Courageous Decisions Change Destinies

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Driving down the road last week, seeing the price of fuel on the BP signboard, I thought "Jesus, I need fresh courage for the future". Hearing the news from Eastern Europe, I thought "Jesus, we need fresh courage for the future".

Courage: the strength to persevere, to act in the face of danger, discomfort or difficulty. To be willing to let go of the familiar. There is so much we cannot control, and we need courage to commit to moving forward, with confidence in a God who holds the future!

EVERYTHING WORTHWHILE IN LIFE REQUIRES COURAGE.

Visiting a church for the first time requires courage. Coming back to church after two years away requires courage. It takes courage to say "I'm sorry". It takes courage to forgive. To start something new. To ask someone out on a date. To wrestle with addiction. To face sickness. To get baptized. To come humbly before God. Everything worthwhile in life requires courage.

Think through what you know of history, of the people you admire. What would the world be without courageous decisions that change destinies?

Maya Angelou said that courage is the greatest virtue a person can have. Yet, it is far to often overshadowed by something darker, scarier and powerful - FEAR. We fear all kinds of things: rejection, failure, pain, discomfort, suffering, change, losing what we have worked hard to gain. Fear can become a barrier that stops us from moving forward.

FEAR SHOULD BE A BRIDGE, NOT A BARRIER!

Courage, is not the absence of fear, but courage is the choice to move forward in the face of fear. Fear should be a bridge to walk over into the future, rather than a barrier.