Courage is often associated with acts of bravery that defy typical
human experience: running through flames to save a child, jumping in a
raging river to pull someone to shore, or chasing down a thief to retrieve a
stolen purse. But courage doesn’t always look so heroic. Courage is
standing your ground when you feel like running; it’s saying yes to
something you feel God is telling you to do even when you aren’t sure that
you can do it. We need only be mindful to ask, as God’s word tells us in 2
Thessalonians 1:11 “May he give you the power to accomplish all the good
things our faith prompts you to do.” When we place our trust and hope in
God, he will give us the courage we need to do the tasks he wants us to
do. If that includes doing something heroic, great! But let’s not
underestimate the importance of walking courageously in the small things
as well.
Courage can be sharing your testimony with a room full of people. . .
or with one. It can be telling someone you don’t want to hear their negative
thoughts about other people. We know that our words are powerful. We
understand that with what we say we can build someone up or tear them
down. But apart from the words we speak directly to one another, we must
realize that even the words we speak behind someone’s back can have a
tremendous effect on them.
From celebrity gossip, to telling our friends about an experience we
had with someone, we talk about others all the time. These conversations
tend to be negative. What if we decided to be radically set apart with our
words and conversations? What if we began a movement to reverse gossip
by spreading words of the greatness in people instead? What if we spent
our time dreaming about how we could help others instead of bettering
ourselves? Our hearts and lives would reflect Jesus much more clearly if
we would simply change the way we speak about others.
Our world is full of negative speak, especially when we can be
“anonymous” in our electronic communications and social media society.
Let’s ask Jesus to tame our tongues and give us the gift of gracious words.
Let kindness flow easily from our lips and let us speak greatness over
others daily, so that sweetness is brought to the souls of those around us.
Proverbs 16:14 tells us, “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness
to the soul and health to the body.”
I am asking God to help me to walk courageously in this life and
move me through each situation with greater awareness of the witness my
words and actions send into the lives of others. One action, one thought,
one conversation at a time, I can trust God to heighten my awareness that I
am given the courage to bring gracious words to others, just as his word
brings grace and mercy to me.