Courage

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalm 27:13-14 ESV). A study was recently completed on corporate managers. In it they were asked if they voiced positions that focused on the good of the company, rather than personal benefit, and jeopardized their own careers. Emerging from this study were the four leader-types, which are found in all organizations.  Type #1 - courageous. These people expressed ideas to help the company improve, in spite of personal risk or opposition.  Type #2 - confronting. These people spoke up, but only because of a personal vendetta against the company.  Type #3 - callused. These people didn’t know, or care, whether they could do anything for the company; they felt helpless and hopeless, so they kept quiet.  Type #4 - conforming. These people also remained quiet, but only because they loathed confrontation and loved approval. The researchers discovered that the courageous managers accomplished the most, reported the highest job satisfaction, and eventually were commended by superiors. Their commitment had certainly improved the quality of their lives. Whether in a corporate setting or not, courage is essential in the life of a Christian. It always brings risk to the individual. However, the Lord’s desire is to be with us through the risk and bring blessing to those around us. Theodore Roosevelt said: In the battle of life, it is not the critic who counts; nor the one who points out how the strong person stumbled, or where the doer of a deed could have done better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually strive to do deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends oneself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he or she fails, at least fails while daring greatly. Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. Leonidas, King of Sparta, was preparing to make a stand with his Greek troops against the Persian army in 480 B.C. when a Persian envoy arrived. The man urged on Leonidas the futility of trying to resist the advance of the huge Persian army. “Our archers are so numerous,” said the envoy, “that the flight of their arrows darkens the sun.” “So much the better,” replied Leonidas, “for we shall fight them in the shade.” Leonidas made his stand, and died with his 300 troops. What “type” of person are you? Be courageous in your stand for the Lord today!