Christian Courage
The Meek May Apply
You don't need to wield a blood-stained sword, nor crusade with an army throughout distant lands to demonstrate Christian courage. You can spread God's word in your very own neighborhood or use the internet to share the Gospel around the world.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 provides faithful encouragement. “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.”
Christian courage is not the absence of fear, nor the overt act of being fearless, but the capacity to do right, and speak righteously, even when confronted by the apathetic, the doubters, or the disbelievers. God has called every Christian to be a wittiness of Jesus Christ and share the Gospels. Not just some of us, but all of us. What percentage of Christians do you believe fail to do this with any consistency? Do you witness? If you answered yes, in what percentage of the opportunities do you speak up for the Lord? Seldom, sometimes, almost always?
Don't you think just about every one of us, at one time or another, has been overtaken by fear or hesitation? When the outcomes of situations are unknown, we often become very troubled or uneasy. Do you remember an experience like that in your past—or possibly in several very similar instances? Perhaps you find yourself meekly timid, or worried when it comes to speaking up for Christ? Perhaps “worried” was not the best adjective to describe those feelings you experienced. Possibly, extremely apprehensive, concerned. Or even down-right stressful, would better describe how you felt under the pressures of duress? Yes, fearfulness and anxiety can wash over you like a wind-whipped thunderstorm.
Today, let's concentrate on the topic of “courage.” Not simply courage in a generic sense, like an admirable quality of character, or as moral virtues to cultivate. But specifically, as a foundational facet of the Christian faith. Consider what part does Christ-like courage play in our daily lives? How can we increase our courage? How we can live courageously to expand the knowledge of the glory of God. Certainly, that's what our Lord, Jesus Christ, did. Are we not to emulate his teachings? Yes!
Courage, conviction, and Christian love are critically crucial because they are the foundations for all the other Christian virtues. Shouldn't our Christian love and convictions act to strengthen our courage? Hebrews 10:38 (ERV) shows what God expects. “The person who is right with me will live by trusting in me. But I will not be pleased with the one who turns back in fear.”
When we decide to build or reinforce our Christian courage, we should consider these important items. First, since we are not God, we cannot see inside someone’s heart what message from us they might need. Softly spoken persuasions are usually the best tactics to result in convincing messages of Christ. Can we honestly anticipate our own trepidation when, all of a sudden, we are faced with an opportunity to share the Gospel? Why does that sometimes seem so very terrifying?
Finally, do we frequently fool ourselves and think, “I'll never be afraid to speak up for Christ. I'll never stumble?” If so, turn to Peter and read, where he self-assuredly declared to the Lord Jesus, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” Yes, at that point in time, even Peter failed. You know full well what happened to Peter could happen to us, but a temporary failure is not the end of the world. Is it?
Speaking up for our Lord is a very serious matter. When Jesus directed us to “go and make disciples in all nations,” He expects us to do just that. When face to face with your non-believing neighbors, does your mind create stressful mental pictures of speaking mistakes or downright rejection of your message brings even more anxiety crushing your confidence? Maybe you start to wonder—how would your conversation be accepted or how it may end? Do you fear it might end up being so negativity adverse it would take a miracle not to start a long-term flare-up between you and them?
Remember, the empowerment of Christian courage is a Divine gift. With faith, you can receive the same special courage God bestowed on Ezekiel, telling him, “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.” Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place!” I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise. So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven for days. (Ezekiel 3:10-15).
What an extraordinary insight about a prime example of God given courage. Yet, displaying Christian courage yourself is measured proportionally to your personal commitment, plus faith in Christ as well as in yourself. Another biblical example is found in Daniel where the courageous Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego more or less rebuked King Nebuchadnezzar. They said, “Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace. He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up.” Theirs were profound testimonies of Old Testament faith. Their sentiments are ones that we would do well to reflect on today.
Where does that kind of faith and courage come from? It sprang from their certainty that God wields absolute power and would deliver them from harm or take them to a much better place. Fearlessly, they felt either way was fine. We need to feel the same way, don't we? No matter the situation, God is able to rescue us, and we hope and even expect that he will, but even if he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.
Do you believe that? You better! For not to, is to doubt Him. Our faith should not rest or be founded on what we think God is going to do, or on what we want him to do, in this world. Our faith is based on who God is and what he promised. And we serve a God who is infinitely more powerful than any king.
