Do you know how to have courage in all situations? Watching a father teach his daughter to ride her bike for the first time without training wheels reminded me that we must have courage in all situations. As I looked on, the Father gently told his daughter that she was ready and could do it. The Father explained that he would be right there to catch her if she began to fall.
The daughter was fearful and reluctant. Her Father lessened her uneasiness as he explained that we all get scared when doing something for the first time, but soon, with practice, it will be easy. He told her that the first step was to try and be surprised at how simple riding the bike might be.
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Looking up at her tall, strong Father, the little girl tried it. She was so unsteady at first. The Father held onto her bicycle seat and ran beside her. Then, as she got the hang of riding, he gently let go but still ran beside her. She did it! When she came to a stop, they were both smiling. Oh, what courage the little girl displayed and what patience her Father showed. Our Heavenly Father wants the same courage from us.
Our Heavenly Father Wants Us To Have Courage
As Christians, God is like the Father teaching his daughter to ride a bicycle. Equally, we often feel like the little girl when God calls us to do something we have never done. The task that the Father calls us to do can feel insurmountable. We may believe we are not ready, prepared, or strong enough. Fear tries to sneak in, but our Father encourages us to trust him. He calls out to each of us, telling us to have courage.
Our Heavenly Father wants us to have courage. He specifically asks us to have three different types of courage.
- God wants us to have the courage to try.
- God wants us to have the courage to stand.
- God wants us to have the courage to fight.
Have the Courage to Try Something New
Sometimes, we experience God’s gentle nudge as He gives us the courage to try something new. I feel that God encouraged me to start this blog. When God calls us to do something new, it surprises us, and we may even prefer not to stretch out into an unfamiliar endeavor. Most people initially ignore it, thinking it is just an unction or a fleeting thought.
God’s persistence and insistence help us know He speaks to us in the Spirit. Thankfully, God is so patient that He gives us a chance to respond. He knows and understands that we may not know it is Him. We are often just learning to hear God when He speaks, so He gives us many opportunities to realize that it is His voice.
Our Father gives us a choice to obey. He promises to bless obedience. God knows what is ahead, and our blessings are often one “yes” away, but we must choose to follow. It can sometimes feel hard to step out into the deep water God calls us into because the enemy brings so many negative thoughts.
Have the Courage to Stand
Sometimes, God calls us to stand. This year, I was led to be quiet at a time when things did not seem fair. I wanted to protest, speak up, and demand fairness. But God called me to stand rather than fight and let Him handle the situation.
In my case, God chose to interrupt my plans for a meeting. The meeting was all set, but the other people canceled it at the last minute. I had rehearsed what I would say and how I would say it for weeks, but now the meeting was set for almost another month away. Thankfully, in the long wait, I realized God’s plan was for me to cancel the appointment and let him work it out for me. In His wisdom, God knew that the meeting probably would not have gone well.
Imagine if you heard your child crying out for you as a parent. Wouldn’t you come running as soon as you knew they were hurting? Our Heavenly Father loves us and will come running to us. Sometimes, He will tell us to stand still, be silent, and let Him handle the situation. Occasionally, we must let go and let God fight our battles. We must run to God, pray, and cry out to Him.
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent
Exodus 14:14 ESV
Additionally, there are times when we must stand more actively. God instructs us to put on our armor and stand against the enemy. We have to be ready for the fight. For example, in our homes, we all must stand against any enemy that would come against us. Sometimes, our Christian values clash with popular opinion, and we must stand up for what is right. We have to resist the enemy and cause him to flee. We must take a stand for our faith.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
Have the Courage to Fight
In this world, we often feel we have to fight our way. Sometimes, we get ill and have to battle a disease. There may be a time when we must help our children or loved ones as they struggle with an illness. It takes courage because we have to fight fear. The enemy will attack our minds, but we must hold on to God’s words and be willing to fight.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10 KJV
Our bodies and minds are the most significant battles we have to fight. We must fight negative thoughts and the lure of sinful acts. For this reason, we all should stay connected to a church family so that we can call for others to pray with us and for us. Our churches should teach us how to properly use spiritual weapons and tools like God’s Word, prayer, fasting, giving, and praising God to defeat the enemy who wants to lure us into sin rather than see us rise to defeat him.
The truth is that we serve a God who helps us fight our battles. He has given us victory. He strengthens us. We are never alone; He won’t leave us wherever we go. The Bible says that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39)
A Prayer To Have Courage
We must remember that all our hope and trust should be in God the Father through our faith in the Lord Jesus. As Christians, we must be willing to live obedient lives and be ready to have the courage to try something new or to step out in faith for the cause of Christ. We must be willing to have the courage to stand still and be quiet at times, but we also must have our armor on and be ready to fight the enemy of our souls with our spiritual weapons. Let’s pray and ask God to help us to have courage.
