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Is your courage cancer-free?

I am convinced that small acts of courage change the course of history.  Queen Esther courageously approached the king and said, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).  Nehemiah boldly asked, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it” (Nehemiah 2:5).  Three Jewish friends courageously faced Nebuchadnezzar and said, “We will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:18).  Peter and the apostles declared, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Esther saved the Jews.  Nehemiah rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem.  The three Jewish friends were promoted to high positions of political power in Babylon.  The Roman world heard the Gospel because the apostles would not be silent.

So when have I acted courageously?  How about you?  Our courage might not be tested by the threat of execution, death by fire, or imprisonment.  Rather, our courage might be tested by fear of rejection, humiliation, or ridicule.  What will people think of me if I pray before a meal at a restaurant?  What will my neighbor say if I invite him to church?  Sometimes our courage wanes at the first hint of being uncomfortable. 

I call them “courage cancers”—abnormal growth of fears that eat away at our spiritual cells of fortitude and determination.  Will I be rejected?  Will I be considered “weird”?  I’ll just go along with the crowd.  These, and other thoughts like them, grow like tumors in our souls, destroying our spiritual confidence to live out our faith in the public arena.

I know, because I’ve had these malignancies all my life.  I’ve hesitated in speaking out against something I know is wrong, because I didn’t want to offend.  I’ve missed opportunities to share my faith, because I didn’t want to come across as a “right-wing religious nut.”  The danger in this is that if we don’t treat these malignancies, they will continue to grow.  Our spiritual zeal and courage deflates as our fears increase and take over more territory in our souls. 

Courage doesn’t always come naturally in our broken shells of humanity.  We can’t always muster up the strength to face the spiritual battles, especially when those courage cancers have weakened us.  According to the Apostle Paul, when we reach that point of spiritual incapacity, we open ourselves up to Christ’s capacity.  When we are weak, He is strong (1 Corinthians 12:10b).  Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (1 Corinthians 12:9).

Jesus is the healing power for our courage cancers.  “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18), and Jesus is the perfect manifestation of that perfect love.  Stop trying to heal yourself and turn to the Healer.  You can’t pull yourself up by your bootstraps, because yours sins weigh you down.  The only remedy is complete spiritual chemotherapy and radiation.  We put our trust in Jesus Christ who kills our malignancies and radiates our fears with His love.  He makes us a new creation (2 Corinthians 4:17), courage-cancer free.  Then we can walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) and produce the small acts of courage that change the course of history.

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Guide me with Your counsel, Oh Lord

On many occasions I find myself in need of divine counsel. Whether I’m trying to work through a challenge with one of my children or trying to discern next steps in ministry, I recognize the urgency for wisdom beyond myself. The older I get the more I realize how little I know and how desperate I am for the Lord’s guidance in all circumstances.

The Psalmist writes, “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory” (Psalm 73:24). As we become aware of our shortsightedness, we will rely upon the vision of the Lord. We often see in a mirror dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12), and in those moments of shadows and darkness, we call upon the One who casts away the night and brings the day to light (Romans 13:12).

Whatever you may be facing right now—sickness, discouragement, pain, loss, grief—the God whom we do not see never loses sight of us, and He is a safe Refuge to whom we turn. Be assured that the God of heaven is our counselor and friend. He “will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; [He] will counsel you with [His] eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8). Rest in the knowledge that His eye will not turn away from you in your moment of need.

We have a couple in our church whose grandson was recently diagnosed with cancer. In the prime of his youth, with his whole life ahead, this young man has been forced into a raging battle. “You guide us with your counsel,” O God. And we are grateful that with the Lord’s counsel and with the loving support of family and friends, we never have to face our battles alone.

In your season of trial, seek the Lord’s guidance through prayer and through His Word. As Charles Spurgeon writes, “A sailor is lost without a compass. A Christian is lost without the Bible.” Scripture is the navigational map that leads us through the channels of this life. You are blessed, O child of God, to know that the Map giver guides you now and even to the very end.

Hear the words of divine comfort that after the Lord guides us with His counsel, He will receive us to glory (Psalm 73:24b). This is the promise granted to all who trust in Him. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and after this life’s journey, He will receive us into His very presence where His glory fully abounds! Should the perplexities of life hinder your path, call upon the One who guides our steps. Rest assured in His divine counsel and be at peace in His loving care.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday” (Psalm 37:5-6).