The phrase, "Be strong and courageous", is repeated several times in the Bible, perhaps most famously in Deuteronomy 31 and Joshua 1. Here, God is calling Joshua to take over where Moses left off, to lead the Israelites into the promised land. In Joshua 1:6-9, God says, "Be strong and courageous", three times, accompanied by three reminders: for Joshua to obey God's commands, that God will be with him, and that God will fulfill His promises. In the Bible, things are emphasized through repetition, and the number three respresents a stable pattern that can be legally counted on and trusted. We should pay attention.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. —Deuteronomy 31:6
The Hebrew word translated, "be strong," is, "chazak," a root word that carries the idea of latching onto something and not letting go: to tenaciously hold on; to be courageous, strong, firm, and resolute; to press in and prevail. The second word, translated, "courageous," is, "amatz," another Hebrew root, which conveys the idea of being physically or mentally alert and having a steadfast mind or will; the idea of being determined. Taken together, these words are a call to rally our hearts and strengthen our resolve for the battles we all face. (c.f., Strong's Concordance #'s 02388 & 0553)
Similar phrases are found in the Psalms: "be strong and take heart" (Psalm 27:14 & 31:24), and in the New Testament: "do not be afraid or discouraged" (1 Chronicles 22:13). These commands come with the comforting promises that God will be with us and make us victorious. He will do the work; we must make the sometimes difficult choice to trust Him.
Christian bravery is not some hype based on the rush of adrenaline and a stirring pep-talk. True to the upside-down Kingdom of God, we develop courage through our willingness to admit our weakness and trust in God to save us.
As Christ-followers, we can be brave in the knowledge that we are never alone. The King of the Universe is on our side and we can be sure that He will keep His promises. This is the perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18); knowing that no matter what happenes, we have the promise of being with God, both while we are here on earth and when we die. Nothing can separate us from His love. Therefore, no matter what happens, we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:35-39)
Jesus himself relied on His Father's presence in His final hours, especially knowing that everyone else would desert him, including his disciples. In spite of this, He tells his disciples to have courage, because if He can overcome, so can we!
A time is coming... [when] you will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. —John 16:32-33 (NIV)
Facing our fears is risky. It requires stepping out of our comfort zone and making ourselves vulnerable. We are imperfect beings and we will make mistakes. And we will get hurt, both emotionally and physically. One of the bravest things I ever did was choosing to love someone who cut me to the core. Impossible without the help of Jesus.
So, why would we do it? Why would we take these kinds of risks and endure this potential harm? Because we believe in a God who forgives and covers our mistakes, who will not allow anything to happen to us unless He can use it for our best (James 1:2-8, Romans 8:28), who led by example through Christ, who will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6, Matthew 28:20), and who promises the freedom of an abundant life when we courageously choose to trust and follow Him (John 10:10). And remember, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13).
On the other side of fear is freedom: freedom to live life unhindered and brave, boldly following in the footsteps of Jesus who forever changed the world by both standing up to authority, and choosing out of love to die on a cross.
My friend and colleague, Mary Felch, LMFT, does wonderful work with art and therapy. She had this to say about, "standing on the steps of bravery".
To be brave does not mean one doesn't feel fear...it means that you've decided something else is more important than your fear. And so we step forward, knees shaking, voice cracking, tears swelling and we refuse to hide. We move out and own the life we only hoped was possible. Bit by bit we find we are much stronger than we thought we were. Sometimes to our own amazement we find we are still standing through the battle. And there are these undeniable moments where we feel God is with us.
Developing Christian courage requires faith and lots of practice. Christians are called to be brave for a greater purpose, to do so in obedience to God's commands and in order to stand up for what is right and good. We all have times when we are staring fear in the face. Living and loving well takes nerve and daring. We can do it! We can choose to trust God in the midst of our fear, confident that the Spirit of Jesus will give us the strength to take heart. By doing so, we find true freedom. The world, and the wonder of God's provision, open up to us as we risk putting feet to our faith.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
Towards this end, I pray for each of us, that we will be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ, and that we will be able to take in the infinite scope of God's Love, so that we will be filled to capacity and beyond, empowered to bravely do more than we could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:14-20).
Take heart, my friends. Be strong and resolute, "Chazak v'ematz!"
(c.f., "Chazak- Be Strong!" by John J. Parsons, & "Cultivating Jewish Courage" by Rabbi Marc Margolius)
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