Be Strong, Be Courageous, Be Faithful

One of the things I have been saying to folks around here is that the church has to develop and nurture an organizational climate in which we are not afraid to make mistakes. We need to give each other permission to make mistakes. Only by boldness and courage can we move into the future with any hope of reaching new populations for Jesus Christ.

Making mistakes means that we are not being content with sitting still. The only way to prevent mistakes is not to do anything. The key, it seems to me, is to trust God and be courageous enough to step out in faith. If we make mistakes…in programming, in personnel, in strategy, or in any number of other areas – we will learn from them and not make them again. But people who trust God cannot be afraid to step out and take a risk or two or three for the Kingdom.

I’ve been spending quite a lot of time lately with Dr. Mark Fenstermacher. You will remember Mark, I’m sure as the guest leader for our stewardship campaign a couple of years ago. He and I have been talking about this church; our present and our future. He has asked how this church can be encouraged to take on the high-risk, Biblically-based, and life-giving role of being a leader in the faith community. He wants to know if we are willing to endure the criticism and chaos that always results when leaders attempt to lead with courage, vision, and boldness.

Remember that King David said, “Be courageous.” He didn’t say, “Don’t be afraid.” There is a difference. Mark Twain was the one who said, “Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it.”

David didn’t say, “Act only when the way is clear before you.” He said, “Be courageous.” I don’t know who said this, but I read this quote just the other day. “Courage can’t see around corners, but goes around them anyway.” Courage is acting in the knowledge that God has the power and control of any situation, even failure. If failure comes, it is courage which learns and goes forward.

Finally King David told Solomon to, “…keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies…so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.” In other words, “be faithful.”

Granted, you may be strong and courageous without having faith in God…history is full of examples. But more often than not, such strength and courage is likely to be misplaced or misdirected. Strength and courage must be fortified, equipped, and prepared by the Word of God.

The world in which we live is not always an easy one to survive. Mistakes happen. Troubles come and go. Tragedy sometimes strikes. Misunderstanding comes along. Our own stubbornness or inabilities may serve to get us into more trouble than we can imagine. Sometimes it seems that the deck is stacked against us.

As we stand here on this Memorial Day, we wonder what our ancestors would say to us. We remember all of those men and women who have given their lives for the sake of this nation and this people, and wonder what their counsel would be to us. We think about all of the people who have gone on before us, and wonder what they would tell us if they could.