Courage

Would call yourself courageous? What obstacles, frustrations, trials or setbacks are you currently facing? Do you face them with confidence or fear or try to avoid them altogether? Yes and no...right? At times we face our fears, at times we crumble under pressure or wear down under some unpleasant set of circumstances. We whine and worry and complain and collapse. Then, at other times, we face the fear or problem learn from it, grow from it, stand up and move forward with confidence. Sometimes its easy to think that courage is for the extraordinary situations in life...when really courage is something we can exercise every day. Little problems try to drag us down. Temptations wear at us and caving to them is all too easy to justify. It's easy to do and say the thing that pleases self and displeases God. Every day in this sinful, messed up world we are called on to be courageous, to live fearlessly for the God who entered our sinful world and courageously lived perfectly in our place and sacrificed himself to satisfy our deepest, eternal need--forgiveness. He is the source of the courage we need every day. His promises help us to face every obstacle, every frustration, every problem with an eternal perspective and a sense of true peace.

The main character in my book needs tons of courage. He faces loneliness, rejection, and being misunderstood. He faces physical violence and must deal first hand with the horror of ancient warfare. Most of all he will have to face his own demons, his own issues, his own fears through it all. It will take courage...a courage that he cannot manufacture on his own or fake. It will take courage that only comes from his Savior-God. It will take him time to grow in that truth. May we all grow in that truth and face our problems (no matter how small and annoying or complex and seemingly overwhelming) with that special brand of courage and that eternal perspective that only God can supply.