Life’s In the Abundance of Courage

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

— Anaïs Nin (1903–1977)

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the beginning, means, and end of life is sourced in courage. Courage and faith are so intertwined they may be indivisible.

These are important matters. People search their whole lives to discover the secret to surviving, even thriving, through life. That secret rests in God. And God has been generous in the provision of grace, such that faith is the living necessity, and faith is manifested in courage.

If only we can remember through the moments of our daily lives that each moment is conquered by the moment’s courage. When we arrive at our decisions with the awareness and commitment of courage we have everything we need to execute God’s will for our interesting and intrepid moments.

Surrendering to God is about Overcoming in Courage

If we would submit to God we would commit to courage.

Courage is the mindful act of truth, based in the morality of God, to do what must be done. It involves a mature, steadfast conviction. It requires of us allegiance to only One—the living God of eternity.

When we surrender to God, and only to God, it’s about gaining the strength of faith to ply courage. To surrender to God is to overcome in courage.

When we understand that all things belong because of God, that all things of God’s volition subsist by Almighty Grace, and we agree that we will follow, we know it requires courage of us in persisting by varying methods and timings of faith.

This, so far, has been esoteric. But there is a simple premise: that courage lay at the foot of all human endeavours—traversing the expense of continua from little things to the biggest of things. We are required to exercise courage every day and during most of the moments of our lives.

It’s courage to grow or cowardice to shrink. No middle-ground exists.

To exercise courage is to surrender to God in the moment such that God’s will, we agree, is paramount. When God’s will takes precedence over our comfort, and even over our safety if or when necessary, we find we have the courage to do what we need to do.

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If only we can remember through the moments of our daily lives that each moment is conquered by the moment’s courage. When courage takes precedence we not only realise God’s will for our lives, but our lives are expanded and made more meaningful towards God’s purposes.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.