Day 2088 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Exodus 9:16 NIV

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. Look, we all deal with fear. Maybe it's the fear of trying something new. It could be the fear of letting go of something we thought we needed. Perhaps it's the fear of walking away from a troubled relationship. Or it could simply be the fear of doing what's right in the face of tons of opposition. Whatever the case may be, fear is something that we all deal with.

But God calls us to be courageous. He needs us to be bold. He needs people that are willing to step up and step out of the shadows and carry His truth to the world. He needs people who are brave enough to walk away from something that's bad for them so that they can show others that it can be done. He needs people who are bold enough to risk falling and failing so that they can learn to trust in Him in spite of their weaknesses and worries. And it can be scary. Seeing as how the world has become far too comfortable living in sin, it's going to ruffle some feathers when we speak up and say that sin isn't okay.

We have to do it anyway. Not because it isn't scary because it definitely can be. We need to step up and share His Gospel because it's simply more important than the fear of making some people angry. We need to make the hard changes that we know need to be made because other people are living in doubt and being held back because they don't know if they can change. We need to be bold for what we believe in because people are watching to see if this faith is really as powerful as we claim.

People all around us are watching, listening, wondering. They're looking for hope that keeps them going even though they want to quit. They're praying for someone that's willing to listen to their struggles and actually care about what they're feeling. They're needing someone to share the truth of the Gospel because they're just tired of living in sin and being crushed under the weight of guilt and shame. They need people who are courageous enough to be different because different is exactly what our world needs most!

We have to let go of the fear of not fitting in, not being liked, not being perfect, not making mistakes. God doesn't need people who are popular or perfect. He doesn't need people that get everything right and never make a mistake. He just needs people who are willing to go where He says go. He needs people who are willing to stand up and do what is right even if it's extremely scary to do so. He needs us to understand that we're a part of something that is more important than fear. We're a part of something that can and will change lives. And when you think about the potential impact of maybe saving someone's life, all that fear just doesn't matter anymore.