Acting with Courage

Some of you, as parents, may have had your children go through a stage when they thought there was something scary under the bed at night. Perhaps it was a crocodile, a tiger, or even a monster lurking in the shadows. Maybe you checked under the bed to remind them there was nothing there and reassured your kids that Jesus was with them and there was no need to be afraid. Yet, fear is not always able to be rationalised away so easily.

The ‘monsters’ under the bed may no longer worry us, but other phantoms prowl in our minds as adults. It can be health, work, family, money or relationship stress. You may fear the future or failure, aging, heights, being alone, or being with too many people. Fear is paralyzing. It drains the ability to respond rationally to a situation even if we know there is not necessarily a reason to be afraid. Fear can cause us to lose sleep, affect our physical and emotional health and rule our life.

Have you ever noticed how negative our thinking can become when we are afraid? I have never seen a happy, joyous person who was caught in the grip of fear. Fear is not dispelled by hiding but by standing firm and taking a step no matter how small, in the right direction. The Bible reminds us not to be afraid and to be strong and courageous in the book of Daniel. As a young man, Daniel chose a life of strength and courage. Daniel was willing to speak when it would have been easier to be silent, to continue to worship God even when threatened with death should he continue, and, to walk in the den of lions knowing that he would rather die than compromise his faith. Does that mean that Daniel was unafraid? I think not. Rather he chose to act with courage despite his fear.

While we would like to protect our children from any possible hurt or upset, this is not possible. Preparing them for disappointments and facing challenges and fears with courage is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. C.S. Lewis captured this thought when he wrote ‘Since it is so likely children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.’ Let’s tell our children and one another the stories in the Bible, in novels and history as well as our own life, where fear is met with great courage.

Please enjoy the term break!