Courageous

I believe what God says is true! I believe what God does is right! I believe God! Courage is not usually needed when you are doing your laundry. You don’t typically muster up courage when brushing your teeth. It’s not a character trait necessary for those who are simply hugging a friend. Courage is required when facing challenges that both scare and intimidate you to your core.

My life has been study in courage lately because my family has had to weather some storms that have tested our resolve. It’s a brave thing to willingly leave the corporate arena during a recession. It’s a brave thing to write a book in the hopes that people would purchase, read and value it. It’s even brave to have a wife apply to one of the most expensive PhD programs in the country. It’s especially brave to believe God for the healing of you child in spite of their diagnosis. But, these things have been level one, for where we are. Now, our hearts are being checked by the lack that comes with those decisions and it’s taking a lot of determination to stay on course.

This is in no way a pity party or a gripe session, because I am proud to say that we have held fast to what we believe God is doing in our lives. It’s moments like these that show who you really are, and I thank God that we are showing ourselves to be the real deal. I say that because although we’d liked to think we are strong and faith filled, often that thought is untested.

The enduring image that I have latched onto comes from Matthew 14:25-31, “Between three and six o’clock in the morning, he came to them. He was walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and began to scream because they were afraid. Immediately, Jesus said, “Calm down! It’s me. Don’t be afraid! ”Peter answered, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he noticed how strong the wind was, he became afraid and started to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out, caught hold of him, and said, “You have so little faith! Why did you doubt?

I think so many people have make the moral of the story is Peter’s doubt. I think the moral of the story is that we should trust God to do the miraculous in our lives. Peter was the only one willing to get out of the boat. He was not content watching the miracle, but he wanted to experience it for himself. Even when he took his eyes off of Jesus, Peter was then helped up. It takes courage to step out onto unsteady ground to meet the son of God! That has been the thought that has sustained my family during the tough times.

I don’t know what you are wrestling with in your life, but take a chance, not on yourself but on Christ’s power in you. That takes great courage, but it also makes you his responsibility to keep safe. It’s out on the water where you no longer watch God work, but you get to be apart of it. I am not encouraging you to live recklessly, but to trust God to lead you into your destiny. That is living a Courageous Life!