Courage is exuding faith and not deterred by fear, even in the face of a great threat. Goliath, who was a formidable warrior, challenged the army of Israel and the Israelites were terrified. David stepped forward and said: “Let no man’s courage fail because of him; your servant will go fight this Philistine.” Fear sent the whole army of Israel into hiding and for 40 days no person could summon courage to fight Goliath. Faith and fear are directly proportional. If you allow faith to increase, fear will decrease, vice versa. Fear weakens your faith. Fear is an obstacle that hinders trust and confidence in God. Courage is confronting your adversary headlong. Don’t allow situations to scare you to fear or allow any circumstance to make you lose courage to confront it. There is no challenge that is insurmountable.
We should take note of the caution signs and act wisely. Courage is refusing to stay afraid. The fear of Goliath was palpable, but David refused to stay afraid and went ahead to fight him.
What is it in your life that you are afraid to do? Faith is released when you refuse to stay afraid anymore and then you will see God’s power confronting and removing every challenge out of your way. Rise up with courage to face any obstacle hindering your progress. We should not run away from our challenges because they are surmountable. You gain strength and confidence by every experience in which you challenge fear. Don’t give up on your faith in God; allow it to grow by focusing on God.
Courage is rising above the limits that people have placed on you. It is doing what others said you cannot do. King Saul said to David: “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33). David was able to give Saul an assurance because of his past experiences. He referenced the fact that he tore a bear, killed a lion and with that confronted fear to declare that he can fight Goliath. David’s statement is a statement of courage in the face of uneasy eventualities. If you must win over the challenges, oppositions and pressures of life, don’t give it attention. You must have your heart strengthened through the unfailing word of God. The word of God will boost your faith and help you take the right steps towards who you have been created to be. True courage is never displayed in times of peace and ease; true courage is always displayed in times of war and opposition. Courage is what is needed when the enemy bares his sharp teeth like Goliath did; bullying, abusing, manipulating, coercing, intimidating and belittling God’s people, multiple times per day, for 40 days. As leaders, we need to run toward the battle full of courage and faith. David saw Goliath too big to miss — he smelled victory, as the giant’s stench swirled about with overconfidence. David ran toward challenge! He was his own man, and slayed the beastly man called Goliath.
• Today’s nugget: Run towards the Challenge. Phone Contact: 07032361509. E-mail: [email protected]. Joel Ejiofor, life coach/strategist.
