The Duke On Courage

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway." ~ Actor John Wayne (1907–1979)

When was the last time you needed courage? Really--think about it, when was the last time that you needed to be courageous?

Can you remember?

Generally, there are two occasions which may require courage:
1. Something bad or challenging happens to you. You find out you have cancer. A tornado hits your home. You are in a car crash. These are all situations which are out of your control and you are forced to "play your hand". You will either choose to be courageous or timid. This is the area in which most people use courage. In my life, it has been almost exclusively situations like these in which I have decided to be courageous.

2. A dangerous or risky situation arises that does not directly affect you. You have a choice to engage in the situation, a situation the will require courage, or walk away. I think of Jonathan and his armor bearer (1 Samuel 14) choosing a suicide mission that wasn't required of them. I think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus took courage to enter into his mission on earth. It wasn't something that happened to him, he chose to engage it. Most people live their lives never choosing to engage in this kind of courage. Most followers of Christ in the United States will never engage in an activity that requires them to muster up courage.

The author of the New Testament Hebrews letter describes "courage" #2 and hope as the building blocks of God's house.

"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast." ~ Hebrews 3:1-6

Since I am a Christ follower I should be engaged in activities that require courage and hope. I can't wait for moments that require courage to come and seek me out. Instead I must be aware and ready to enter into moments that require me to "take a shot of courage." (I actually just heard that lyric on the radio, weird.)

So when was the last time you needed courage?