COURAGE noun | cour·age | /ˈkərij/

1. the ability to do something that frightens one
2. mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

In October of 2017, my friend and I were sitting at the dining room table talking about how a year had gone by since a certain event had happened. I was shook thinking that a year had gone by so quickly. I mean, I was seriously disturbed.All at once I thought, “OMG, what have I done in that time? I didn’t get my health and/or weight in check, I am still at the same job, I haven’t started the things I wanted to start – needed to start. WHERE DID THE TIME GO?!

Over the next few days, I had spent some time in prayer and some time in quiet and was led to write several goals to be achieved by the end of 2018. Something about writing it down, makes it so real and attainable.

I wrote down 9 things and the first one was, “kick fear’s butt!“. Now, I am not saying that I live everyday and every moment scared and fearful. No, not at all. I am bold and courageous quite often in many areas of my life. But I will admit that there are some things that keep getting postponed for fear of failure…or fear that I will mess it up. It’s time to get over that! The enemy will use fear to try to keep you from fulfilling God’s plan. It’s time to have courage and do it in spite of those fears… even those things. God wants so much more from me and has so much more for me to do!

When I think of courage, I think of Joshua…’After the death of Moses the Lord ’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 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.”’ -Joshua 1:1-9

I imagine that there may have been some level of fear when the Lord God told Joshua what he wanted him to do. That’s a pretty big job! But the Lord assures Joshua that the promises of Moses are promised to him as well. He tells him that no one will be able to stand against him, that the Lord will be with him, will not fail or abandon him and tells him to “be strong and courageous” 3 times; the last time commanding him to be strong and courageous, and to not be afraid or discouraged because the Lord will be with him everywhere he goes.

I too hear that same voice speaking to me to ‘be strong and courageous because my time has come’. And I will rest in His promises to protect me, lead me, guide me. I will study the Word and meditate on it day and night. I will prosper and succeed in everything I do.

I am strong and courageous because God is with me! And I am kicking fear’s butt!

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.”’ -Joshua 1:9

I believe we all have defining moments in our lives. Moments of hurt, abandonment, humiliation, loss, sickness, abuse, defeat etc. Some of these moments just happen on their own, sometimes people do bad things to us or to our family/friends and some of them are a result of a choice that we made. Either way, they happen. And if you have yet to experience one of these…honey, just keep on living.

Even though there are bad things that happen to us, it’s what we do next that that will have the most impact.

 

Batman was one of the first movies I remember seeing as a child.

Before there was a ‘Batman’, there was a little boy named Bruce Wayne. One night something terrible happens, his parents are killed. This horrific event becomes a defining moment for Bruce.

We can choose live in our pain, wallow in the hurt OR we take that pain and use it to fuel our purpose.

Bruce decided to take that pain and position himself in order to help others. Yes he was rich, but richness is not his superpower. His superpower was his courage, his determination, his desire for justice, his compassion. He is just a regular man that made a decision to not become defeated by what happened to him, but instead to use it as fuel to help others.

Sometimes we may not be able to actually do anything except choose the attitude that we have about it and during it. And even choosing to be at peace or be happy when facing some of the most difficult trials can impact someone’s life and give them hope and strength.

There is a question that Bruce’s father asks and answers, “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up”.  If something in life knocks you down… you can choose to stay down OR you can pick yourself right back up, dust it off and come back from it. Yes, you can!

I simply cannot tell a story without thinking of an example from the Word

So….this reminds me of Joseph. His brothers really had it out for him. They were jealous and became mad because their father favored Joseph. Their jealousy caused them to plot against their brother and sell him into slavery. (Genesis 37)

Jealousy is dangerous y’all! 

So Joseph gets sold to a man named Potiphar who was an officer to Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt. The Bible says that the Lord was with Joseph in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:2). Potiphar noticed that the Lord was giving Joseph success and put him in charge of his entire household. Okaaaay! *snaps fingers* Then, Potiphar’s wife…well, she acted a fool, lied and got Joseph thrown into prison. First slavery, now prison…and for something he didn’t even do.  (Ever feel like when things are just beginning to get better, something else bad happens? Don’t give up!)  But even in prison, the Lord made him the favorite with the prison warden. Again, okaaay! Next thing you know, Joseph is in charge of the prison! (Genesis 39)

I just want to say that even in the midst of our trials, God is still blessing us! (don’t miss it focusing on the negatives) Ok, back to the story…

Years later (yes, years in jail for something he didn’t do) Joseph stood before the Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, and interpreted the Pharaoh’s dreams. The Pharaoh saw God in Joseph and then BOOM, the Pharaoh says in Genesis 41:40, “You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting my throne, will have a rank higher than yours”.  Then Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of ALL of Egypt! YES! Just like that!

