Confidence in Courage

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””

~ Joshua 1:9

I'm not afraid to say I act cowardly, sometimes. Ironic, I know, but it's true. This acknowledgement may cost me my credibility but if my vulnerability causes Him to increase, let me decrease.

Some of my fears stem from wanting to be accepted. I think it's a natural fear because everyone wants to be liked. But a greater fear comes to mind which burdens me— the possibility of failing. Specifically, failing my father. The authors of the Holy Scriptures spend much ink on the importance of obeying parents and as a child, it must have gotten so threaded into my DNA that at times it hinders me from actually doing God's will. Not because they ask me to do something ungodly, but because the fear of letting them down stops me from passing through potential divine doors.

It reminds me of  the parable of the servants and their talents in Matthew 25. The last servant hid his master's talent in the ground (v. 25) rather than doubling it upon His master's return. He does this out of fear. He is afraid of his master's harshness. And instead of taking advantage of what his master had entrusted him with, he prefers to keep it safe. But in reality, he was covering up his laziness and wickedness. Is this not what deters us from ultimately obeying our heavenly Father? The fear of consequence or misadventure after taking that risk of faith.

To me, the fear of failure is a major player at not wanting to be wholly committed to the Lord, specifically, to do what He calls me to do. I know this because once that step is made, one's life drastically shifts. And perhaps the first step was done well, but who's to say the next step won't end up in disaster?

It takes a lot to be fearless. It takes a lot to stand up for what's right and to act upon God's will. But this is what God commanded Joshua and what He commands you to do.

The good news is that God did not just leave us without His help. He called us to be strong and courageous in light of the assurance that He will be present with us.

The latter portion of the verse reads, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. God has promised us that He will be present. He IS present. In fact, He wanted it to be so clear to us that He sent Jesus to be the evidence of His word. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). Jesus dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus unified Himself with us (John 17:22-23). And Jesus eternally promises this to us till the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

God knows we will falter, thus, He has given us His ultimate Helper, both His Son and His Holy Spirit (John 16:5-8) to aid us in this valiant endeavor. Every step of the way.

But in order to fully grasp the scope of this aid and to wholly accomplish what God has commanded of us, we must have faith. Hebrews 11:6 reads, "and without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." The courage and obedience that the men in Hebrews 11 possessed was not without faith. A total (though imperfect) dependence toward the invisible God of heaven who upon their voluntary stepping into a deeper faith received their glorious reward. We need to trust that God is faithful to His promises, especially because we cannot see it with our own eyes. Especially if it seems contrary to what this world would deem reasonable. Especially if every bone in your fleshy body responds otherwise, we are to trust that God is faithful. With every step.

Therefore, we must keep our hearts in check and our minds grounded in the Word. How do we differentiate God's voice over our own? How can we know that it is indeed God who has captivated our conscious and not our flesh? The psalmist of Pslam 119 responds with this, “By guarding it according to your word, (v.9)."

We know what God commands of us. He is even present to aid us. Will we take the charge and do the hard thing? To do the next right thing even if it costs us much? Ultimately, in the grand scheme of Redemptive History, nothing is too costly to follow God. And every step is not risk to our eternal reward regardless is in this world we are not recompensed or appreciated.

Slowly but surely I'm realizing this myself. I have much work to do. So pray for this author, that he may live with a clear conscience in boldness and zealously trusting in the Lord, every step of the way. Because it would be much better to step into the unknown and fail than to disobey He who knows all things and regret. May He establish my steps as He establishes yours (Proverbs 16:9).

To end this article, and in the spirit of Reformation Day a few weeks back, I would like conclude with the bravery of a certain German monk, who among other notable fellows before and after him, lit the world aflame with the blazing light of the Holy Scriptures, to which, because of them and God's Providence, we can carry the Word and read it in our own vulgar tongue. And though we live in different contexts than Martin Luther, may we not accept the authority of any creed or dogma that contradicts our Word-captivated conscious' and may we boldly live in that conviction. May we all strive to have just a speck of courage that is packed within this quotation:

"Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason-I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other-my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."

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