Jesus said, ‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ It takes courage to face a painful reality. It’s easier to bail out of a troubled situation than to stay and work your way through to a better place. It’s easier to give in to despair and self-pity than to treat a setback as a learning opportunity and start again. It takes guts to stand up for your convictions when you’re under fire. But somebody once said, ‘Unless you stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.’ The truth is, whenever you’re willing to stand for something or try something new, somebody will take a shot at you.

The English word courage is related to the French word cœur, meaning ‘heart’. Hence the phrase ‘don’t lose heart’. It’s easy to be brave when we’re feeling strong, but it’s much harder when we're feeling weak and inadequate. But that’s exactly the time when we need courage the most. General Omar Bradley said, ‘Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.’ The courage he's talking about isn’t a hollow, ‘fake it till you make it’ mindset. Courage means saying, ‘If God promised it, I believe it’ and choosing to move forwards despite the obstacles.

If you need an injection of courage today, read and think about these verses: 1) ‘Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded’ (2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV). 2) ‘Energise the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees. Tell fearful souls, “Courage! Take heart! God is here, right here, on his way to put things right and redress all wrongs. He’s on his way! He’ll save you!”’ (Isaiah 35:3-4 MSG). 

What Now?

Make yourself a list of Bible verses that help restore your courage and remind you that you can trust God completely. Whenever you’re feeling weak and need a bravery boost, go back to your list and lean on God and His Word for your strength.