Be encouraged!

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous... Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:6-9

 
Consider this dictionary definition of courage:

Courage: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

See anything wrong with it? I learned long ago that courage is only exercised in the presence of fear. Here’s my definition:

Courage: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, fear, etc., and still act; bravery.

Do you see the difference? Courage isn’t acting without fear... it’s acting in spite of fear. This little distinction is the key to being a courageous person.

 
If you are pressing into what God has for you fear doesn’t go away... it’s ever present, almost a companion. Even so, you do what you know you have to do. You do your job... you face criticism... you climb that mountain... you stand before the judge... you confront your boss... you have that baby... you sign up for college... you prophecy in church... you take up your cross... you [fill in the blank].

Courage isn’t just being bold; courage must be exercised with wisdom. Being bold (as the penquin above apparently is) isn’t necessarily the best course of action. Courage must be combined with common sense, skill, training, and being quick on your feet, so to speak: courage demands resourcefulness. Being courageous forces you to dig deep and find things within yourself you never knew were there.

I learned a lot about conquering fear by climbing mountains. Most people think that climbing a mountain is 90% physical and 10% mental. In reality it’s the other way around. You quickly learn that a ten foot fall will kill you just as dead as a one thousand foot fall. (Isn’t that encouraging?) That little piece of logic helped me conquer my fear of heights.

Look at this list of fears. This list represents some of the reasons people don’t accomplish their goals:

Fear of:

• failure
• embarrassment
• rejection
• ridicule
• fear (yes, there is a fear of fear)
• success (yes, there is a fear of success)

Everyone faces their fears: some face their fears and quit and some face their fears and act in spite of them. Successful people courageously do things they’re afraid to do.

Christian, never forget these words. Make them your own:

“Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."