Embrace Courage In The Face Of Fear

My friend,

As a young person we face so many questions and so many challenges in life. It is easy to be so afraid of things, and be discouraged by what we are facing. But God says in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

God is telling Joshua, ‘have you forgotten Joshua? Have I not commanded you? Don’t you remember what I told you? Be strong and courageous in your walk before me, don’t ever be afraid’. We get the feeling of fear when we think that God is not with us. So God is telling Joshua ‘don’t be afraid, for the Lord your God will go with you wherever you go’.

If we know that God is right by our side when we are facing exams or when we are shy to do something for a great performance, we will not be afraid, because we know that God will help us. That’s how we become courageous. This month God is going to help us to become so strong and so courageous to face all the fears that we have.

How do we know that the Lord is with us so that we become courageous?

1. Keep up the teaching that Jesus has taught and the values which He has taught us: Develop a heart that stands firm in all that Jesus has taught you. Saying ‘I will not depart from this in my life’ ‘I will not give up these values Jesus has taught me’. No matter what circumstances, no matter how tempting it may be, no matter how many people pressure us to give up those values and even when our friends make fun of us, we have to stand strong to do the right thing which Jesus has taught us. And when we have such a heart to honor God for all that He has told us and do it, then we can be confident that the Lord will be so pleased to be with us. He will not depart from us. (II Timothy 3:14)

2. Always do things for the Glory of God: How should we do things that glorify God? We must do them with excellence, putting forth our best effort so that our work brings glory to Him. We should openly acknowledge how much Jesus has helped us accomplish it. When you approach anything in life with this mindset, not only will God be glorified, but He will also help you in what you are trying to do. You can feel the help of God and you will be so courageous to do it. (I Corinthians 10:31)

‘I remember a restaurant in the US called Chick-fil-A. Their owners are Christian and committed to the Lord. They love the Lord so much and they established the restaurant with values that the Lord has taught. Very interestingly they would not open on Sundays. They would commit that day to worship the Lord. Normally the restaurants and the businesses would make most money on Sundays as it is a holiday. But they said I don’t care about what revenue I will make, I will close it and just worship God. They stood firm on it. And even in the restaurant they would put worship music so that anyone who enters would be touched by it. Although there was opposition and people told them to shut the music down, they never gave up. They found a way to keep it going. They stood firm in the values of God and remained committed to honoring and glorifying Him. Their desire was for the restaurant to glorify God and to be a place where they could speak about Him to others. And what happened? There were lines and lines of people coming in—cars waiting outside just to get the food. It was truly amazing.

That will happen to you too! You will be so strong and courageous as you take up the decision to stand strong for the Lord because the Lord Himself will be with you in the journey and help you and bless what you do. Surely God will fulfill this promise in your life this month.

Step out in boldness and strength this month because the Lord is with you. Have a great July my friend.

With much prayers,

Samuel Dhinakaran