August 8, 2009

Courage

DaySpring is launching a new site called (In)Courage. It features some great bloggers including Lisa Leonard, Kristen of We Are THAT Family, and Tsh Oxenreider of Simple Mom. Over the next few weeks, the bloggers are writing about courage, and they have asked readers to write about what encourages them.

JENN_0271 Picnik

John Wayne once said, "Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway." I think that sometimes we equate courage with a lack of fear. If we aren't afraid, though, we really have no need for courage.

One of the greatest battles I fight is against fear--fear of big things, fear of little things, fear of things that would sound ridiculous to most people. I take great comfort in the fact that the phrase "do not fear" appears 365 times in the Bible. That's once for every day of the year. The fact that the words are found in the context of the stories is significant as well. God wouldn't waste words telling someone "do not fear" unless they were truly afraid. All those great heroes of the faith...they were trembling in their sandals!

I was raised on a cattle ranch. Cattle, horses, and cowboys were just part of everyday life. On days when my family worked cattle, everyone was up before dawn. Spurs jingled as the horses were carefully saddled in preparation for the work ahead. They saddled up because there was work to be done, and they intended to do it.

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway." It means it's all right for me to be afraid, but I shouldn't let it prevent me from doing what I need to do. Sometimes I'm trembling in my boots, but God whispers to me, "Do not fear." He is always there for me, and with that encouragment, I can saddle up.

8 comments:

  1. Jennifer,
    I, too, tend to shake a bit in my boots. (: I loved how you said, "It's all right for me to be afraid, but I shouldn't let it prevent me from doing what I need to do." Yes, perhaps the truest faith is when everything within us tells us to run and we choose to ride instead. Thanks for your perspective and for stopping by (in)courage!
    Holley - (in)courage

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  2. What a beautiful post! I had never heard that "do not fear" is in the Word 365 times ... what an amazing God we serve!!! Truly Scripture is God-breathed straight to our very souls.

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  3. Great post. I think nearly all of us struggle with fear. :)

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  4. Fear is my constant companion and no matter how many times I try and get rid of him, he always returns....I am so excited about the new site....I so want to encourage others. Love your blog.

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  5. This is a great post. I'm so encouraged by this reminder, straight from God's word. Thank you!

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  6. I knew there was a reason I loved John Wayne! What a great quite...and too true!

    m ^..^

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  7. I am a fear-er too!

    I can come up with the most bizarre and unlikely stuff, and still worry! Especially when it comes to my kids. Well, mostly. Imagining what COULD happen to them fills up about 98% of my fear-life.

    I love the fact that you have the count on the number of times do not fear shows up in your Bible. shows you know that there is a time in each day that God will be there to comfort you through whatever is inspiring that fear.

    I am visiting today from (in)courage.

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  8. Love your quote about being scared to death but saddling up anyway ... since being a mom, I find that I have to do that a lot!

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Thanks for visiting! I haven't been blogging long, so it is really fun for me when someone takes the time to comment!