Oh, it gets better…

An extremely long famine soon ravishes the land (the dream that Joseph interpreted), and Egypt is the only place that has food. Due to the Lord blessing Joseph with the gift of interpreting dreams, the Pharaoh was prepared for the famine. So, Joseph’s brothers have to come to Egypt during the famine to buy food. And who do you think they have to ask for that food? RIGHT, Joseph! But they don’t even recognize him until Joseph reveals his identity to them. Can you imagine what the brothers must have felt, bowing down to the same brother they tried to wipe out?! For sure, Joseph would have the best revenge, right? WRONG; he blesses them! He explains that God sent him ahead of them (in this time of famine) to preserve their lives.

Yes, God allowed Joseph to face all of these trials, to save them. Someone is thinking, why could He just save them…Well, God’s ways are not like ours -Isaiah 55:8-9. God doesn’t say we won’t have trials, but that He will be with us in them -Isaiah 43:2. If He would have ‘just saved them’ we would not be able to see His Glory. We would not be able to see how even in the midst of hard times that the Lord is with us, protects us, shows us favor, causes us to succeed, promotes us; that when we are down to nothing, He is up to something; that He is kind and helps us to forgive when we are wronged; that He blesses us and blesses those around us; that He shows compassion even to those who don’t deserve it; He is a provider and He is a deliverer! I could go ONNNN because God is just that good. But God does things HIS WAY, and I’m ok with that! 

Ok, now….so then, Pharaoh blesses Joseph and his entire family (70+ people)! And Joseph, in his position of authority, saves the lives of the people of Egypt too.  (Joseph’s story is in Genesis 37-50)

When we face trials, we often get stuck focusing on the negatives and start the “woes”.  Oh, woe is me! This happened to me and that happened to me. But how often do we ask God to help us in that moment? To ask him why, not as an attempt to place blame, but truly seeking understanding of His will in our lives. That’s right, His will.  It’s not about us folks.

Joseph’s brothers tried to take him out…but God had other plans. Hallelujah! And He has a plan for you too, no matter what it looks like.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20 NLT

You may feel like the hardships you’re facing are trying to take you out. But I want to tell you today that the things you feel may be pulling you back, are actually just positioning you to saves lives, to change lives, to encourage someone, to make a difference! You, yes even you. 

What are your trials leading you to?

Be encouraged.

 

I gave you my best and you just walked all over me!?!

Man o man, haven’t we all been here at least once in our lives? It truly hurts my heart to see people give something so precious only for it to be unappreciated. I don’t think that we consciously decide to give our best to someone who doesn’t care.  But somewhere along the way, we forget to check out who is on the receiving end.

It seems like more and more I am hearing stories about broken hearts and unmet expectations. Both women and men giving their very best in relationships only for it not to be appreciated or reciprocated. Instead of returning all of the special effort, they just take and take with so much as an empty thank you… if you get one at all. Or how about that job. Yeah, the job. You spend more of your time at work than you do anywhere else, give your very best and more, only to have more work piled on your desk and told that you need to do more! You start to feel like, maybe I’m just not good enough.  Maybe I’m not pretty enough or handsome enough, smart enough, fast enough. Maybe, my best isn’t enough.  Enough! YOU ARE ENOUGH!

YOU ARE ENOUGH!

As I thought about this, in my life and in the lives of others, I was reminded of a scripture. “Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls in front of pigs. They will stomp on the pearls, then turn around and attack you.” -Matthew 7:6 CEB

Just before this verse, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was instructing the crowd about judging others and not to be a hypocrite. ‘First get rid of the log in our own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye’ (Matthew 7:5). But then, Jesus shows us the difference between judgement and discernment (spiritual direction and understanding). The very next thing He says is, “Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls in front of pigs. They will stomp on the pearls, then turn around and attack you.” He uses dogs and pigs to describe people who will mock and dismiss the Word of God.

Even though there will be people who will mock and dismiss the Word, doesn’t mean we should stop telling it. If they don’t receive what you have to say, leave…and shake the dust off (Matthew 10:14). Move on. We are held accountable for sharing the Word; they are held accountable to how they respond.

In that same way, we should still be prepared to share our best… Be loving and kind, funny, caring, thoughtful etc. Be you. And use discernment when looking at who is on the receiving end. And if they mock you and show you who they are…MOVE ON. You cannot make someone accept your best. A pig cannot appreciate a pearl.

A pig cannot appreciate a pearl.