I learned that courage was
not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who
does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. – Nelson Mandela
Courage is doing it
afraid. It is facing fear in the face and moving on. It is showing compassion
to the one who maltreats you. It is living with a selfish and wicked spouse yet
loving them with the love of God. It is not giving up even when it is so glaring
you are facing serious oppositions on all sides. It is smiling while going
through the proverbial eye of a needle.
Courage will put a spring
in your steps; it will bring out the best in you. People who await your
downfall in your time of adversity may not understand your resolve but you know
why giving up isn’t an option.
Courage isn’t failing; it is rising from the
ashes of discouragement, it is standing to your feet when you’ve been beaten to
the ground, dusting off your clothes and matching forward. In the school of
courage, your perspective matters a lot.
Courage is when a parent
loves their child born with disability and helps him discover the purpose for
his being regardless of his obvious handicap. Celebrities like Stevie wonder,
Cobhams Asuquo, John Foppe and so many others were not born ‘whole’ but they
have excelled and are being celebrated the world over. They would have ended up
on road sides as beggars but for their parents whose support, love and
encouragement made a difference in their lives.
Pastor Chirs Oyakhilome
defines courage as “the ability and the will to do what is right or necessary
even when you’re faced with adversity. It is the will and ability to stand up
for what is right in spite of opposition.”
We need men and women of
courage in all spheres of life in this nation as leaders of industry, in the
Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, in fact, wherever human beings are found. We
need people who will stand up for what is right in the sight of God. We need
youths who can live right and change their world for good.
God made man in his
image and likeness. He gave all his creatures the ability to discern between
good and evil. The wickedness of man against his fellow man is as a result of
the choice the individual makes not necessarily because he is unaware of the
consequences of his actions.
We should safeguard the
future of our country and not leave it in the hands of a select few whose minds
have been seared with a hot iron. Some of our leaders have compromised their
position and as far as they are concerned, Nigeria belongs to them and their
cronies. It will take courageous people to wrest this great nation out of their
hands and position it rightly for the benefit of all citizens.
Terrorists, armed robbers,
kidnappers and their ilk know their trade is a dangerous one but they believe
in a cause which they are convinced will lead them somewhere desirable not
minding the sorrow and pain they inflict on their victims in the course of
their activities. That kind of courage for the positive, to strengthen others,
to give them hope is what we yearn for. That is what will make people believe
in their leaders.
Human beings naturally want to follow those who are stronger
than them, who are motivators not manipulators, who know where they are going,
who are good communicators who can encourage them because according to John
Maxwell, ‘encouragement is the engine of the soul’.
Have the courage to face a
fight even to make a fight. Whatever you do, do not chicken out when the battle
gets fiercer. Give your adversaries something to talk about so that when you
eventually emerge from the furnace of affliction, your transformation,
upliftment and deliverance will be evident for all to see.
Courage is not joining the
bandwagon to cause mayhem. It is standing out from the crowd when everybody is
going the popular way. It is literally being on your own so to say in pursuing
a cause you believe in. Everybody needs courage.
Courage is not just
physical bravery; we have entrepreneurs such as Aliko Dangote and Bill Gates
who have impacted their world positively by following their dreams, great
leaders such as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela amongst others who risked
their lives and chose to speak out against injustice. Courage is facing
challenges with dignity or faith.
God told Joshua, Moses’
successor to be courageous because he knew the task ahead was going to be very
daunting. As a leader, Joshua understood it was not going to be a tea party. He
must have had his strategies on how to lead the Israelites but God’s assurance
of being with him while he steers the wheel of leadership must have made the
task very easy and rewarding.
Courage elicits commitment. He was committed to
making his contribution to the people of God and it helped him a great deal
because when the people saw war, Joshua knew from hindsight they would prevail.
He was emboldened to carry on because of the encouragement he got from God.
David was a youth when he
defeated the giant goliath of Gath who terrorized his nation for some time.
Before his emergence on the scene, he had demonstrated courage at various times
while taking care of his father’s cattle in the wilderness. He confronted and
killed wild animals that attempted to eat up the flock under his care, so he
knew what he was up against when he faced the giant.
Nothing good comes easy.
If you must excel in life, courage is a virtue you must not toy with because
with it, you can do that which seems impossible only if you don’t quit mid-way.
Anyone can start something
but it takes guts and perseverance to win the game. The wrong things most times
seem to produce better results but they do not last. The good will always
prevail over the bad no matter what.
You were born for something; courage will
lead you to discover your purpose for living. Do not give it all up because of
some light afflictions. Just like those who conquered their world, you can also
show your mettle and be counted for something worthwhile.
I charge you to be
courageous and hopeful. Although trials and temptations assail you, look to a
higher force and be encouraged. Only believe you are not alone. At the end of
the day you would discover it really pays to be strong and of a good courage.
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