Courage from Responsibility

Courage can be defined as the ability to act in the midst of fear, discouragement, the unknown or when something traumatic or devastating has occurred. The Apostle Paul tells us in the book of Philippians, chapter 4 verse 13, “We can do All things through Christ who strengthens us”. I’ve found through my own failings and doubt that God, through His Son, Jesus can give me the strength to overcome our circumstances and push us past failures and shame. Last night while watching the movie Courageous I was reminded how each of us struggle with being courageous in different areas of our lives. In the movie there are four very capable policemen but were all dealing with unique struggles. The main character loses his 9 year old daughter to a drunk driver and as you could image his family is devastated. He wonders if they can ever move beyond the shock and grief of losing a loved one. Another struggles with his identity as his father was never part of his life. Feeling angry and abandoned he has to come to terms with forgiving his dad. The third had gotten a woman pregnant while in college and wanted her to “take care of it”. She had the baby but he decided he didn’t want any part of her. The fourth is cutting corners to make ends meet by stealing cocaine evidence and selling it.

On the outside they were all stand up policemen but inside each one was struggling desperately. Their lives were unraveling. It wasn’t until they began to take responsibility for their situations that things began to turn around. Taking full responsibility for our lives takes courage but it’s always worth it. Once they did, their circumstances began to change. God began to work in each situation and their attitudes toward their struggles changed. In life, I’ve come to find that the greatest display of courage is when a man or woman takes responsibility for their circumstances. Accepting our part in our past takes courage but once it’s done anything is possible. Take a moment to reflect on your own life to identify possible areas you need to be courageous and accept responsibility. You’ll never regret you did!