COURAGE - Doing the right thing even when it is hard and others might make fun of you.
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9
The Jewish nation had just completed wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Their leader, Moses, had died, and the task of leading more than one million people fell on the shoulders of a man named Joshua. This was no easy job because the Jewish people were very stubborn and had rebelled against God many times. The reason they spent 40 years in the desert was they had been AFRAID of the giants in the Promised Land, and they didn’t trust God to fight for them.
They were now at the edge of the Jordan River. On the other side stood the Promised Land, and the giants were still there. Their first challenge would be to overtake a city with high, thick walls. The Jews had very few weapons and little experience fighting, but they had learned their lesson in the desert. Now, they trusted that God would fight for them.
God spoke directly to Joshua and told him not to be afraid because God would go with him everywhere he went. God parted the Jordan River, and the Jews went across on dry land. Then they did what God said, and the mighty walls of Jericho came crashing down. He gave them a great victory.
Have you ever been afraid? Maybe you were frightened by a storm, got lost, or perhaps a bully was picking on you. Maybe you had to give a report in front of your class or sing a solo in church. There are many moments when we can become afraid, but we don’t have to be. If you have asked Jesus to save you, He makes the same promise to you as He did to Joshua - He will never leave you. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)
DO WHAT’S RIGHT
Just suppose you were at school and some of the kids were making fun of another student who stuttered. Is it right to do that? NO, of course not. You have several choices to make. You can, 1) Ignore them and walk away, 2) Make fun of the student too, or 3) Stand up for him or her and tell them what they are doing is wrong.
Or suppose your class is taking a test and the teacher steps out of the room for a minute. All of a sudden, everyone wants you to cheat on the test. Again, you have a choice, 1) Ignore them, 2) Cheat along with everyone else, or 3) Say “no,” cheating is wrong.
In both examples, the right choice is #3 - that would be doing the right thing. However, what might happen if you make that choice? Most likely others would turn on you and make fun of you or call you a “sissy” for not cheating. People don’t like to be reminded that they are doing wrong. Many have become so use to doing wrong, and they don’t have God’s Spirit living within them to tell them things are wrong, so they actually believe that what they are doing is okay.
You might be afraid to make that choice, but God will give you the courage to do what’s right. Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but it is choosing to do what’s right no matter what. Many soldiers in battle have had to make that choice. They are very afraid, but they fight for their country because it is the right thing to do. Many have risked their own lives to save the life of their buddy. Many who do receive medals of honor for their bravery. This also applies to firemen and police officers. God will reward you too if you take courage and do what is right.
OUR EXAMPLES
Many men and women in the Bible had courage. Noah had the courage to build the ark, just like God told him to, even when others mocked him. Elijah faced wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and confronted them with their wickedness. David, a teenager, faced and defeated Goliath, a mighty warrior. Jesus faced the cross, doing what was right even when it was hard. He died in our place so that we could live in Heaven with Him forever if we trust Him to save us. Jesus' disciples were afraid when He was arrested, but after He rose from the dead, they were full of courage and testified of Him.
SAY WHAT’S RIGHT
One such follower of Jesus was a man named Stephen. Stephen was arrested by the Jewish council for speaking out about Jesus. These were the same men who had had Jesus killed. God gave him the courage to stand before them and to tell them the truth about God’s Word and explain that Jesus was truly the promised Messiah. The council of men got so angry at Stephen that they grabbed him and threw him out of the city. There they threw rocks at him until he died. As he was breathing his last, he looked up into heaven, and there he saw Jesus standing, waiting to greet him into heaven. Stephen was the first Christian “martyr”. That means that he was the first Christian to be killed for what he believed. Since then, many Christians have been killed for following Jesus. Great is their reward in Heaven.
Will you be like Stephen - willing to stand up for Jesus in your school and neighborhood? You probably won’t be stoned to death for speaking out for Jesus, but you might be made fun of. God will give you the courage to: 1 - DO WHAT’S RIGHT, 2 - SAY WHAT’S RIGHT.