“Be strong and courageous…”

- Joshua 1:6

Don’t you just wish you could go to Starbucks and get some strength and courage to-go? I do. But as we all know, our favorite baristas may be skilled enough to whip up a tall half-skinny half-1 percent extra hot split quad shot (two shots decaf, two shots regular) latte with whip, but as gifted as they are, I’m pretty sure they won’t be able to add some drops of strength and courage in our coffees for our speedy consumption.

As I was stuck in traffic yesterday, I spent some time thinking about what it meant to “be strong and courageous”. What do these two things look like? And how do we get them? If you know me well enough, you would know that I’m conscientious, careful, and someone who doesn’t like to rock the boat. Strength and courage are not words that I would easily and comfortably associate with myself.

So I broke the verse apart and first asked the question, “What does it mean to be strong?”

Immediately, this video I saw in church last Sunday came to mind:

There’s nothing like facing a difficult situation and reading and remembering verses like these:

• “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
• “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4)
• Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

I’ve been in countless anxiety-filled situations where I found myself running to those words and claiming those promises, and within moments, I felt calmer and stronger.

In my mind—and I feel this in my heart, as well—to be strong means to be filled with God’s Word.

Now that I’ve settled on this definition of strength, I then asked myself, “What does courage look like?”

When I think of courage, I think of soldiers at war. Think about it.

©iStockphoto.com/Johncairns

Why would they risk their lives? Going into battle is more than just a regular day at work. They’re putting their lives on the line. Why would they do that?

These are the answers I came up with:

These men are courageous because:

1) They know what they’re fighting for.

Freedom, democracy, human rights — these are some of the many reasons why soldiers are willing to fight battles. Because they know that they’re fighting for a cause they believe in, their efforts are fueled with purpose.

2) They know who’s on their side.

Imagine that someone wants to pick a fight with you, and suddenly you find Manny Pacquiao by your side? Wouldn’t you stand a little taller? For soldiers, when they know they’re fighting together with other trained, excellent, and committed soldiers—who will vow to leave no man behind—they can be more confident about entering the battlefield.

3) They know who they’re fighting for.

Whether a soldier is fighting for his countrymen, his family, his friends, or his wife and children, it helps to remember and visualize who he’s fighting for to be able to endure and press on.

So I came to this conclusion:

To be courageous, we need to remember what we’re fighting for, we need to fight our battles together with people who can support and strengthen us, and we need to keep in focus who we’re fighting for.

Or if you don’t see yourself in battle mode, then another way to see it is this:

To be courageous, we need to remember what we’re living for, we need to walk through life with people who can support and strengthen us, and we need to keep in focus who we’re living for.

So as I was driving yesterday and praying for strength and courage, I knew that this was what God was telling me to do: I need to continue to be filled with His Word, be guided by His purpose in every season, remember that there are people in my life who are supporting and strengthening me, and above, all, keep my eyes on Him.

On this first week of this year, if you find yourself entering uncharted territory—maybe you’re being pushed out of your comfort zone, or you’re facing some unprecedented challenges, or you simply need direction—try asking yourself these questions:

• Why do you do what you do? (Or why are you going where you’re going? Or why are you choosing what you’re choosing?)
• Who is walking with you? Who can you count on for wise advice? Who can help you or encourage you? Who can you learn from?
  
• Who are you living for?

I want to encourage you to reflect on these, and when you have the answers, write them down where you can always see them. As for me, I’m writing them down and sealing them in my heart because I’m off on a new adventure today! People keep asking me if I’m ready and I keep saying I’m not, because I feel that no amount of preparation will make me “fully ready” for what’s up ahead. But I think that’s the point, because strength and courage don’t come from perfect plans, and I’m thankful for that!

And with that, let me leave you with this:

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

* * *

Are you excited for what’s in store this year? :)