Gracefull Chaperons

Courage—along with its chaperons, wisdom and faith—seem to be the main value parents need today.

As a mother, I can attest that nothing I did as the Vice-President of a software company required more courage than carrying my son surf-board-style out of the McDonald’s playground when he refused to come.

That same son’s dictionary defines courage as “doing the right thing regardless of how one feels or the circumstances faced.” Merriam-Webster defines it simply as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”

All too often, I think we encounter courage in this way:

When a woman fell off the side of a cruise ship, fellow passengers rushed to the side rails and tossed all the deck chairs and other items overboard, just as they’d been taught in orientation. In the commotion, one man jumped overboard, swam through the flotsam to reach the woman, and together they waited for rescue. When rescued, the man was congratulated, honored, and feasted, sitting at the Captain’s table while person after person made a toast to his courage. When the man got up to respond to the cries of “Speech! Speech!” he said, “Thank you for all your kind words. What I want to know is…who pushed me?”

A personally meaningful illustration of courage is from C. S. Lewis’ Silver Chair. In one part of the story, Jill Pole, in a moment of rage, pushes her friend Eustace off a cliff, but Aslan instantly appears and saves him. Aslan then returns to the nearby forest. Jill’s relief at the lack of consequences is short-lived as her thirst drives her into the same forest.

However, between her and a stream sits Aslan, silent, huge, and wild. Aslan speaks: “If you are thirsty, you may drink.” Jill cannot overcome her fear and holds back.

“Are you not thirsty,” says the Lion.

“I am dying of thirst,” says Jill.

“Then drink,” said the Lion.

“May I—could I—would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And just as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.

The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her near frantic.

“Will you promise not to—do anything to me, if I come?”

“I make no promise,” said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.

“Do you eat girls?” she said.

“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

“I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill.

“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.

“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming a step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”

“There is no other stream,” said the Lion.

Not only is there no other stream that can quench our thirst than the life-giving water God gives, but it takes courage to drink of it. God is, after all, like Aslan—not exactly tame.

Sometimes I think courage looks like being pushed off the ledge and doing the right thing because you have to. Sometimes it looks like facing consequences. Sometimes it looks like enforcing consequences. Sometimes the courage to trust in God costs you everything. Sometimes it looks like doing the impossible thing God has asked and the only other option is to disobey.

Courage is doing the right thing, even if it’s impossible. After all, if it’s not impossible without God, it’s not from God.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Courage is built like a mason builds a wall, brick by brick, cemented evenly on top of each other. When we practice standing in courage on a promise of God or test a principle He’s given us through His word, it adds another brick or section of the wall of our character.

We read story after story of God’s men and women who take courageous stands. What we often don’t get to read is the backstory: the small stands they took to develop courage. For example, I’d be willing to bet that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were given ample opportunities to trust God’s promise that He would never leave them, long before they took a stand for eating the way God dictated and even longer before they stood in the fiery flames with Christ Himself.

In the story of David, we read about how he told King Saul that the same God who was with him when he killed the lion and the bear would be with him when he killed the trash-talking, Yahweh-bashing giant. This is the experience of courage talking. David was full of faith and confidence that God would never allow Goliath to triumph. David knew it was more important to obey God than the dictates of fear.

“Biblical courage is directed at obeying the Lord, who is more important than fear, in our daily lives in spite of temporal things, situations, and people that bring natural fearfulness.” - David Prince

And while courage is not one of the Fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians, faith—and being faithful—most certainly is. Faith is the bridge from wisdom to courage because faith comes when we know on what or on whom we stand, while courage simply stands (Ephesians 6:13).

“What fueled David’s courage was his confidence in God’s promises and God’s power to fulfill them.” - John Bloom

Courage is developed through a partnership between the Holy Spirit’s work of faith and each stand on that faith.

When God proves Himself, our faith strengthens and our wall of courage rises. God brings us through another fire and our courage, like steel, is strengthened. This partnership is the acquisition of wisdom: knowing God and trusting in His infinite perfection.

Knowledge knows what to do, wisdom knows how and when God wants it done, and faith forges the courage that gets it done. (Which comes in handy when molding a strong-willed son into a leader who will radically impact his world for Christ someday.)

Our mission in this world is to display the love of God. To display this love unerringly in these rather complicated times, requires that we develop a three-fold cord of character by surrendering to the work of faith by the Holy Spirit, sharing our intimate walk of wisdom with our great God, and exemplifying courage.

History is full of world-changers who followed Christ, displaying His love in bold courageous strokes. The martyrs of old and even recent times demonstrated courage while facing death. To follow their example, we will have to spend time with the God who authors and finishes our faith, taking small yet crucial steps to build the courage that is proved by the God who never fails.

Luckily for us who are not yet world-changers, courage is made not in the bold strokes where the world sits up and takes notice. Courage is forged in the daily small habits and changes that make room for the transformation courage brings.

Grace allows courage to be forged.

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