“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” -- Deuteronomy 31:6 (NASB)
“Intentionally looking for courage and utilizing tools to make better choices is, in itself, a courageous act. It’s an act I wish I had taken long before I reached the place where my lack of courage threatened virtually everything I held dear to my heart.”
In 2012, I began a journey that ultimately changed the direction of my life. When I found myself at a crossroads, I had a choice to make. I could do nothing and risk losing my marriage and what little bit of sanity I had left, or make the courageous choice to stop allowing fear, hurt, sin and shame to control my everyday life decisions.
For more than 2½ years I prayed, studied God’s Word, met with a Christian Counselor, read countless self-help books, and attended classes and conferences. I was determined to learn as much as I could about the issues that had plagued my life for over forty years, and I was dead-set on learning the necessary steps needed to overcome them. Since that time, I have invested countless hours writing a book that shares my personal journey and provides tips, tools, charts, and exercises that will help you embark on a journey to change the course of your life – no matter what type of difficulty you are facing or what type of courage you need. The result – Courage For Life.
The fact is, we all need courage for something.
Depending on our life circumstances, there are different types of courage we need, ranging from physical strength and endurance to mental stamina and innovation. Courage can be defined in many ways, but I like this following list of definitions.
Courage means:
- Taking a risk, not knowing the outcome
- Trying something new for the first time
- Saying yes to positive challenges
- Making wise choices in the face of fear
- Being honest with others and ourselves
- Being able to admit we’ve been wrong
- Accepting the things we cannot change and changing the things we can
- Accepting God’s view over all others
- Giving grace to those who have hurt us
- Choosing to persevere even when we’re afraid
- Choosing joy in the midst of all circumstances
The 7 Steps to COURAGE I present in my book provide tools to help you learn how to act more than react, make intentional choices, experience the power of fearless choices, and find joy in the journey of healthy choices.
The 7 Steps to COURAGE
1. — C Commit to change.
2. — O Overcome obstacles.
3. — U Uncover your true self.
4. — R Replace worldly lies with scriptural truth.
5. — A Accept the things you cannot change.
6. — G Grasp God’s love for you.
7. — E Embrace a life of grace.
When we faithfully (and intentionally) implement the 7 Steps to COURAGE, the exercise will produce amazing results. It will strengthen our courage muscles and, ultimately, bring us into a closer relationship with our heavenly Father. And it’s this relationship, above all others, that enables us to walk with courage, live in grace, and find true joy on the miraculous journey of life.
Begin your 7-Step journey and enjoy closer, healthier relationships with God, yourself and others by downloading the introduction and first chapter of my book for free at https://courageforlife.org/free/.
