Billy Graham said, “I feel sorry for the man who has never known the bracing thrill of taking a stand and sticking to it fearlessly. Moral courage has rewards that timidity can never imagine. Like a shot of adrenaline, it floods the spirit with vitality.”
Courage is one of the highest virtues in a human. It even takes courage to love! Courage is the will to say and do the right thing regardless of the earthly cost without looking at consequences. This act could rip our emotions because of the price we pay for it. Sometimes, we step out of our way to help strangers, or step out in war to protect our nation or speak up for others or go forth on rescue operations. Some have lost their lives for this. Courage to stand up and fight for the weaker is one of the greatest because many times, there is nothing in it for us, or so it looks on the outside. We may face mental agony in the face of confrontation and controversy. We know how people get trolled with death threats and rape online for being courageous to speak the truth.
Remember, though courage seems dangerous, it harvests the greatest rewards in time!
Here are a few truths we can hold on to from operating from a fortress of courage:
1. Know God is with you and He is greater than your enemy: “Be strong and courageous . . . for the one with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles” (2 Chronicles 32:7–8).
2. Know that you are loved by God and in Him, nothing can harm you: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1). “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven'” (Matthew 9:2).
3. Be filled with His Spirit for His Spirit washes away our fears and calms us. Often in the Spirit, in the most terrifying circumstances, we are mysteriously at peace. Believe me, I have experienced it!: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
4. Saturate yourself with the promises of God which will sustain you at tough times. Read the Holy Word to get that sustenance of daily bread: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
5. Keep on praying. While in prayer, the flame of hope rises and keeps burning. This floods our hearts and gives us courage: “On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul” (Psalm 138:3; see also Ephesians 6:19-20).
6. Encourage yourself with other courage testimonies and stories. As we see with Paul, the others got courage through his life and he said this: “Most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear” (Philippians 1:14).
7. Constantly make a decision to trust God. This takes faith. As Rabindranath Tagore said, “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” We have to feel the light, even though it is dark. Courage and faith are divine decisions.
Be courageous! Know the dawn is approaching to break the darkness!
Rita
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