Cultivating Courage: Day 1

Two weeks ago, I watched Charles Stanley’s broadcast of the sermon A Collapse of Courage. Most people who know of Israel’s plight to enter into the Promised Land would be aware of the incident where Moses sent the twelve spies into the land. Ten came back and reported that they could not take the land while Joshua and Caleb reported that they could. Please read the account in Numbers 13. The ten based their belief on what they saw the strength of the people, the fortification of cities and the size of the people. Conversely, the two, Joshua and Caleb, based their belief on what God had said i.e. His promise.

When they reported back from the land, it was before Moses, Aaron and the entire Israelite community. Think of the courage that Joshua and Caleb had to have in the face of the wave of people in the community who believed the ten. Have you ever had to stand in opposition of the crowd based solely on the Word of God? Have you had a collapse of courage like the ten who based their belief on what they saw? We know that 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells the follower of Christ “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

It is in that mandate that we learn the key to avoid A Collapse of Courage. When I listened to the sermon, God told me that was fine, but Darron I don’t want you to be so concerned about a collapse of courage. I want you to focus on Cultivating Courage. God wanted me to be aggressive and offensive in the courage battle field.

What is courage? How do we get it or demonstrate it?

Dictionary.com defines courage as the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc.

Merriam-Webster defines courage as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

Charles Stanley defined courage as the quality of mind or spirit enabling us to see danger, face opposition, or the challenges of life with fearlessness, calmness and firmness.

Courage is doing what you are afraid to do.
Courage is fear that has said it’s prayer.
Courage is fear that holds on one more minute. Gen. Patton

How do we get it? It is really not something to be obtained for the follower of Jesus Christ. It has already been granted. Courage, as Joshua and Caleb demonstrated, it expressing faith in the person of God, His character, the Power of God, His sovereignty and ability, the Promises of God, what God has told the people of God what He will do for them and the fact that as a believer in Jesus Christ, you are a child of God i.e. the people of God.

Over the next days, I will share one verse that illustrates, demonstrates, shows how we are to Cultivate Courage. To cultivate means to promote/foster or improve the growth of (plant, crop, faith, etc) by labor and attention or education and training. Is our faith in Christ important enough for us to labor and train ourselves to believe Him rather than our feelings, our friends and even our foes?

Remember, Courage is the quality of mind or spirit enabling us to see danger, face opposition, or the challenges of life with fearlessness, calmness and firmness. In Numbers 13:30, ^“Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (NIV) “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” (NASB)

Let’s learn to face the challenges we know we will encounter not with the absence fear but in spite of it through our faith in Christ Jesus.