“Be strong and of a good courage…“
Joshua 1:6
Why Courageous Faith
As Christians, our heritage and history is full of courageous faith. From Joshua to David to Daniel to the Apostles. The first century Christians faced daunting circumstances as have pioneer missionaries and everyday Christians living in unwelcoming lands. But their circumstances are not the only ones requiring courageous faith. Today, our world needs Christians who are willing to let God reveal Himself in and through the circumstances, character, and convictions of their lives.
This doesn’t have to be pastors or missionaries or Sunday School teachers…it can be you and me. Everyday believers who want to know God more deeply and want Him to be known by those around us.
This has been the desire of my life—though I have often failed—and I have found at least four things that must be present in my life if I’m going to be able to walk in courageous faith.
Communion
This seems like an odd place to start, but I’m not talking about the Lord’s Supper. I’m talking about fellowship with Christ. This is crucial to ANY walk with the Lord. If we are going to walk in courageous faith, we must learn to communicate with the One who is leading us forward.
Compassion
A heart that communicates with Christ cannot help but begin to see the world from His perspective. And as that happens, what we see should stir our hearts with compassion. True compassion cannot sit still, it moves us to action.
But there are things that stand in the way. Fear is, perhaps, the greatest enemy of compassion because fear stops action. Because of this, identifying and overcoming our own fears is part of learning to walk in compassion. The more closely we walk with Christ, the more deeply we understand His word, the more we will be transformed into Christians who walk not in fear but in power, love, and sound mind.
Commitment
In our world, people shy away from commitment. But commitment is vital not only to courageous faith but also to courage in general. Commitment often trumps the fear that would threaten to stop the action compassion is pushing us to take. Commitment plants our feet firmly so we can stand when are emotions are telling us to run.
Courage
This seems like a no-brainer when you’re talking about courageous faith. But, where does courage stem from? Is it just something a person is born with, or can it be cultivated and given a firm foundation? I believe the latter is true. Courage is a command in Scripture, and God wouldn’t give us a command He didn’t intend to help us carry out. It has actually be said that courage that is a mere part of our natural disposition is more likely to fail us when it is needed than courage that stems from duty and commitment. Scripture says much about both strength and courage. Their true source is found in Christ, which brings us right back to that all-important component—communion.
How can I help you walk in courageous faith?
Let’s connect.
