Encouragement

Courage

by Brian Passe
07/22/14
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

Courage is not the absence of fear; rather, it is the discipline of perseverance. We often turn away from opportunities because we doubt our abilities to endure their challenges. While we are able to encourage others to pursue a dream, we hold ourselves back from the experience of trying something new or unfamiliar. One of the greatest gifts God has given us is our sense of curiosity. Children are the most curious and willing to explore because they have yet to feel the sting of defeat or humiliation. They have a sense of wonder that makes every day a new day, every adventure a thrill, and every opportunity a wonderland of awe. Children are fearless until they grow up. With age comes the crucible of experience, which holds the blend of our uncertainties. Left unwashed, those uncertainties fester into an apocryphal notion of self-deception. The self-doubts of our strengths and abilities become realities as we slowly drift into the slumber of hesitancy. Timid reluctance becomes the norm and the thrill of life is washed from our character. Courage does not demand physical strength nor limited to a chosen few. It does not come by nature but is nurtured by faith and love. It is with faith that a man commits himself to a woman. It is with love that a mother sacrifices herself for her children. The pledging bond between a man and a woman strengthens them both; just as an entangling weave of thin strings make a strong rope. Their marriage grows in strength when they persevere together through triumphs and tragedies. Too often couples lose their courage to sustain and grow their love in marriage. The early thrill of togetherness is slowly evaporated by the daily events of life. Thinking that the early passions will remain forever, they do not foster a sustaining love that can grow deeper by facing the challenges and joys of daily life. Rather than forge a bond tempered by a united endeavor, one often chooses a spurious relationship outside the marriage covenant. Searching for a false dream, one grasps the vapor of an imagined true love. True courage, like true love, perseveres; it does not falter, it does not quit. Each day is a gift that can be relished or scorned; it depends on one’s choices and hopes. Lose your hope and you lose your courage. Lose your courage and you lose your love.