“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” -- Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT)
When it comes to courageous living, how do you measure up?
Do you need courage?
Maybe you’re considering a career change, facing serious medical treatments, or need the courage to say “no” to someone and set a healthy boundary. Sometimes, we simply find ourselves needing courage just to face our day. The reality is, no matter who you are, where you live, or how easy or difficult your life is, in order to exercise courageous living, you need a healthy daily dose of courage.
All too often we allow fear rather than courage to drive our lives. For many years I allowed fear to infiltrate my life. It wreaked havoc in my marriage, attempted to convince me my dreams were unachievable, and even influenced the way I parented my two boys.
“Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.” -- Proverbs 29:25 (NLT)
One great way to oppose fear in our lives is to consistently implement the 4 Steps to Courageous Living. By consciously making these steps a regular part of each day, we begin establishing a pattern of courage that eventually becomes second nature allowing us to regularly make healthy, God-honoring decisions.
4 Steps to Courageous Living
- Recognize possibilities
- Overcome challenges
- Gather support
- Implement change
Let’s look at each of these steps a little closer.
- Recognize possibilities—God has God-sized dreams for you. It’s up to you to embrace these dreams and allow them to become reality. Remember, God, according to His power at work in us, can do far more than we could ever ask or dream (cf. Ephesians 3:20).
- Overcome obstacles—Ask yourself, “What challenges are holding me back from living courageously?” Once you identify the obstacles that keep you from making courageous decisions, you can see them for what they are and work to overcome them. Remember, God calls us to lay aside any hindrances and sin and pursue His dreams for us, all the while, keeping our eyes on Christ, the one who perfects our faith and gives us courage (Hebrews 12:1-2).
- Gather support—God didn’t intend for you to face your challenges alone. He designed you to live in community where all help and support one another through life’s difficulties. Remember, God’s Word tells us, we are to encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), lift one another up (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10), and help one another manage burdens (Galatians 6:2).
- Implement change—Once you recognize the possibilities, overcome any challenges, and gather the necessary support, you are ready to implement change in your daily life. Now, it’s simply a matter of just doing it! The more you practice implementing the 4 Steps to Courageous Living, the easier it gets.
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power! (Ephesians 6:10) What steps will you take today to begin living more courageously?
