The Death of Courage

Tumultuous times, fueled by violence, widespread sickness, political turbulence and economic uncertainty generated a tsunami of fear and panic across the land in 2020.

Elected officials, law enforcement, medical professionals, business owners and religious leaders have been scrambling for answers and trying to implement solutions. Every corner of society has been impacted by these unprecedented events. So much what we’ve been accustomed to has changed, probably forever. As such, many do not know the sort of responses that are appropriate.

Even believers have been seemingly eager to embrace a worldly response, succumbing to the fear and panic that has gripped the entire world and allowing anxiety to rule in their hearts.

But fear did not just creep into the church unawares; it stormed right in and grabbed Christians by the throat while they stood down, waving the white flag. Fear is a potent and deadly weapon, wielded well recently by the enemy of our souls. Believers who say they ‘trust Jesus’ have shrunken in collective worry and inner turmoil. They’ve hidden in their houses in cowardice, nervously biting their fingernails and wringing their hands over the news of a spreading virus. Attending church has become more dangerous to them than the more serious and harmful effects of their isolationism. Of course people need to watch after their health where possible. Of course we advocate for using wisdom and common sense. But courage is gasping for breath as fear’s stranglehold chokes it to death.

Do Not Anxiously Look About You

God has a better way for us. In His Word, He tells His people numerous times not to cower in fear (Joshua 1:9, Deut. 31:6, John 14:27, Phil. 4:8, and like over 300 other places). We have no basis for our fears (2 Tim. 1:8). And not only that, God tells us that He is there to guide us through troubling circumstances (Isaiah 41:10). We are not left alone to figure this all out.

Our times are not unlike the times that the children of Israel were experiencing back in Isaiah’s day. There is nothing new under the sun, as we compare our societal instability (and our response) with that which is explained in Isaiah 41. As the people quivered in fear in this passage, their reaction was to attempt to ‘improve’ and ‘prop up’ their man-made gods, even securing them better so that they wouldn’t fall down. But God’s solution is more superior (Isaiah 41:10):

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”.

He says He will ‘strengthen you’. While He certainly gives us physical strength and stamina, this is the assurance of mental strength. It is the security of God’s power that gives us courage! We can stare right into the eyes of the future with a boldness that we only obtain from the Lord.

He also says He will ‘help you’. Isn’t help what we need? This means the Lord is surrounding and defending us from attacks. He’s keeping us safe. He’s protecting you and protecting me! The word here is often used in the context of being an ally in war. In other words, God has come to our aid which assures our overwhelming victory in the battle.

Finally in this verse, God says that He will ‘uphold you’. God is saying here that He will hold onto us. He won’t let go. He will support us. He will keep us steady. He can do this because of who He is: the almighty, powerful, sovereign ruler of the universe… active in the lives of every single one of His beloved children.

As Christians, do we really believe this? I fear (pun intended) that we’re looking for our security in staying away from other human beings, hiding our faces, hoarding hand sanitizer and getting vaccines. ’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus’.