This post is part of the “Walking with God Through Life’s Hard Seasons” series. In this part, we’ll see how to build courage from God’s Word so we can face life’s daily challenges with boldness and trust.
Courage according to the Topical Bible is a vital virtue in the Christian life and the ability to face fear, danger, or adversity with steadfastness and faith.
But where do we go to develop this virtue? Courage may be harder to gain as we gravitate towards more enjoyable virtues such as love and joy. Of course, the Lord is our source, and we can go to God’s Word to see what He says about it.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
A very popular and remarkable passage. If you look at it closely, you can see instructions for courage in the Lord. Let’s break the verses down to see how we can apply it to courage in our daily battles.
- Trust in the Lord
- Lean Not Into Your Own Understanding
- In All Your Ways Submit to Him
- An Example of Courage
- Conclusion
Trust in the Lord
Competence
The first thing you should ask yourself is, “Do I really trust the Lord with all my heart?” How can you do anything, especially have courage, without having competance in Jesus Christ?
2 Timothy 1:12 NIV “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”
Paul knew where his strength rested, in Jesus Christ, his Savior. He had full confidence that the Lord would take care of him no matter the circumstances. Did this mean Paul did not suffer? No, but the Lord took care of him regardless.
Without confidence in the Lord, courage in Him is impossible.
Overcoming Fear
Psalm 56:3-4 NIV “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Fear and courage can’t go together. Or can they? Take it from me, they can. Remember the definition of courage-“the ability to face fear,“.
You can face your fear by trusting in the Lord’s strength, It’s the only way I have ever overcome fear.
The circumstances are familiar; you are facing something you fear, like public speaking or a job interview. You can put the fear off at first, but it begins to rear its ugly head.
What to do? Stay uncomfortable until it’s over? That’s what happens a lot.
You don’t have to do that. Remember the Lord’s promise to strengthen you and take the fear away. He is the one to comfort you in your fear.
God is the source of everything good; shouldn’t His strength be more than you could ever imagine?
Commit to the Lord
Psalm 37:5 NIV “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.“
Committing to the Lord will make every area of your life better. The closer you become to daily dependence on Him, the more your heart will enjoy the pleasure of His companionship.
Once you have committed, your courage will begin to grow, and you can face things with peace that you could not have before.
God equips you with what is needed for His work. How else could you accomplish it?
Lean Not Into Your Own Understanding
Jeremiah 17:5 NIV “This is what the Lord says, “Cursed is the one who trust in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.”
We can see what the Lord thinks about our wisdom. Why? Read the last line, “who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.”
Because of our sinful nature, our wisdom cannot be trusted. We become entangled with the world, turning away from the Lord and what is truly best for us. It affects our thinking: we need God’s pure wisdom. Don’t try to figure it out.
In All Your Ways Submit to Him
Acknowledge Who God Is
1 Chronicles 29:11 NIV “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
Submitting to God is acknowledging that He is Sovereign. He is above everything and everyone. He is all glory, power, greatness, majesty and splendor.
You need to put God in His rightful place, not just on the throne, but on the throne of your heart. Is He ruling your life?
You can’t expect courage when you are the ruler of your life. That’s why daily time with the Lord is so important. No matter how long you have been a Christian, you need to renew every day.
Honor God
Psalm 119:1-2 NIV “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
As humans, we tend to look to God for help in our troubles. Rightly so, that’s what the Lord wants us to do.
The real goal is honoring God and giving Him the glory. This verse sums it up. Whatever we do, God’s glory is the focus.
Desiring courage means wanting to give God the glory as we stand up for Him.
Turn It Over to the Lord
1 Peter 1:7 NIV “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Sometimes, you become so busy that turning it over to the Lord is forgotten.
This verse tells us to cast on Him, the same as casting a fishing rod. Give to Him: hook, line, and sinker.
Don’t take it back. Give it to Him completely. A lot of stress is avoided when you do.
What is the purpose of casting your care on Him? His joy and peace.
An Example of Courage
Ruth 1:16-18 NIV “But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.”
Ruth was a very courageous woman. She didn’t face a giant or a fiery furnace, but she did choose to leave her country and family to go with Naomi to her homeland.
Ruth was courageous in the Lord. She had come to know the Lord through Naomi and was following God’s lead in her life.
She was trusting the Lord that He would take care of her in a foreign country. The decision was hers, but she was not depending on her own understanding. If she had, her decision may have been to stay home in the comfort of her family.
Ruth submitted to God in all ways. “May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Regardless of her feelings, she obeyed the Lord.
We would do well to follow Ruth’s lead in our lives. Her goal was to glorify God, whom she loved and was devoted to. (Story of Ruth can be read here: Bible Gateway.com)
Conclusion
Courage in the Lord comes from Him. Talking to Him daily and reading His Word are essential to staying courageous in Him.
Daily battles may seem small at times, but the relief from stress that comes from depending on the Lord is great.
Build your courage by:
- Trusting the Lord with all your heart.
- Don’t lean on your own wisdom.
- Submit to the Lord.
Feel free to comment if you have questions.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.