Sunday, August 12, 2007
I grew up on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland. Along with my brother and friends, we worked in the hotels, restaurants, and had other assorted summer jobs; but we lived at the beach! I can't think of a time when I didn't know how to swim and I learned to surf when I was twelve years old. I was a "surf-rat." We all hung out at the 19th Street beach stand (where umbrellas, chairs and surf mats were rented). Our parents or older siblings or friends would drop us off and we'd surf, swim, run around town and get into trouble.

When we just hung out at the beach stand, we'd tell and hear stories. It was there that the "older guys" held court. I mean, some of the guys were grizzled veterans, as old as 17 or 18 years old! Stories would be told of trips to exotic and forbidden places like South Africa, Central America, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. I'd sit there spellbound. Then stories were told of monster hurricanes and nor'easters that happened right there in Ocean City and we'd hear about the guys who dared to paddle out in death-defying storm surf.

Here's one such story:

I remember the storm of '71. Hartman was the only guy who got outside and it took him two hours of paddling in water that looked like a washing machine. He only caught one wave but it was as big as a three story building! The current ran down the beach like a freight train. Hurley got blown down the beach for 15 blocks and then he got sucked out of the Inlet. The Coast Guard had to pull him off of a buoy that was a mile out at sea!

I loved that stuff! I thought those guys were heroes. It was more than "just a sport" or a stunt. It had everything to do with bravery – with courage! It does something to me when I hear interviews with guys in Iraq who have performed incredible feats to rescue comrades at great personal risk. I can remember in the days after 9/11 hearing about firemen running into burning, collapsing buildings when everybody else was running out. I read about countries where they not only oppress Christians but actively persecute them and I am in awe of the courage of those Christ-followers who lay it on the line and even die for their faith.

That's the kind of person I want to be. I don't want to be manipulated by circumstances and crumple into a heap or compromise my convictions. I don't want to give up when it gets hard. I want to be bold and courageous. I think most of us here want that as well.

The Apostle Paul wrote to a young, fearful guy named Timothy, God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirt of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). It was like God was letting us know that He doesn't want His people slinking and cowering around because He has given us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.

It is easy to think that courage is the dramatic stuff that makes it to the TV news. But it takes real courage to face life with the challenges it throws at us every day. Each day we make choices to do the right thing or the easy thing. We choose to stand firm in conviction or shrink back, to tackle a problem or just give in, to trust a God we can't see and don't always understand or do things our way.

We certainly need courage to choose right over wrong. It takes strong character to be honest and pure and practice self-control. We are challenged with regards to our ethics at work. Do we keep our word? Do we tell the truth even when it makes us look bad? Do we take unfair advantage of a customer or co-worker because we are in a position of power? It takes boldness to stick to your convictions when people snicker and say you're idealistic or even a religious fanatic.

We need courage to have healthy and thriving relationships. Relationships that are authentic and growing and deep are that way because the participants in those relationships have courage. It's scary to get real about who you are and what you want (and don't want). But for a relationship to flourish, there must be intimacy and it takes guts to be self-disclosing. To have this kind of relationship you've got to push back fear so you can be honest and vulnerable. The tendency is to avoid it; and the relationship disintegrates, not from lack of communication but from lack of courage.

This type of boldness is an example of love! The Apostle John wrote, There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).

It takes courage to raise kids. Every parent here knows that it isn't easy. We don't like hearing our children's disapproval but it takes guts to stand firm, to say "no." It also takes courage to tell your kids "yes" when it's time for them to hear it. When it's time, every parent has to dig down deep and find the strength to let your kids make their own decisions and mistakes (and learn from them). Maybe even more, it takes courage to say, "I'm sorry, I blew it" to your child.

In friendships, the Apostle Paul tells us, ...speaking the truth in love...Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully (Ephesians 4:15, 25). It takes strong character to really "show up" in a relationship, to be "all there," to get beyond the superficial conversations to the deeper levels of truth about yourself.

Finally, it takes courage to live a meaningful and substantive spiritual life. Too many times we don't associate courage with spirituality. But it's not always the easiest thing to follow Christ, to do what the Word of God says. Sometimes what God tells us to do at best sounds counter-cultural and at worst unreasonable. But the Bible says that Christ-followers live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). So, real Christians push back the fears because they believe that God really can be trusted. No, real Christianity is not for cowards or weaklings.

So, how do we get courage?

First, we must face our fears. Our tendency is to assume that courageous people don't have fears. But that isn't true. Many times courage is doing what is needed in spite of your fear. It has been said, "Courage is fear that has said its prayers."

The first step of boldness is admitting what it is that you're afraid of. Many times when you can define the fear and bring it into the light, it begins to shrink! But when fear just floats, it remains unmanageable. So, what are you afraid of? Define it, describe it, and begin to dissect it. Talk to God about it; talk to a friend.

Then begin to focus on God. One of the most powerful verses in the Bible says this: Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

"Focus" means that you are to cultivate a deep awareness that God really is with you and He really does care for you and He will not let you go. This kind of awareness liberates us from the bondage of fear.

So if you're facing a tough decision? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. In a bad situation? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Do you have to have a difficult conversation? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

To grow our character, to be the people God created us to be, it takes courage! We need it and God gives it!

God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power!