Courage is the name of a heart, still in fear
Standing before danger or sitting on fire
Bearing pain in patience, discarding anxiety
Choosing faith, wearing grace in adversity
Gracious smiles through inconveniences
Poise through crises, at peace in distress
Tempted, yet standing, walking the faith
Choosing trust, unwearied by worries
Unwavering, unstoppable, relentless:
Courageous becomes the person
With such a heart.

Courage, like many other noble words has suffered its share of abuse and misuse, to the point that we pass it by without recognition. We hail it where it is not. The media highlight and promote people who act smart and mean, cut corners and make all kinds of dumb and wrong moves, labeling and lauding them as courageous. They conclude that the more popular, the more courageous and how so false they prove! We deny those who sacrifice so much because they don’t have enough to flaunt their bravery. We deny those who faithfully stand in the face of fear because we saw dread in their eyes. We conclude that obscurity, courage, and fear cannot share a neighborhood and thus forget: who needs courage in the absence of danger?

Courage is the one who, wooed by fear and faith opts to follow, to stand, to speak for his convictions despite his fright and associated consequences. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the ability to stand on your fear, trusting your faith will deliver. As I go through my own experiences, I search through the Scripture for examples and therein find footprints of men and women who were truly courageous not because they were born, raised or lived so smart. They are counted courageous because they believed, they obeyed, and their trust in the One who can do what they couldn’t helped them accomplish what was once termed impossible.

Courage is not the ignorant moves we make for want of approval or fame. It is the choice to stand even if all else is sitting, the choice to walk though we go alone, the choice to embrace until we become what we know we ought. Courage is knowing and being willing to do what we know is true even though we feel afraid, weak, inexperienced, and inconvenienced. It is going away from the norm, going the extra mile, knowing it will cost us yet trusting the wisdom and direction of our God, our Guide, our Help.

Christ set a perfect example for us as He gave up His rights and privileges as God to take upon Himself the lower nature of mankind; as He contended with the religions and traditions of men that stood in the way of God; as He defied the dread of a very shameful and painful death at Calvary praying, “. . . yet not My will but Yours be done.” Beyond the Bible, I am encouraged by the courage I witness firsthand in the lives of family and friends who have given up their dues in order to be there for the weak, who have borne crises and losses without complaints, who have given for God and not for reward’s sake; who have jumped from where they were to where they are irrespective of seeming appearances and inconveniences all in His name.

Take this as Abba’s personal note of commendation to you that says, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Though the world doesn’t see it, doesn’t care, doesn’t commend: I do.” My final word is: just live! Live true, live God, live you, because you never know how far your faith and courage goes in blessing others as they journey through life.

Blessings.

Glory!