What does the word ‘courageous’ make you think of? Maybe the picture in your mind is of someone in a war zone, or battling cancer. Or the emergency services rescuing someone from a dangerous situation. And it’s true, all these things take an immense amount of bravery. What probably doesn't come to mind are the small, simple, quiet acts of courage that we don’t notice, or that happen in secret. Like someone having the strength to say ‘no’ when a friend tries to pressure them into doing something wrong. Or tackling a mountain of work that’s been building up for days/weeks/months. Some people might feel that it takes them almost as much courage to stand up and give a presentation in front of others as it does for a firefighter to run into a burning building. Life’s full of all kinds of fear-inducing situations, and left unchecked, fear grows and steals our inner peace. But in those times when fear’s nipping at our heels, God says, ‘Be strong and courageous’ (Joshua 1:9 NIV). Psalm 27 has some great advice about drawing on God for courage when we need it. In verse 4, the psalmist says: ‘One thing I ask from the LORD...that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple (NIV). So one thing we can do is fix our focus on God, keeping by His side and remembering that He won’t let us take on more than we’re capable of. Psalm 27:1 sums it up: ‘The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?’ (NIV). In other words, when we’re walking with God and trusting Him, we’ve absolutely no need to be afraid - fear can’t touch us when God’s around.

What now?
What’s one thing that’s chipping away at your peace of mind today? Take it to God. Ask Him to give you the courage to face it.