Courage
In every time and every season there is a new phase of spiritual warfare we need to take a strong stand against. God calls us to stand up for what is right and to be a visible representation of God's strength in the midst of the troubles of this world.
Courage isn’t measured in medals and victories.
In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego boldly say:
“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18).
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to throw away the opportunity to lead and influence the Babylonian nation and the Israelites in order to obey God. Obedience to God comes before any other good thing that you might do. We have to obey God first and let our obedience to Him shape what our influence over others looks like rather than allowing a desire to positively influence others to shape what obedience to God looks like. We may not get a medal or even see an immediate victory, but the only thing that should be important to us is continuing on the path of obedience.
Courage is measured by the struggles you overcome.
The badge of courage is measured by the size of the enemy that one is willing to stand up to and continue to show obedience and allegiance to God in its presence. We demonstrate our courage by the willingness we have to stand against the pressures to compromise.
The strongest people aren't always the people who win, but the people who don't give up when they lose.
In Matthew 26, Peter denies Jesus in the face of potential persecution. There isn’t a much greater defeat than Peter’s denial of Jesus, and yet, in John 21, Jesus restores Peter three times for the three times he forsakes Him. Even if you feel you’ve done something as bad as denying Jesus in His hour of need, God wants to restore you to a right relationship with Him. Jesus died to restore your relationship with God.