The Need for Courage

by Zeke Flores

C. S. Lewis said, "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."

When Jesus called out to His disciples on a stormy sea and said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), He may have been alluding to their need for bravery against more than the mere elements. He called them to have courage in the face of some frightening situations.

• They would have the arduous task of taking the life-saving gospel to a stormy world that threatened them with more than wind and waves.
• They would stand before hostile Jews and Gentiles, men and women, kings and paupers.
• They would need the courage that Jesus urges, and more.

What was true for them is true for us. While most of us may not travel the world taking the gospel to hostile foreign lands, we live in a land that is becoming increasingly antagonistic to Biblical faith and the people who hold it. They will mock you, insult you, antagonize you, and humiliate you all to shut you up and shut you down. Just as it’s been throughout history, it’s imperative that Christians stand firm and hold up under the onslaught of opposition, never giving ground to the devil and his minions. That takes determination, guts, and courage.

The opportunities you encounter to uphold biblical faith may frighten us, and it will be tempting to simply shrink back while saying and doing nothing. But remember, God makes us strong in our weakness; He provides courage in cowardice.

Today's culture has blurred the blueprint for what it means to be a man. Or a woman, for that matter. Be gutsy. Hold fast.

"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" (I Corinthians 16:13).