When you need a little courage...

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear- Nelson Mandela

We all need a little courage from time to time.  Courage helps us get over the hump, to go from one level to the next.  One of my daily prayers is, God give me the wisdom to know what to do, and the courage to do it.  But how do you find courage, when all you seem to possess is fear?  

There's a biblical character named Gideon whose story perfectly describes the role that courage plays in pursuing our life's purpose.  It's told in the Old Testament book of Judges.  For a quick background, Gideon's story takes place in a difficult time in Israel's history.  His people were currently under siege by the Midianites, a neighboring group, and daily Gideon and his people lived in fear of being attacked by the more powerful warriors.  Enter Gideon, whose challenge it was to obtain food for his family.  Gideon encountered God as he was resourcefully trying to provide for his family, hidden from view of the enemy.  This is where the story picks up with a few quotes that demonstrate the building of Gideon's courage:

Mighty hero, the Lord is with you.  These are the first words God spoke to Gideon.  Imagine, you consider yourself the runt of the family, insignificant and incapable, and here God comes and calls you something beyond the scope of your vision.  How are we supposed to live up to this?

If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us...This is Gideon's initial response.  Not simply doubt expressed in a question, but actual questioning of God's intention, his love.  Notice there's no fire and brimstone here, no retribution for questioning God.  Gideon had some serious doubts, and God, knowing who he was dealing with allowed Gideon to work through them at his own pace.  It was a occurring theme for Gideon, but God's patience outlasts Gideon's doubts. That's good to know for us right?

Go with the strength you have...God's response to Gideon's expression of doubt.  Somehow, somewhere, Gideon possessed a strength that he didn't perceive.  Fortunately God knows us, better than we know ourselves.   He knows our strengths because he gave them to us, and he knows our weaknesses because he sees our future.  

Before you can move mightily, you must see rightly.  God spent more time trying to build up Gideon's self image of himself, convincing him with signs and having patience with Gideon's doubts because God saw him differently.  Our first job in life is to figure out how God sees us, because from there everything else in our life flows correctly.  If we truly believe we are loved by a BIG, all knowing, all capable God, then we'll also believe Him when He says we can do something that somehow, we can't yet see.  Understanding God's love for us helps to close the courage gap, because truly with God on our side, what should we fear?

Thank God that when we do need a little courage, He's always there to remind us why.
SDW3