Sometimes we think we are the only ones who live in a world where we constantly face fear, frustration, and futility. But nothing could be further from the truth.
There is no way to grow out of the need to respond to the challenges of life, to compromise, do wrong, or demean ourselves. It’s a challenge, a temptation every day; a challenge that requires courage – everyday courage – the courage that you must have to be who you were created to be.
To illustrate this kind of everyday courage, we looked at the life of Joshua today; that great leader in training, a guy who for forty years stood in the shadow of the greatest leader ever known. And yet the day came; the phone call that he had dreaded: Moses was dead. You are now the president, the CEO, the leader. All of a sudden the leader’s job looked more daunting and terrifying than it had the day before.
Isn’t it true about life? It’s easy to look at people, to criticize and bring commentary on the way they live their lives and make decisions. But when it’s you or me in the cross hairs of leadership it’s a whole other story. Today we talked about courage in three ways.
- Sometimes you need the courage it takes to line up. By that I mean to actually get up and get into the game. It’s easy to criticize the football team or the basketball team or those who are doing their best when you are a spectator. But it’s when you become not just a participant but the one who leads the action, who’s responsible for the outcome, that life becomes a whole different thing. You were created to suit up, show up, and do the next right thing. Why has God gone to all the trouble it’s taken to create you, to give you birth and sustain your life if He didn’t have something very important and strategic for you to do? Question: Are you lining up? Are you on the playing field, suited up, ready to go?
- Courage requires that we look up. If you look within or around or behind, you’ll be dismayed. But if you look up, you’ll be inspired. God is with us. The Scriptures tell us He will never leave us or forsake us. As He promised to be with Moses, so He promised to be with Joshua, so He promises to be with each one of us if we open our hearts and invite Him in.
- At all times courage means that we listen up. We need to listen to what God says is right and wrong. We often think we need to hear the voice of God when in truth we’ve already heard it. We have Ten Commandments, many promises, and even warnings; things to stay away from, things that God hates, and things that God loves. And the truth is, if we obey Him, if we listen to His word, and we line up our lives behind His truth, and look up to Him for divine help and strength, the Scriptures promise that our life will be a success.
If you feel like a failure, if you feel like your life isn’t going anywhere, if you feel like God is a million miles away, maybe you need to line up, look up, and listen up. Just these three simple decisions could save your life forever.