At CANDACE, we are beginning a journey to realize our identity in Christ. When we read through the Bible, God has SO much to say about who we are because of our relationship with Him through Christ. So where do we start?
While viewing this blog, we can't help but notice the name of our ministry, CANDACE. The C is for COURAGEOUS...so let's start there.
When looking up "courage" in the bible, the first scriptures to appear are found in the book of Deuteronomy. God knew how much his followers would need to remember to be courageous once they accepted His promises, so he warned them often to be brave.(Deuteronomy 31:6, 31:7, 31:23)
This is not unlike today, once we accept to live by the promises of God, we need courage. The courage to live differently, the courage to face rejection when we share the changes God is making in our lives, and the courage to trust God as we follow Him by faith (not focused on what we see).
It becomes clear early on that we will struggle when we try to walk this walk without courage.
So how do we walk as Courageous women when we face fearful situations everyday?
1) Being courageous means ACCEPTING THAT FEARFUL SITUATIONS WILL COME. Throughout the Bible, believers faced circumstances that caused, if nothing else, momentary fear. God knew His children would experience fear. He also commanded that we be courageous in spite of those fears.
2) Being courageous means being aware that OUR COURAGE COMES FROM GOD THROUGH OUR FAITH IN JESUS! Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith... (Hebrews 12:2). It is from Him that we get what we need to face our fears. Without Him, we are NOTHING, which brings us to #3...
3) The foundation to being courageous is KNOWING GOD IS WITH US! After telling the Israelites to be courageous, God immediately followed up with the promise that He would be with them.The one Truth Christians have to embrace, to be courageous, is that God is with us, no matter how we feel.
4) Being courageous rests in BELIEVING AND ACTING ON on the promises of God.We have the choice to focus on what God says or what others (even the voices in our heads) say. In the book of Joshua, Chapter 1 God directs him to, "Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go." Our courage, and success, depends on who we listen to.
5) Being courageous means MAKING A DECISION and FOLLOWING THROUGH. The evidence of one's courage is demonstrated in their actions. You demonstrate courage by how you respond to a challenging situation. As Christians, we can't be wishy-washy. We have to seek God for wise decision-making, AND then we must ACT on those decisions. Our indecisiveness has a negative impact on us, as well as others around us, including our children. NOTE: Your decisions may not always be popular, or understood by everyone, but if you know you are following God, stand firm. (Acts 27:25)
6) Being courageous means understanding that GOD IS GREATER than anything we face. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). We can't just quote this verse without acknowledging that we will be tested on whether or not we really believe it. No matter how enormously overwhelming the problem you're facing, remember GOD IS GREATER!
There are many other examples of courage in the bible. For more on Godly courage, go to http://www.youversion.com/ or http://www.biblegateway.com/, and do a keyword search on the word "courageous" and read about what God says.
