Quick Take – Courage is something many people talk about and we often encourage others to have it.  It is a source of national pride that we as a country have courage in the face of terrorism.  We try to teach our children to have courage when they have to face their fears whether it is a situation or a person.  As leaders, you have to have courage in order to lead your organization through the trials that come.  You cannot afford to be one who turns and runs from issues or people.  You have to have the courage of a leader.  But have you ever thought about where the courage comes from?  There is some courage that comes from the flesh and some that must come from the Lord.  Do you know which one you have?  If not, read “Digging Deeper” today.

Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.  Psalms 31:24 (NASB)

And remember – Jesus wins!
Tim

     Digging Deeper – If you do a word search for “courage” in the Bible, you will find it listed thirty-two times.  In almost every use of the word, it is preceded by the verb “take.”  One would think it would be preceded by the verb “have”, but it is not.  We often admonish people to “have” some courage but rarely do we say “take courage.”  Now, sometimes we might say “take heart”, which from Middle English means the same thing as “take courage.”
     To take something is to find it outside yourself and in the possession of another.  I find it interesting that scripture never seems to tell us to “have” courage.  Scripture indicates that the real courage we need is not something we have.  We have to seek it and then lay hold of it.
     We have within ourselves the capacity for small amounts of courage.  I can teach my grandson to have the courage to stand in front of a ground ball and not step aside.  I can teach him to step up to the plate.  I can teach him to have enough courage to say “hello” to adults when I introduce him.  We all have the capacity for small amounts of courage inside   ourselves. 
     Some people have a very strong internal courage, but it is lacking in many ways.  They may be able to stand up to almost anything, but as long as it comes from the flesh it will have all the markings of the flesh.  Their courage will be impatient and forceful.  It will probably know how to build short-term value but not eternal value.  It will not have spiritual insight and will melt in the presence of the Lord.  The real courage we need to  face life with, must come from the Lord.
     God has for us the real courage we need.  It is something which is based in Him and not the flesh.  It is the kind of courage which Christ used to face the pain and agony of the cross. It is the courage He had to have to face being separated from God the Father because of taking our sins upon Himself.  It is a courage that changed the world.  It is the kind of courage it takes for you and me to be God glorifying leaders of courage.  It means we have to know the difference in fleshly courage and Godly courage.  We have to know what it looks like and how to get it.
Blessings, and thanks for digging deeper with me!