What is true courage?

I don’t know about you, but based on everything I’ve seen and read in recent months, I can only come to one conclusion: the world seems to have lost its mind. We have the “wars and rumors of wars” talked about in Revelation taking place, and we’ve had some of the worst natural disasters in recent memory happen across the globe.

As an example, I offer up the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that took place in Kamchatka, Russia, this year. A 9.0 is pretty much the end of the world in a particular location, so those poor people had to be absolutely terrified.

How about the never-ending war in Ukraine? And that’s not the only place in the world that has been taken right to the ground while hundreds or thousands of people have died. It’s frightening, isn’t it?

That got me thinking about a specific word: courage. We’ve heard and read about courage in perilous times, but what does that mean in an era of almost constant anger, rage, and partisan division that seems insurmountable?

I have learned one thing about courage: It does NOT mean the absence of fear. Far from it. It means you have the ability to act despite the fear you’re facing.

In the book “Signs of the Times,” published in December 1996, there is a simple quote by Mark Twain that encapsulates what I’m talking about. “Courage is the resistance to fear, the mastery of fear, and not the absence of fear.”

Can courage overcome any situation? I’m not a motivational speaker here to list the “Ten Steps to Mastering Fear and Taking Courage.” But I can tell you there are stories upon stories of common human beings doing just that.

Remember radio commentator Paul Harvey? The Los Angeles Times ran a story of his that detailed a big event in the life of Ray Blankenship.

One summer morning, as Ray Blankenship was preparing his breakfast, he looked out the window and saw a small girl being swept along in the rain-flooded ditch beside his home in Andover, Ohio. He happened to know that farther downstream, the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath a road and emptied into the main culvert.

Ray Blankenship was commemorated by the Carnegie Hero Foundation after rescuing two-year-old Jessica O'Connell from drowning.

Well, Ray did what I hope any man would do. He dashed out the door and sprinted to try to get ahead of the floundering child. Then, he leapt into the deep and churning water. He surfaced and, thankfully, was able to grab the child’s arm.

But they were not out of danger. Within about three feet of the culvert, Ray’s free hand grabbed onto something protruding from the nearest bank. He clung desperately, but the tremendous force of the water tried to tear him and the girl away to a terrifying death.

“If I can just hang on till help comes,” he thought. But he did much better than that. By the time the fire department rescuers showed up, Blankenship had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated by the firefighters for shock.

On April 12, 1989, Ray Blankenship was awarded the Coast Guard’s Silver Lifesaving Medal. The award is fitting because Ray was at a much greater risk than most people knew. You see, Ray Blankenship had no idea how to swim.

That is true courage. I have no doubt he was terrified, but jumped in anyway.

The website Wisdom Online has a pretty good definition of Biblical Courage. “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the willingness to act in obedience to God’s calling and purposes, relying on His strength and guidance.”

One of the most well-known verses on courage is found in Joshua 1:9, where God encourages Joshua as he prepares to finally lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, saying, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, ESV)

Another very famous example of courage is found in David, when he was a simple shepherd boy who demonstrated great courage in facing the giant Goliath. He declared, “You come at me with a sword, spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord God of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled.” (1 Samuel 17:45 ESV). David’s courage came from his unwavering faith in God’s power and deliverance.

Courage is not the absence of fear, and it never was.

There will always be someone standing against you, whether physically or emotionally. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide on, there is always someone to tell you that you’re wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.

“To map out a course of action and follow it to the end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.”

So, back to the beginning of the story and dealing with a world that’s lost its mind. Take courage in the fact that God knew this was going to happen ahead of time. While these things are a surprise to you and me, it’s not to God. He is in control. Take courage, even when you feel afraid."

I’ve been under the mistaken impression that you had to be fearless to be courageous. I was completely wrong, and I’m so glad for it.

Remember in Genesis, when God calms the fears of Abram (before he was Abraham) after his battles with the kings of Sodom, the captivity of his son Lot, and his subsequent rescue, He says, “Fear not, for I am your shield.” Genesis 15:1.

Let’s take God at His Word and trust Him to be our shield, no matter what we face. Let’s work on that today!