Be of Good Courage

August 13, 2019

A compilation

Bravery is daring and doing, courage is friendly and welcoming. Find ways to make friends with courage. To “befriend” literally means making an effort to “become friends.” Imagine what it would be like to have courage as a friend who walks beside you at all times; a friend who never nags, never pushes, but simply places a gentle hand on your back and whispers words of encouragement, helping you take the next step, and the next. With courage by your side, you are able to go on, to walk through your days and do the next right thing.

Cultivate a relationship with courage every day. Each morning, welcome courage. Before you rise, say your favorite quote on courage out loud. Maybe it is the Serenity Prayer, borrowed from Alcoholics Anonymous, and one of my favorites: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Or maybe there’s another that you especially like. If you want, write down your favorite quotes on courage and put them on your fridge, dashboard, mirror, or computer at work. This will help you keep courage close, all day long.

Look for simple ways to give voice to courage throughout the day. Maybe it is simply having the gumption to get out of bed. But maybe it’s the courage to share how you feel about your loss with a co-worker or friend, or to walk through the doors of a support group. It could simply be making a phone call you’ve been putting off, writing a thank-you to someone, going to church alone, or finding the backbone to be honest with yourself about something you fear. … Congratulate yourself on welcoming courage, regardless of its size or reach.—Dr. Alan Wolfelt¹

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In the Bible, courage is also called “good cheer” as in Mark 6:50 when Jesus gave the command to the disciples who saw Him walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee and coming toward them. The Greek word translated “courage” and “good cheer” means literally “boldness and confidence.” In the Bible, courage is the opposite of fear. When God commands us to fear not, to be of good cheer, and to have courage, He is always commanding against fear, which is the opposite of courage.

But God doesn’t simply command courage with no reason behind it. In nearly every incident where God says “fear not,” there follows a reason to have courage, and that reason is God Himself, His nature and His perfect plans. When God calms Abram’s fears after his battle with the kings of Sodom, the captivity of Lot and his rescue, God says, “Fear not, [for] I am your shield.”² When Hagar was despairing for her life and that of her child in the wilderness, the angel of the Lord tells her, “Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.”³ God’s promise to the Israelites in Isaiah 41:13 is similar: “Fear not [for] … I am the One who helps you.” In each incident, we see God commanding courage, not because it is natural for man to be brave and courageous, but because, when God is protecting and guiding us, we can have courage because we are confident in Him.

In the New Testament, we see the angel of the Lord telling Mary to have courage to face the trial of being pregnant with Jesus by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, despite having no husband. Again, the reason for her courage is that the almighty God controls all things: “Do not fear … for you have found favor with God.”⁴ The shepherds are similarly commanded to be of good cheer and have courage by the angel who brought good tidings of great joy,⁵ and Zacharias was told not to fear, for his prayer had been heard.⁶ In each incident, the courage commanded is the result of understanding the foreknowledge and sovereignty of God, whose plans and purposes cannot be thwarted and whose omnipotence makes every circumstance of life subservient to His will.

God’s promises to us have the same rationale. We can be confident, courageous, and of good cheer because of Him. “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.”⁷ Here is the promise of God’s superintending care for us, a care that is absent from the lives of those who reject Him. But for those who have placed their faith in Christ for salvation, we are to have no fear because “it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”⁸ In this great promise lies the basis of our confidence, our courage, and our good cheer.—From gotquestions.org⁹

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I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.—Nelson Mandela

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The Bible is chock-full of verses about fear. One of my favorites is Isaiah 26:3:

You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts You.¹⁰

This verse is kind of an “action” verse. It has an if-then clause in it. God will give you perfect peace if you choose to keep your trust in Him. That can be easier said than done when you are in a situation that is causing you to fear.

It comes more naturally to me to play those freaky “movies” in my head about how awful something is going to be rather than focusing on God’s power and receiving His peace. But it’s important to remember that fear is NOT of God.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.¹¹

Fear can make you feel weak and helpless, but God doesn’t want you to feel that way. He wants you to feel empowered, loved, and “clear in your head,” as I put it—not tormented, disturbed, and incapable.

And, finally, my favorite verse for days when I just can’t even begin to figure out how to make top and bottom of my fears:

I sought the Lord, and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.¹²

I love that verse! It’s a grateful proclamation of what God has done for someone who was troubled and bound by fear.

Facing your fears is an ongoing part of life. Some fears are reasonable and others are obviously irrational, but any kind of fear can hold you hostage.

The good news is, each and every fear has an antidote, and in every case it’s going to begin with focusing on God’s love and care for you.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.¹³

If you are dealing with some form of fear in your life, realize that you do not need to be bound by that fear. Remember that God loves you, that He wants you to be happy, to thrive and to prosper. And then, face your fears.

If fear is holding you back, remember that the only power fear has is the power that you allow it to have. You probably won’t overcome all your fears in one day, or perhaps even in your lifetime, but each time you confront a fear and take a small step to overcome it, you are one step closer to that fear having no power over you.—Mara Hodler

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Yesterday, the sea was calm. You promised yourself that you would sail out into the open waters, and that nothing would stop you. Your heart was ready; your courage at its peak. Your hands gripped the vessel’s helm and the gentle breeze calmed your spirit. You steered forward.

But today ... it seems as though the darkness of last night prevailed. Rain lashes at your ship. Towering waves roll before you. The fog obstructs your vision so you cannot see beyond your bow. But you don’t need to see. You just know that something spurs you onward—the same thing that gave you such peace yesterday.

That thing called faith, a belief in what you cannot see. It anticipated and rose to this challenge. It tells you that the sun will eventually break through those murky clouds. That knowledge buoys your spirit and guides you. It makes a perfect composition—the sky above, the ocean below, you in the center. You’re safe there, with your faith.—Nyx Martinez

Published on Anchor August 2019. Read by Jon Marc. Music by John Listen.

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