“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble in dread before them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.” (‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬ AMP)

When I think about amazing acts of bravery in the Bible, I don’t think David and Goliath or Daniel in the lions den. I think about Rahab, the prostitute who hid Joshua and Caleb in her home as they spied on her city. I think about Esther walking into the chambers of the King, knowing she could lose her life, but realizing an entire nation relied on her for their deliverance. And of course Mary, who willing accepted a pregnancy, thus jeopardizing her future with Joseph, but because she was brave, she birthed the Savior of the world. Their stories tell me that bravery is not synonymous with having NO fear, but rather, bravery is doing the hard things and doing them IN SPITE of the fear.

Being brave doesn’t have to include life and death situations. Have you ever told someone about your faith in Jesus? Have you ever gotten down in the uncomfortableness of someone walking through grief, depression, divorce or loss? What about speaking up for the marginalized and standing up for justice even when it’s not the popular thing to do? Those can be scary things, but they are things that God wants us to do. In fact if we are believers, He will require us to do things that terrify us and seem to drain us of courage.

So, how can we accomplish what God wants us to to do if we are frightened by His ask?

1) We have to remind ourselves, over and over that OUR God is walking right along with us and He will not, in fact He can NOT, fail us or abandon us.

2) We can have full assurance that God will not leave us, He will strengthen us and give us the courage and bravery we need because He, (God) said it and He can NOT lie.

Recap: Being brave doesn’t mean you won’t have fear. Doing something afraid doens’t mean you lack courage or faith. Quiet the opposite, it means you are doing the hard thing, the scary thing and that is being brave.

Challenge: Look for ways this week to be brave in spite of the fear. Share your story. Embrace the grief someone is walking through. Get in the middle of uncomfortable situations and let God shine through you. Stand up and speak out agains injustice. Extend forgiveness to the person who hurt you. Fill out the job application. When fear tries to stop you, remind yourself that God is beside you, behind you and in front of you.

Xoxo, Gena