Courage

Courage

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

ONE MORNING as we were getting ready for a church service, my daughter came into our room and told me she had a song to sing for us. After she sang, she wondered if she could sing it at our church service.

As we walked into the sanctuary, she walked over to our pastor shyly, showed him her song, and asked if it’d be all right. Of course he agreed. As the worship portion of the service ended, Pastor Carl called Jasmine up on the stage, where she courageously shared the song she’d written and then felt led to share with others.

As we were driving home, I told her the thing I was most proud of was not how well she sang but that she had the courage to listen to what she believed God had asked her to do. I was proud that when God asked her to share her heart with others, she was obedient to do it, even though she was a little bit afraid. I finished by stating, “I’m not so concerned with how well you do, but that you’re just willing to try.”

Since then I’ve been thinking about my own life. How often have I said no because I was afraid? Because I was too scared to try? My daughter’s courage reminded me of my own desire to want to always say yes to God, even when it comes to scary things, even hard things.

Maybe you, too, have struggled with saying yes to something because of fear or doubt or disbelief. Maybe you’ve given up on dreams you once had because it just seemed too big or too far out of reach. I wonder what would happen if we began to dream once again, began to say yes to things that once scared us—what would happen in our lives? And more importantly, what would happen in our faith? Maybe this is the time God would say to each of us: I’m not so concerned with how well you do, I just care that you’re willing to try.

Lord, help us to have courage today to do the things you ask us to do. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: What old or new dream is God asking you to courageously take one action step toward today?