Courage: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty
Courage is something I've always struggled with. By nature I am not a risk taker. I do not attempt things if I have any doubt I will not succeed. This is probably why I gravitate towards people who seemingly have lots of courage because they take risks and do not let the fear of failure dictate what they will attempt. I am encouraged by their success. To encourage someone is to say and do things that will give them the confidence they need to at least try to do the thing they are afraid to do.
When Jesus told his disciples to "Take courage. Do not be afraid," (Matthew 14:27) in response to their terror upon seeing him walk across the water, He was telling them to be "bold." The definition for bold is "confident and courageous."
I have stepped out of my comfort zone a few times, however. This was because others encouraged me either directly or indirectly. This is one reason Christians are told not to neglect meeting together. It's for the purpose of encouraging one another! (Hebrews 10:25)
Exploring this topic has led me to 2 Corinthians 10:1: "By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who was "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold toward you when away!"
This is encouraging to me because even though Paul was timid when face to face with people, like me, he could be bold in his letters. God continues to use him to spread the Gospel today through his letters! God needs speakers, writers, AND doers to carry His message of love and forgiveness.
I want to encourage you to be bold in the Lord....to take the first step that He is calling you to take. It may not be in a way that the world expects of you, so listen carefully to the desires of your heart. If Christ is the desire of your heart, you can be confident that He will give you Himself. Through and by Him you can do anything!
Lord, placing my confidence in You is the key to receiving the Kingdom of God. It is there that all fear is cast out and enables me to be bold in being who you designed me to be.
Link to scripture: Mark 10:27
Take Action: Bold Faith
Dear friend - great post on courage. In today's world it seems like stepping out and practicing our faith takes a lot more of this virtue than it has in the past. So true that we need each other to keep us encouraged in our faith. Thank you for being courageous enough to write this post and share your faith. Have a wonderful weekend - Hugs!
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