Certainly, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's faith, commitment, and courage reflected their love for God our Father. But it’s also extremely clear that they had faith in what they were doing and speaking of was right.
If you have ever experienced fear, ever been afraid to speak up for your Christian values, you are not alone. Thousands of us, persons just like you and me, have experienced hesitation, fear, and muteness when opportunities spring forth to praise and glorify God and Jesus Christ. The Bible states, in several places, God instructed His people 'not to be afraid.' Why did He say that? Because they were human with the same emotions and concerns we have. They were afraid. But when God spoke, they exercised courage and continued onward.
Isaiah was instructed, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
To Abram, God said, in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
And Joshua was told about Christian courage when God said: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Our Father God is not the only one telling us not to be fearful. In Luke 12:32, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” The International Standard Version recounts Matthew 28:10 as, Then Jesus told them, “Stop being frightened! Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Even angels pass similar messages. “And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king.
Courage is a trait of good character that we all heard about as we grew up. Courageousness used to be the central trait of many television shows and movies. Today—not so much. I observed courage in combat, where pilots braved massive amounts of bullets as we airlifted troops out of hot firefights. But maybe that's easier than displaying Christian courage. Would or could those Tinseltown heroes step up at a parent-teacher conference and declare most of today's politically (un)correct issues fall into Lucifer's domain rather than the teachings of Christ's? Since our public schools and universities are guilty of lacking emphasis on teaching moral values, of which courage is important, Christians must look to themselves, their congregations, and Church their leaders to reinforce courageous aspersions among our youths.
Have you ever spoken, in mixed company, against the secular specter of the theory of evolution being taught as facts in our public schools? Why do teachers and administrators seem unfazed by the newly revealed records that report horrendous blunders made by “the scientific” evolution activists? They seem to bow down to all the dictums of “modern science,” which, as we know, are un-Gospel truths. Incomprehensibly, they take every anti-biblical stance. Their wholly irrational, anti-Christian views on the Bible's narration of how the earth was created—seem to be stratified in concrete.
What is Christian courage? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines courage as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. To that I would add, Christian courage is a quality of convictions allowing Christian people to speak their mind, whether they face real or imagined fearful expectations. To be fearless does not mean to be devoid of fear, but to display courage, even Christian courage, even though you may experience varying degrees of disturbing anxieties. Christian courage grows proportionally to your inspirations of hope, self-inspired or influenced by other, more dedicated, people.
The fact that Christian courage should be a part of our everyday lives may sound strange because we frequently equate courage with outright heroism. You know, like soldiers risking their lives in war to save their brothers-in-arms, or like firefighters climbing up ladders to enter burning buildings to save lives. Or we think of dangerous acts like mountain climbing, alligator wrestling, or high-flying stunts on jumping motorcycles. In short, we generally consider courage as exceptional, extraordinary, or something people desire to do in chancy, breakneck, life-threatening activities. Usually, we perceive our lives as being moved along by more mundane character attributes, like perseverance, unblemished integrity, and fidelity.
“Christian courage isn't usually expected to come into play,” some say. Is that point of view correct or is it mistaken? Having Christian courage is not necessarily the same thing as being a hero or heroine. Christian courage is for our day in, day out usage, not just for dangerously intense situations. In fact, our Christian courage is fundamentally needed to reflect our best efforts along the path of following Jesus Christ.
So, with God, Jesus, and the heavenly angels instructing us and comforting us not to be afraid or fearful, why are we often timidly meek? The devil (or ourselves) smothers our hearts and minds in a smoldering, sticky mass of fear. More often than not, we are fearful because we are frightened of the perceived consequences painted by dark imaginations running rampant. Are we afraid of how people might react to our messages of Jesus Christ? My, oh my! What might people think if we were to speak up for our Lord?
Thus, more often than not, we fail to be bold. We fail to speak of Christ! Because we are afraid, we show signals that we lack faith, conviction, and courage. Surely, that sets a poor example.
With few exceptions, most everyone experiences some type of fear or apprehension sometime in their life. Certainly, some of us suffer from anxiety to greater degrees than others. We all have felt fear or a lack of Christian courage. Most, if not all, Christians feel a sense of guilty condemnation for not doing more or speaking out more about Christ. The Bible tries to teach us—true Christians should not fear embarrassment because we, not only have been born again, but are locked in the comforting arms and hands of God. Those facts alone should dispel all our worries and provide us with greater confidence and performance capabilities.
