Courage Rock

I did a Google search and discovered that the phrases “Fear not” or “Be not afraid” are recorded 70 times in the Bible. Fear can be a healthy emotion if it keeps us safe from danger. However, all too often fear inhibits us from living the courageous lives God has called us to live. In fact, if we give in to fear, it can make our world very small and ultimately put a lid on reaching our potential.

When I was a kid, I was painfully shy. In fact, I was so shy they held me back in kindergarten. They said I wasn’t emotionally prepared for first grade. I knew I was shy—and I hated that I was shy. Very early on I began to confront my fear. It took all the courage I had to speak up around people. When the teacher asked a question, I forced myself to raise my hand if I knew the answer. Over time, I began to come out of my shell and engage with the world.

When I was 8 or 9 years old, my mother enrolled me in a swimming class. I was terrified of water. When we went to the beach, I wouldn’t go any deeper than waist-high in the ocean. I was sure on my first day of swim lessons that I was going to drown. I had a very patient teacher who slowly helped me overcome my fear of water. After she taught me how to float, everything changed. Within a day or two I was swimming, and I’ve loved water and water sports ever since. I’m so glad I didn’t give in to my fear of water.

A few years ago, I spoke about being courageous. We took a bunch of rocks and painted the word courage on them. At the end of my message, we handed out the rocks and told people to take them home and keep them as a reminder to be courageous when the occasion called for it.

The Bible mentions courage around 33 times, and the phrase “Be strong and courageous” appears 13 times in various forms.

Think of it this way: every time we give in to a specific fear, we give up an area of freedom in our life. We literally become prisoners of our fears. When I first started surfing, I came pretty close to drowning. I survived the situation and decided I would never surf again. The next day I thought to myself, “If I give up surfing, I will lose something I love.” I faced my fears and decided to paddle back out. I’ve been surfing ever since.

Is there something you fear that has you locked down? Are you a people pleaser?

I’m a recovering people pleaser. Of all the fears I’ve managed to overcome, being a people pleaser has been the most difficult. People pleasers like myself fear not being liked. We will sometimes violate our own values so as not to offend someone. It’s the worst prison you can possibly be in. I ask God every day to help me be courageous and to not fall into my people-pleasing ways. The good news is that I am making progress.

Take a moment and ask yourself this question: Is there an area of my life that is dominated by fear? If so, will you face the fear, or will you continue to live in fear and limit your potential for joy and freedom?

I keep a courage rock close by to remind myself that I need courage—and that God will give me courage if I ask for it.

Be strong and courageous,

Steve