines your life! Friend, there’s only one failure that is final … failing to respond to God’s offer of forgiveness through His Son. So you’ve fallen … get up, bandage the hurts, and go on with your life learning from your mistakes. Walk faithfully with your God!

Faith in the middle of the storm

The 30th President of the United States was Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge was known as a man of few words and when he spoke he was often blunt and to the point. On one occasion a female journalist told the President, "Mr. President, I made a $100 bet with another journalist that I could get you to say more than 3 words. Would you care to comment?" Coolidge smiled at the young lady and coolly said, "You lose". That's how he got the nickname he carried with him to his death ... “Silent Cal”.

I tell you that because there are times in our lives when we think of God as “Silent God”. Amidst painful trials I know I’ve often cried out “Why, God? Why me? Where are you?” and to my dismay heaven often seems to be silent.

If there was ever a poster child for suffering and heartache it would have to be Job in the Old Testament. Job was a healthy wealthy family man with 10 children and a load of livestock. He was also a righteous man; the most righteous on earth. Satan goes to God and accuses Him of buying Job’s worship. Satan says if Job was not blessed so much he’d turn on God. God allows Satan to do anything to Job except take his life. In a short period of time Jobs children all die in a storm, all of his livestock is stolen, his wife tells him to “curse God and die”, and his 3 best friends ask him what great sin is in his life that he hasn’t repented of yet. Through it all Job’s faith BENT but it never BROKE.

I think there are 4 insights that we can learn from the life of Job when our life is in turmoil.

#1 – There’s more going on around us than we can see. Job had no idea of the conversation that took place in heaven but as readers of the scriptures we get the benefit of seeing both scenes unfold. It’s kind of like when we are watching a movie, we are only seeing a small slice of what all is happening. The directors make sure we don’t see things like the lights, assistants holding microphones, the studio. What we are seeing is mere snippets of our life. We see some of the present and remember some of the past but God sees the future and what He’s doing in our life.

#2 – God’s desire is for us to have a personal relationship with Him. I love the fact that in the conversation with Satan it’s God who brings up the name of Job. God loves Job and is proud of His creation. I get the sense it’s almost like a grandparent asking if they’ve showed you a picture recently of their grandchild. God knew not only Job’s name but knew his heart as well. When God looks at you or me he doesn’t see us as a social security number or taxpayer id # … He sees us personally and loves us all the same.

#3 – We need to remember that Satan actively assaults God’s servants. When God asks Satan where he’s been he says he’s been “walking to and fro on the earth.” Peter equated him as a lion seeking those he may devour. Satan actively, aggressively, and continually works to get people to doubt there is a God and that He loves them.

#4 – Genuine faith will sustain you through times of trouble. The bible affirms the fact that our faith is often tested. During these times of trials in our lives the type of faith we have is revealed. I think there are 3 types of faith and I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit that at times each type has been found in my life. First there’s what I call “fair weather faith”. This faith functions best when the sun is shining and everything in life is going the way you think it should. Those with fair weather faith typically turn on and question God at the first sign of trouble. The second type of faith is what I call “foul weather faith.” It’s the opposite of fair weather faith. Rather than praise God only when the sun is signing, they only turn to God when things go south. Here we tend to try and bargain with God, “God if you will do ______, then I will serve You.” Then when things start to go better we forget about the Lord until the next time things go bad. After 9/11 we saw a lot of “foul weather faithers”. They were in church for a few weeks and when things settled down they were gone again. Finally there is “all weather faith.” This faith says “I will praise the Lord no matter what comes my way.” That’s not where Job started but it is where he ended up. In Job 13:15 we read, “Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

So is the sun shining in your life? Are the storm clouds gathering? What kind of faith do you think you have right now? I wish I could tell you mine was always “all weather faith” but alas my faith is a work in progress.