For the One Who Struggles to be Brave

You need to be brave!

I’m sure you’ve heard that line a thousand times over. Those are words that ring the strings of our heart when every bit of courage gets lost in the drain. Those are times when the word ‘brave’ becomes complex.

By the time you’ve read through Exodus you will get the picture of what I mean. See… the Israelites were at the middle, the red sea on one side and the ferocious-looking Egyptian army on the other. I sometimes imagine how their faces would have been, their mouths hanging down with despair that moment God says Go Forward.

And my next response is… “To what?”

Here is the thing, sometimes you need to just pack up and be wanting to GO. Brave looks a lot like, Be Ready, Be Willing, Just Go! You need to be willing and ready to GO even if you don’t know to what.

Remember when God said to Abraham, “Leave everything and come with me to the land I will show you.” Were it not for faith, a very obvious response would be “to where?” But like you, I’m learning not to ask those sort of questions To where, To whom, To what, etc. because they spell doubt!

When God calls you, don’t give in to fear rather than give in to His Word. Many times we find ourselves in this sort of funny situation. We are excited for a moment, we pack our things to go along with God’s call, only to get there and become too numb to take the next step.

Why then is Brave hard?

For most of us is the memory of past rejections and failures that flood in like boisterous winds. For others, it is the magnitude of our next assignment that overwhelms us, and for many, it’s the unqualified tag that hangs down our necks!

Whichever category you find yourself, there is grace available for you. Like Peter, we need to step out of the boat. We need to be brave enough to step into the water. That shows we’ve got everything in side of us to take the very first step, the next step and the next….

If only we keep our brave hearts focused on Jesus. If only we realize showing up is Brave too. If only we remember our brave comes from Christ and we can do just about everything He calls us to do.

I’d love to take that step, then the next too and then the next…

But don’t mind the wind, like Peter did. The wind could be our past rejections and failures, or distractions that hinder us. Or the fear that says we will never make it, or all the lies the enemy pushes into our heads that are contrary to what God says about you.

No matter what wind wants to challenge your brave heart or hinder your faith, Jesus is the Master of the wind… He knows how to calm it and put it in it’s place.

So, what’s the deal now? Will you step out of the boat? Do you see the Lord bids you to come to Him? Do you know you are brave enough to follow Him?

Four  Scriptures For When You Struggle To Be Brave

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

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.” (Joshua 1:9)

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:24)