Courage Is Always There For The Taking

​Courage isn't something on a wish list.

Courage isn't something you'll receive from a character development class.

Courage isn't something waiting for just the right time to come knocking at your door.

No, courage is always waiting for you to come knocking at its door.

There's a story in the bible. The disciples are in a boat in the middle of a strong storm, when, out of nowhere, Jesus walks on the stormy waters to greet them.

And the disciples cried out, clearly scared to death (who wouldn't be) - "it's a ghost"!

Jesus said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

It's interesting, isn't it, that Jesus didn't tell them to hang in there, the storm will be over soon. Jesus didn't promise them that if they'd hang out with him long enough the storms would no longer be scary.

No. Jesus told them: TAKE courage.

Jesus was letting them know, and through them letting US know, courage is always there in front of us if we will just reach out and grab hold of it. Jesus seems to be saying, take courage, because if you're waiting around for courage to take you, it's going to be a pretty stormy and scary life.

Having courage means having faith. And having faith requires taking a risk. Many times we want assurances that our courage will be worth it as a prerequisite to having courage. That is backward thinking when it comes to courage, though, because assurances don't come until after we've had the courage to take a step.

A risk.

Pastor Robert Madu says, "you don't get the revelation until after the risk."

Maybe you don't follow Jesus. Maybe that's not the source of your faith. Maybe that's not where your invitation to take a risk comes from. But still, I hope we will all know and feel, so much of what we long to fully know about life, long to accomplish in life, long to experience in this life, so much of it is on the other side of that big door called courage.

I will tell you, for too much of my life, I stood staring at that door. Waiting for it to open, maybe? Waiting for someone to pop through it and extend a hand and say courage will see you now?

Well, that door never opened - at least not until I opened it.

And I will tell you, there is a lot more to life than I ever imagined on the other side of that door. I always knew there was more, but not THIS much more.

That door still trips me up now and again. But it has been helpful to know that door isn't going to open itself while I'm tripping. The answer to that door of courage always remains the same.

Take courage, because it IS there for the taking.

What door are you staring at today?

Open it.