Resolution 8 - Courage

Transcribed from our YouTube video:
10 Resolutions for the MediaWise.church - Resolution 8 - Courage

When we talk about courage, immediately our thoughts turn to the epic battle of David and Goliath. 

But some of the most courageous, are barely mentioned in the Bible. Many are not mentioned at all. You won’t find their names in a Google search and there’s no Sunday School lessons retelling their acts of bravery.

Take for example, the Jewish Christians under intense persecution for their faith, described in Hebrews 10:34, where the author tells us “they joyfully accepted the plundering of their property”.

Now how is this courage? Sounds more like being a pushover, in the face of persecution, the injustices of governmental overreach and oppression. Wouldn’t courage look more like resisting and fighting?

But that’s the thing about courage. We often assume courage is demonstrated in the fight, the battle to be the difference maker, to be the David’s. But that’s not courage. Courage is not linked to fighting at all. No, courage is the fundamental conviction that GOD is the difference maker. Fight or not, courage is our submission to His Sovereignty, and what that submission looks like in our lives.

This kind of courage comes with two unlikely characteristics. One, it comes with joy. The Church in Hebrews models this type of courage. The joy of knowing everything depends on God. “What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6 and “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

This is a joy in the face of fear, adversity, hardships, suffering, with a source that is super exclusive. Joy is a proof of courage, a fruit that only God can grow in our hearts. On our own, the human condition simply does not arrive at joy in these situations. You simply can not get it anywhere else or any other way.

This is the strength that Nehemiah speaks of when he says “The joy of the Lord is my strength”. Nehemiah 8:10 The joy of the Lord is our courage. Joy in who He is, and joy in the things He rejoices in. That is the source of our courage, our strength.

And two, courage comes with peace, a calm that can distinguish between those times where we are called to fight, from the vast majority of our lives, when we are called to something much different - often requiring more courage than fighting, a courage to not fight and let God do the battle.

These are the times we are simply called to “be still and know that He is God” Psalm 46:10 and these far out number the times in our lives when we are called to take up our slings and confront giants. I’m not saying those moments don’t happen, I simply think we have a difficult time discerning the difference in the heat of the moment. We’re far too quick to grab stones from the brook and start slinging.

Consider Israel’s odds for success against the 600 chariots of Egypt and the Red Sea blocking their escape. Infinitesimally small. There is in fact no courage in the camp. This is not a story typically used to teach about courage. But God is in fact calling the people to courage, when he says,

 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

The “be still” part is a bit perplexing because they really had nowhere to go. They were trapped.

But fleeing in panic would have resulted in certain destruction. So, the people needed the courage to stand firm. “Calm down already”, is what I’m hearing God saying here.

The courage to trust that God didn’t need their swords or slings. No, the courage God asks of them, is to sit back and watch a battle won with only mud and water, wiping out the entire Egyptian army in ways the Israelites never could have imagined. 

This is a call to a courage that does away with fear, that eliminates the panic, that stills the heart. A courage described in Philippians 4:6, in that familiar, “Do not be anxious about anything” verse, that speaks of a calming peace that “surpasses all understanding” which is actually a very good definition of “joy”. Incomprehensible peace that makes you giddy. It’s inseparable from joy. Courage evidenced by joy.

And we do see this courage in those more familiar Bible stories of bravery. A courage that stands firm in the conviction that God is Sovereign and that He has it all under control. Take for example the words of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in their calm response to the king,

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it… But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

But even if he does not. Even if we burn to a crisp.

This is a courage that does not demand any particular outcome from God. It is a courage that does not flee. This is a courage that does not fight, leaving the results entirely with God. This is a “be still” courage.

This is the Biblical version of the “This is fine” meme, as they walked amongst the flames, maybe not sipping a mug of coffee, but unfazed and unharmed.

This is exactly the courage of David, when he declares “the battle is the LORD’s” The battle belongs to the Lord.

Psalms 37:7 makes it even more specific. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”

We are not called to worry, to agonize, to rant or rave against the evil schemers of this world. The “be still” courage of waiting for God, is to acknowledge that it is the Lord who fights for us, and courage is the steadfast confidence in this.

And so courage is seen in walking away from the triggering, fear inducing, or anger inciting articles you may see in the news and on social media. These articles are designed to rile us up. They know we all have our various triggers, whether it’s politics, or ethics, or economics. This is how they get their clicks and views.

Psalm 112:7-8 speaks to the overwhelming abundance of bad news we see daily on our Facebook feeds, our Twitter streams. It says,

“He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid”

So courage is not giving in to these tactics, and starts by letting go of the notion that the fate of a country, democracy, humanity, or even the Church depends on my ability to spread the fear and frustration I feel in the moment. That’s not courage. When we’re tempted to grab a handful of mud for slinging, be reminded that mud and water are only a viable weapon in the hands of the God of the Universe.

Often, courage isn’t diving headstrong into battle. Many times, it takes more courage to simply walk away, with joy in our hearts, and the assurances that these battles are not won with a panicked rant on social media, but in prayer, because the battle in that moment is in our hearts. And the call is to courage. 

The courage to believe that “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 

That is to say, God is at work in my heart and this is the greatest battle. And I need to calm down and trust Him. The battle belongs to Him.

The resolve of the MediaWise.chuch is echoed in the song “Lions”, by Skillet.

If we're gonna fly, we fly like eagles
Arms out wide
If we're gonna fear, we fear no evil
We will rise
By Your power, we will go
By Your spirit, we are bold
If we're gonna stand, we stand as giants
If we're gonna walk, we walk as lions

This is the bold confidence, described in Proverbs 28:1 with the words, “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

The resolve of the MediaWise.chuch is a courage that is joyful and confident. Not panicked and fearful. To be courageous, not frantic. Not fleeing, but standing firm. Not charging, but advancing. The courage to recognize that while we may fall, in Christ we will rise.