COURAGEOUS DESTINY
It hit me the other day…my life is about one-third over, according to the measurements and time of man. I remember when I was just a little boy. I thought I would never grow up. As a kid, it never felt fast enough. I wanted to be a part of the grown-up conversations, sooner. I wanted to have the responsibilities of an adult, quicker. I wanted to know what it was like to go to bed late, handle my money independently, and do what I wanted without conditions or rules. Sure enough, before I knew it, life smacked me in the face with all of its harsh and broken realities. Responsibilities became challenges, freedoms slowly became burdens and my own sinful and wild self became worn down with the constant realization that living a bold and courageous life was going to be often hard, and uncomfortable. So, what does it really look like to live and leave a legacy of courage? The Bible and the World both share many defining terminologies and ideas of what courage is. Both will claim that courage means doing what is right, even when its tough. Both say that courage is the choice to believe or cling on to something bigger than ourselves. Eventually, however, a fork in the road approaches and we are faced with a decision. Will courage be drawn from within, or drawn from a person…
The world tells us that courage is something we are born with and choose. That it’s thrust upon us! The Bible however presents us with a radical claim and encouraging hope: that Courage is a Person. Arriving at this fork in the road can be quite relieving, actually. Because it is here, that we can understand that Jesus Christ is the ultimate embodiment of courage and the One who can ignite and supply our hearts with the bravery we pray and ask for. God’s manifestation of courage through Jesus was distinct in three specific ways.
Jesus was generous. With his hands, his time, his resources and his purpose, Christ generously poured himself out to His disciples with a lowly and gentle spirit. Generosity is the overflowing of good. It exceeds the request. It outdoes the need or the wrong with grace and goodness. Secondly, Jesus was missional. Focused on the task at hand. His decisions and actions were informed by a strategic desire to carry out faithfully what His father had asked of Him. Jesus knew where He was going, how to get there, and who was going with Him. Finally, Jesus was fierce. The way Christ pursued others, defended the Truth, and took on the cross was relentless. He had this unmatched desire to speak what is pure and lovely. His stature and pushback towards evil was bold and nver compromised. And his ability to bend low, listen, and heal was life-altering for all who witnessed such wonders.
So, backtracking to the little kid. Who had all these dreams and desires to grow up and be something significant. The greatest dream you can have and give to the Lord is to live with Biblical courage. A Jesus Courage. This type of courage is generous, missional, and fierce. Our courage is perhaps one of the greatest testaments of love. And love, Biblical love, is when we have found our treasure and our home in Heaven. As a little boy, I looked at the comic books, the Marvel movies, and the Olympic athletes as beacons of courage. As I grew into a man, I’ve learned a little more that courage is rather the choice to find your hope and your resting place in Jesus. The courageous one does not have to let anxiety rule their life. The courageous one does not have to look at porn. The courageous one does not have to compare themselves to the success or trends of others. The courageous one can find in themselves a will and a yearning to worship, even in the tears and crying. And yet, it is behind the “do nots’ that we discover our most valuable freedom…that the Son of suffering has given us the privilege to deny our freedoms in order to find life and live it to the most abundant of ways. Theologically, we refer to it as sanctification. The taking up our crosses and daily following Christ. In the real world, it often means laying down our dreams. If often means forgiving those who have hurt us the very most.
This is courageous living. A lifestyle that is in sync with the matters closest to God’s heart. Despite our worn composure or weak position, we are willing even in the frailness to find our joy and hope in the deity and sufficiency of grace. It’s a lot easier said than applied, I get it. It’s hard to wake up in the morning and not return to the old patterns and promises and pleasures and comforts the world has ingrained in us. Being courageous is not easy. But think of the freedom…. oh, just think.
You were created to live a courageous destiny.
~ Ryken
