Stand Firm

-1 Corinthians 16:13

“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”

Bravery is not the absence of fear, it’s what we do with that fear. It is controlling the fear we naturally have. When we believe the Lord and rely on His Word instead of our feelings, He’ll give us the ability and courage that we need to overcome our fears and accomplish His will. We are not brave in our own strength and the goal is not to find self confidence but instead find confidence in God. What fuels our courage is our confidence in God’s promises and God’s power to fulfill them. We can always cultivate additional confidence by remembering how God has helped us in the past. It’s important to remember that a lack of courage only reveals a lack of faith. True courage comes from a total surrender to Jesus, from placing our lives entirely into His hands. When we do this we will be able to face any and every challenge or difficulty with a courage that will baffle and astound this world. It takes courage to follow Jesus, many of God’s principles and values are not accepted in this day and age. We will be mocked, ridiculed, ostracized and persecuted but with the courage and strength from our Lord we will not allow anyone to intimidate us into unbelief.