May 13, 2005
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
--Romans 8:31
Every leader must have courage. To be a leader means to face off with trials, stand up when tested, prove true through conflict, and stay the course trusted. I heard about a guy who showed up at the pearly gates of Heaven. Simon Peter said to him, “What do you have to commend you to this place?”
The fellow responded, “Well, I can’t think of a whole lot except one thing. One day I saw a lady in trouble. She was being attacked by a motorcycle gang. They were rough and tough. So I went in and saved the woman! I ripped her out of the arms of this big burly man. He was the ugliest, meanest looking man I’d ever seen. I punched him right in the face, tackled him, and held him down. Then, I jerked the nose ring right out of his nose and saved the poor damsel in distress!”
Simon Peter said, “Really? When did that happen?”
The man replied, “Just a couple of minutes ago.”
It’s one thing to have courage and it’s another to be foolhardy in life and work. I once heard that courage is a brave way to be scared. And it was Douglas MacArthur who said: “Last but by no means least, moral courage is the courage of one’s convictions, the courage to see things through. The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It is the age-old struggle, the roar of the crowd on one side and the voice of conscience on the other.”
It is courage that sets us apart and it takes courage to lead today. One of the most courageous persons in the Bible would have to be King David. Because of David’s convictions and his commitment to God, he gathered up courage, went to battle against the giant Goliath, defeated him, and overcame the great enemy of the Israelites at the time.
David knew God and had a big heart for Him. When you know God, you have courage to face the conflicts and difficulties of life. Your courage will build when you face your fears, when your convictions outgrow your comforts, when you begin to understand that the risk of failure is of lesser consequence than the risk of a missed opportunity, and when you realize the benefits of the cost or risk of leadership. God will never leave or forsake you. Ask Him to give you courage in your walk with Him, so that you can become the next great leader (see Deuteronomy 31:6).
YOU WILL HAVE COURAGE WHEN YOU KNOW WHO GOD IS,
TRUST HIM COMPLETELY, AND ALLOW HIM TO BE LORD OF YOUR LIFE.