Courageously Living God’s Calling for Your Life
Janee Hughes • May 22, 2020
Courage is not letting fear hold you back.
What defines someone as courageous? Sometimes people have a misconception of courage. They believe that it means to have no fear, or that courage equals fearless. In reality, courage is defined as “the ability to do something that frightens one,” or “strength in the face of pain or grief.” Courage does not mean that you do not have fear, rather it is facing your fear. Doing something despite your fear. Having courage means that you do not let fear stop you from the action.
Courage is strength in adversity. Living courageously is living bravely. The word bravery means “courageous behavior or character,” which can be described as showing courage or having courageous endurance.
God’s calling for your life may look large and daunting, but God can give the courage to help you. When God calls you to something, He will equip you with what you need to do it.
He strengthens your abilities to further equip you. The abilities for your calling are not developed at birth, but they are predestined for you to achieve. God can position your life in a way that will grow your strengths and weaknesses. Your abilities increase through the lessons and experiences in your life. Similar to how you develop your abilities, you have to develop courage. Experience can grow your courage.
1. Courage in Every Season
There is a reason for each place that God has you. It could be an important lesson or significant experience. The calling for your life doesn’t happen overnight; it happens through the growing process of each season.
You are learning things in this current season that will get you through this season and into your next season. You are called to be in this season and the ones to follow. There is value within all seasons, so you must not discount the value in this season. No matter where you are on your journey, it is important to remind yourself to have a courageous endurance.
There are calm seasons and rough seasons, but in all seasons we must cling to God. The rough seasons are when we need to persevere the hardest.
James 1:2-4 NIV, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Though persevering is not easy during the tough times, it is those seasons that can teach you the most.
Some of the best life lessons come from those hard times if you learn from them. When you endure hard seasons with the help of God, you grow in courage and your relationship with God.
2. Courage in Every Step
Each step that God directs you will bring to closer to your calling, which fosters your courage to take the next steps. The first steps are tough and the following steps are not much easier, but the courage you get from taking previous steps make the following steps easier. The important thing to remember is to not avoid taking steps that you know you need to make. It can be tempting to stay where you are and stop taking steps because it is easier to have courage when you are in your comfort zone. Comfort zones are easy to remain strong in. Courage is not remaining in comfort, rather it is embracing the discomfort.
3. Courage in Failure
Courage is doing something even when you have fear of failing. Fear of failure means you should try and continually try because by doing so, you will be courageous. Failure does not mean you should stop. Failure does not show that you are incapable, it shows that you endeavored.
Endeavoring after failure is courageous endurance. You only fail when you don’t try. Failure is a learning experience. For instance, you know you cannot learn to ride a bike without falling, without failing. If babies stopped striving then they wouldn’t learn. Be strong and courageous even after failure.
Overall, if you act in courage you will achieve amazing things in this life. The Lord has great things for you to do! It is not bad to fear, but it is bad to not act from fear. If you have fear to do your calling, then do it afraid! That is courage.
Knowing the way that you know you need to go, and initiating action even afraid. God would not call you to something that would not lead to something good. God is for you, so who can be against you? Read Romans 8:31 and take it to heart. The time to courageously live your calling is now!
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