By Jadi Rodriguez, FAITH RXD Board of Directors, FAITH RXD Houma Chapter Director and Chaplain.
FITNESS WORKOUT
The Mindset
A new month and a new skill this week! We turn our attention to courage. The key to your mindset, as you stir up the courage to step into this Fran-like metcon, is to remember that you are not doing this for you, but you are doing it unto the Lord, which means, it is not you who supplies the courage, but the Spirit of the Lord that resides in you.
The Workout
9 Down to 1
Dumbell Thrusters (50/35)
Pull-ups
(9 Dumbell Thrusters, 9 Pull-ups, 8 Dumbell Thrusters, 8 Pull-ups, 7 Dumbell Thrusters, 7 Pull-ups, etc)
FAITH WORKOUT
Reading
Joshua 1:9 ESV
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Message
I do not often do this, but I will reveal what is behind the curtain two weeks from now.
We will finish February with an understanding of the ultimate courage, facing death. But before we do so, we nee to talk about the courage that most of us deal with from a day-to-day standpoint.
What I mean is perhaps it would be easier to first discuss the kind of courage that prepares us for the final act before we start thinking about the final act.
I’m sure you have heard it said before, courage is not necessarily not being afraid, but rather courage isdoing what must be done despite being afraid.
What are some general things that scare you?
For me, it is getting on a plane. I just do not like flying. It’s hard for me to admit that I am afraid of something that I know is so safe. But when that sucker begins to shake in the middle of turbulence, I immediately question what possessed me to get in a glorified Coke can thirty thousand feet up in the air.
Then there are the obvious, inevitable fears. Losing my parents, my wife, or my dog; or something possibly happens to a loved one and causes them pain. I am three months from having a daughter, and I am sure I have never faced deep fear until I know what it is like to be a father.
In our reading today, God spoke to Joshua shortly after Moses had died. He commissioned Joshua to proceed into the promised land and take what God had promised. I would encourage you to read the entire chapter, if not at least verses one through nine. I caution you, however, to keep the context in mind and not fall for the common trap. The point of the scripture is not to encourage you to think that if you follow God’s laws, you will be prosperous here in this earthly life. Just about any respectable theologian would agree that the promise of prosperity is not an earthly one. But the principles of facing our worldly fears are still the same as the promises of God for the next life.
Knowing that our Living God is sovereign, we are more likely to be courageous when we lean into worldly fears. That is because we trust in a God that will not deviate from His plan to bring glory to Himself.
So what does courage look like in my everyday life as a Christian?
Psalm 27:14 ESV
“Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!”
I marvel at how often scripture tells us something that seems nonsensical or contrary to worldly logic and philosophies. Then again, scripture reminds us that the Christian life is not earthly and that the philosophies of men will lead us astray like a lost sheep.
The reality is that there is no lack of motivational speakers that tell you the way to be courageous is to go and face your fears! Some even call themselves preachers. It is getting harder and harder in these messages to not call them out by name, but I digress.
These motivational preachers, let’s call them, will say, “Go!” Yet scripture says, “Wait.”
They will tell you that you have the power in you! Yet scripture will tell you that you are powerless without God.
They will tell you that you just need to believe in yourself! Yet scripture tells you to believe in the Lord.
The self-help gospel of these motivational speakers is not hard to find. Just open up youtube, type “inspirational message,” find the preacher’s name, search for their Instagram, and go see how many followers they have. It’s not full-proof, but chances are if they have hundreds of thousands of followers, you found them.
Why?
Because the real gospel is not a popular message. The counterfeit is. And that’s because everyone is thirsty to hear just how good they really are. It tickles the ear scripture says.
Charles Spurgeon put it like this, “Christians are not as much in danger when they are persecuted as when they are admired.”
It may not be Instagram-worthy, but the reality is real courage is not about going and taking action. No! Real courage is about being long-suffering enough and having enough faith to wait on God to be God.
Think about it. The longer it takes for the results you desire, the stronger you get? Absolutely not. Most of us lose faith as time goes on. Yet Psalm 27, the psalm titled “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation.” The psalm that starts:
“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?”
That same psalm tells you to wait, be strong and take courage as you wait on the Lord.
Are you afraid as you wait?
2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Do not be afraid as you wait! Remember that it is no longer you who lives! But rather Christ who lives in you. You have been crucified with the Son of Man on the cross at Calvary. And in such, it is Christ, in His Holy Spirit, that lives in you. And that is THE Spirit that Paul was talking about in 2 Timothy 1:7. The Spirit of God that Timothy and Paul received. The same one you and I received when we were saved. The same one we affirmed on our baptism. That Spirit is not a spirit of fear, for the Lord has nothing to fear, He is God all mighty! His spirit is one of power and love and self-control.
It does not matter if the circumstances are a loaded barbell at a competition or a movement you have never done in the open. There is no matter too small for the Spirit of God to be magnified and glorified. This! This is why it is ultimately so important that we live a life of courage while living in this world. Not because it’s a way to live our best life. No! It’s because by showing courage in situations where most are fearful, we can give God glory when others admire our courage.
So next time you hit that lift or jump into that rig fearlessly and someone admires and compliments your courage, remember to tell them.
Tell them it was all Him. Who dies for you and now lives in you. Courageously!
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION OR PERSONAL JOURNALING:
- What was the workout like for you? Did God reveal anything to you while you did it?
- Is there something in your life now that you’re avoiding because of how it scares you?
- What was your understanding of courage before today’s message? Has it changed?
- In what ways were you challenged by in today’s message?
