Question 1

How do I find the courage to stand firm in my convictions?

Accepted Answer

Daniel 3:14-18Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”Esther 3:2All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.Courage to stand firm in your convictions comes from understanding where your true loyalties lie. If you are more concerned about what others think than about what God thinks, you will find yourself lacking courage and wavering in your faith.Joshua 1:9“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.”Courage comes from remembering that God is with you.

Question 2

Where do I get the courage to go on when life seems too hard or obstacles too big?

Accepted Answer

Deuteronomy 20:1“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!”Joshua 1:9“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.”Psalm 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?Isaiah 41:10“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”In life, you will probably find yourself in some scary situations—mortal danger, extreme stress, major illness, money issues, or any number of problems. True courage comes from understanding that God is stronger than your biggest problem or strongest enemy, and he wants you to use his power to help you. Courage is not misplaced confidence in your own strength, but well-placed confidence in God’s strength. Fear comes from feeling alone against a great threat. Courage comes from knowing God is beside you helping you fight the threat. To stay courageous, focus more on his presence and less on the problem.Numbers 14:6-9Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! . . . Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”Fear is part of life. You can’t completely escape the emotion of fear, but you can learn to manage it so that it doesn’t control you. Joshua and Caleb had courage fueled by the promise of God that he was greater than any enemy or problem they faced.

Question 3

Will God take away the things that frighten me?

Accepted Answer

Acts 4:24, 29-31When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: . . . “O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.The early church was constantly threatened by religious persecution. The believers did not pray for the threats to end; instead, they prayed for the courage to face them. Sometimes God will remove the things that frighten you. But often, the Holy Spirit gives you the boldness to turn those threats into opportunities for spiritual growth and for declaring your faith.John 16:33“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”Hope helps you see beyond the immediate crisis. As believers, our hope, in life and in death, is in the victory of Jesus.

Question 4

How do I find the courage to face change?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 46:3-4“I am God, the God of your father,” the voice said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation. I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again. You will die in Egypt, but Joseph will be with you to close your eyes.”Jeremiah 29:11“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”Change may be part of God’s plan for you. If so, what you are headed into will give you joy and satisfaction beyond your expectations. Remember, the greatest advances in life often come through change and challenges.Exodus 4:13Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”Moses was so afraid of God’s call that he begged God to choose someone else. To lead the people out of Egypt was a change beyond what Moses could comprehend for his life. God did send him someone to help him but did not change his call on Moses’ life. Fear of change is normal. To be paralyzed by fear, however, can be an indication that you doubt God’s ability to care for you in the face of change.

Question 5

How do I find courage to face those who criticize, intimidate, or threaten me?

Accepted Answer

1 Samuel 17:32-37“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”Psalm 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?Luke 12:4“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.”1 John 4:4You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.You find courage to face difficult people by trusting God’s promises to you. He tells you not to be afraid. Remember, like David with Goliath, that God is bigger and more powerful than any threat you may face. Recall your past experiences of God’s faithfulness.Judges 6:14-16Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”Remember that when you face difficult people, courage comes neither from your qualifications nor credentials, but from the promise of God’s presence and power. He will give you the right words to say and the right actions to take.

Question 6

How do I find the courage to admit my mistakes?

Accepted Answer

2 Samuel 12:13Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.”To admit your mistakes and sins is to open the door to forgiveness and restoration of relationships. It takes courage to do that because you have to swallow your pride. However, the alternative—hiding your mistakes and sins—is planting them to grow a bigger harvest of consequences tomorrow.James 5:16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.You can have courage to admit your mistakes when you understand the healing that can result.1 John 1:9If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.You can have the courage to admit your sins to God because he promises to forgive you.

Question 7

How do I find the courage to face my own death?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 23:4Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.Luke 12:4“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.”You can have the courage to face death when you realize that eternal life begins the moment you die on earth. God walks with you through that dark valley.1 Corinthians 15:54“Death is swallowed up in victory.”You can have the courage to face death because of the assurance that Jesus has won the victory over death. Jesus’ death and resurrection prove he has the power to do the same for you if you believe in him.

Question 8

Are there consequences to a lack of courage?

Accepted Answer

Luke 23:13-25Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. . . . So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.” Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” . . . Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death.” . . . But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.Pilate knew Jesus had done nothing worthy of death, but because he was afraid of the crowd and afraid for his official position, he caved and sent Jesus to his death. Standing up for what is right may get you in trouble with corrupt people, but it is ultimately worse to lose integrity and act against your conscience, doing wrong because you lack courage.

Question 9

Are there models of courage that can inspire me?

Accepted Answer

Hebrews 12:1-3Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.Courage comes from keeping your eyes on Jesus and following him. While his presence is your greatest encouragement, you also have the courageous examples of those who have gone before you (read Hebrews 11). Above all, you gain great strength when you meditate on Jesus’ courage. He showed that looking to your eternal reward gets you through the worst trials.