We know that the Word of God tells us very plainly that, “God has not given us a Spirit of fear.” Second Timothy 1:7-10 (1599 Geneva Bible) speaks with additional clarification, “For God hath not given to us the Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, neither of me his prisoner: but be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God, Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us through Christ Jesus before the world was, But is now made manifest by that appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality unto light through the Gospel.” Yes, through the Good News, Jesus showed us the way to have a life that cannot be destroyed. It is now our solemn duty to share the Good News. The (Holy) Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control. So don’t be ashamed to tell people about our Lord Jesus.
So, where do our fears keep cropping up from? A respected child psychologist stated: “From birth, babies are fearful of two things—the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears we gather up along our youth and adulthood.” But the good news is—whenever we are inundated with fear, worry, or anxiety, we can overcome all discouragements by the power of God and the authority granted to us by Christ.
Many character flaws are acknowledged to be the results of fear. When you want to express your love of God and you find yourself deficient in determination, that could be a reflection of your fear of failure. Any unwillingness to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ could be a cowardice fear of rejection or a fear of sounding uneducated. Any conscious refusal to serve others by sharing your time and talents might stem from your fear of becoming embarrassed. We could go on, but the points are made. Christian courage is a foundational element to following Christ to your fullest. So much so that it’s truly near impossible to mature in Christ without expanding your Christian courage. For without that trait, it's virtually impossible to improve your life's obedience to Christ, to increase your fellowship with him, and please him to your utmost. Whenever we are dominated by fear instead of courage, we risk being “bad Christian examples,” We grow farther away from Christ as opposed to coming closer to Him. In order for us to grow into stronger, God-honoring disciples, we must exercise courage. Courage to trust. Courage to obey. Courage to follow, courage to exercise leadership, if only among small groups.
Sometimes people fear they might actually be hurting evangelism by making Christians look uneducated to the vast tribes of unbelievers. Therefore, it is not surprising to realize Christians fear confessing their faith during job interviews or in the midst of workplace conversations. The devil's whispers convince them they will gather negative gossip or even suffer the drought of future promotions due to their expressed beliefs.
Do you know that Christian generosity is diminishing in these “more modern times?” This is not due to greed, necessarily. Nowadays, with inflation peaking way past 40-year highs, people are afraid of not having enough food and such for their own family's needs. They fear the specter of becoming poverty stricken, losing their income, and then having to depend on others. Other fears also infringe on Christian giving: “What if my 401K tanks out?” “What if my place of work goes bankrupt?” Instead of trusting God, and giving generously, they clench every single cent they get. They hoard, and store, and save for themselves far and above what is necessary. This may be done under the guise of “prudence” or “responsibility,” but more often, it boils down to plain old fear. They completely lack the courage to depend on God, so they accumulate cash and consumable possessions without showing trust to our Lord.
To counter those weak-willed thoughts, Isaiah 41:10 provides a comforting message. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” It is possible that Matthew 10:27-31 (ERV) records these words from Jesus that are even more comforting, “I tell you all this secretly, but I want you to tell it publicly. Whatever I tell you privately, you should shout for everyone to hear. “Don’t be afraid of people. They can kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is God, the one who can send the body and the soul to be destroyed in hell. When birds are sold, two small birds cost only a penny. But not even one of those little birds can die without your Father knowing it. God even knows how many hairs are on your head. So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than a whole flock of birds.”
Those are straightforward verses, for sure. Christian courage comes from the conviction that God is in control. No “ifs, and, or buts!” God loves us, and He is able to protect Christians and provide for us.
What about Jesus Himself? Here in the flesh, He knew the feelings of being worried with sorrow, dread, and apprehension of enduring His burden before and at the cross. On the night He was to be betrayed, though He was the God incarnate, he experienced emotional turmoil. His mind ruminated on the beatings and humiliation the new day would force upon him. Matthew, an eyewitness, reported a portion of His nightly prayer as being, “Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Just by looking around, it is evident that we are living in very troubled times. A mixed bag of diseases are sprouting, spurting, squirting new strains of COVID throughout the world. The economy, though inflating, seems to be teetering on the dark-edge of a massive supply shortage and impending recession. As the price of gasoline continues to rise, so does the cost of food and everything else the truckers, railways, ships, or air transports move and deliver. Inflation is driving the housing market out of the reach of many. More and more people are facing disastrous financial situations. The news overflows with shooting, looting, riots, and rapes. Just because you are a Christian, that does not make you invulnerable to the effects of all these calamities. Since we know who is the father of all lies and evil doings, these times call for more of us to strengthen our individual Christian courage and resolve to do all that we can for others in the name of Christ.
Our paths down life's road are usually quite unpredictable. Where we wander can get to be out-and-out scary sometimes. Daily stresses and challenges can often grind us wearily downward. Then if something astronomical happens—a job demotion or pay reduction, a paralyzing or devastating injury, an unexpected loss of a spouse or dear relative, or a breakup of an endearing friendship—“then Bam!” Our life is turned upside down and sideways. Suddenly, our uncertainties about our futures stir up fear and dread. Times like these, when our world is a mess, that's when a stronger faith in God should kick in at higher than normal levels.
Remember, the Bible is there for you to help you replenish your convictions and courage. The Bible is full of inspirational narratives of people who overcame frightening situations and rose above their circumstances. The people of the Old Testament had to endure much more than we have to today. I mean, when was the last time you saw ten plagues swirling all around the people that did not know the Lord? We can look to those that overcame man-made catastrophes and natural disasters and strengthen our resolve to overcome any dark times of our own.
For each of us, demonstrating Christian courage means finding the spiritual determination to subject ourselves to our own discomforts in bringing uplifting messages to those nearby. Courageous Christians know when to offer a hand up, or when all you said is failing—then let go and look to the Holy Spirit to fight the good fight for wayward souls.
Today, some of you may believe your courage is diminishing, as opposed to growing. You may think that you could never be brave enough to spread the Gospel to those dreaded beings—you know, those people who are practically strangers. Maybe you’re not ready to storm any castles or rescue any prisoners? You say you are too weak and really not willing to battle any of the devil's dark forces. In fact, you’d be happy if the forces of darkness would take a vacation and just leave you and yours peaceful and happy for a while.
Taking inventory, do you feel battered, bruised, and bloated? Do you want to retreat from the pains and aches your life is enduring? We all know what that’s like and most of us have felt that way at one time or another. Heavenly surrender might be beckoning, but is that God's personal plan for you—today? Is giving up or not speaking up for Christ examples of showing of Christian courage? I doubt it.
We know what it’s like to think to our self, “God is mistaken if he thought I was strong. I can't handle this by myself. He was wrong. I’m not strong. I’m not even close to being strong enough. If I had a white flag, I’d be waving it high on a stick. I don’t want to compete anymore, I just want out, out of these situations, out of this place.” We've been there too, but our walk is by faith, not by feelings. And God promises that He will never allow any trial into our lives that we can't handle. He and us, working together!
Greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. Listen to the words of Christ: “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Second Corinthians, 12:9-10, speaks to my heart when I read; “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Is that not a pair of beautiful verses?
God is in control. Let that be your foundation for Christian courage and all your godly actions. Know He has not been, nor ever will be, defeated. We can take courage in the knowledge He has not been defeated, or has not become distracted. His promise of love will never fail us. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will shout, rejoice! We belong to Him, and He to us. Hallelujah!
True, the ways of this evil world are confusing. Evildoers go unpunished or receive just slap on their hands. Sometimes the sinful seem to be rewarded beyond any expectation. All of those unjust happenings, and more, erodes the courage and conviction of individual Christians.
Many believers and unbelievers alike say they are prepared to sacrifice themselves for loved ones. But only the strongest Christians are motivated to offer their very best, out of pure kindness, to their fellow humans and out of their love for Jesus Christ. What is the most valuable to you, receiving the praises of mankind or being blessed for working for God, and speaking up for Christ? Stay steadfast. Hold tight to your Christian priorities and heighten your determination.
Here are some evangelism statistics we can peruse.
95% of all Christians have never attempted to influence a person to turn to Christ.
71% of all Christians do not donate toward the financing of the great Commission.
Less than 2% of all Christians are involved in the ministry of evangelism.
How does a sample of Church leadership fair? Here are two results.
49% of leadership spend zero time in an average week ministering outside of the church.
99% of the leadership believe that every Christian is commanded to preach the gospel to a lost world.
So, almost half of the Church leadership could qualify as being mighty hypocritical, wouldn't you say?
To counter the short falls among us all, Philippians 4:4-10 provides great inspiration. “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
In the name of Jesus, we pray for strength, courage, and the conviction we need to spread the Gospel. Amen!
The End.
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