COURAGE TO DO RIGHT BY DR WILSON LIM
As I looked down the annals of Christian history, I am inspired by the many men and women who had the courage to stand up against unrighteousness outside and even within the Church. It can be immensely difficult at times to stand against the tide of complacency and conformity, and to wave the flag of righteousness. Far easier to put our heads down and go with the flow. To allow the rotting sea of unseen dark deeds flow by. What is courage?
Courage is the moral strength to face the fears and difficulties we encounter.
When the prophet Nathan spoke up to King David to expose his sin of adultery and murder, it took courage (2 Sam 12:7-14). Courage to face a man who could easily order his execution. Courage to stand up and declare the sins of a man he had admired so much. Courage to obey the promptings of the Lord. When the call of God comes upon our lives at various seasons, it requires courage. Courage to believe in God’s provision and providence. Courage to step out of our comfort zones and to grasp the yet to be. Courage to face our own fears and declare that God is greater than all of these.
When a person dares to be courageous in God, God will be able to use such a person in great ways.
In the movie Amazing Grace was depicted the courage of Wilbur
to face the challenges of fighting for the abolition of slavery. He gave of his whole life to win over the politicians of his time. It took much courage in God to carry out what he knew God had called him to.
But when God’s people fail to have courage it leads to compromise. It saddens me when I have seen leaders who cower under the pressure of their circumstances and failed to stand up courageously for what is right. The Church loses ground when spiritual leaders fail to stand their ground.
As God’s people we must have courage. Courage to stand up for what is right in God. Courage to do what God asks of us.
In the last couple of months, I have been greatly challenged in this area to have courage. To maintain integrity in God, to fight for what is right in God, in order that His Church may continue to advance.
How do we have such courage?
Courage comes from the Lord. As God’s people we must find courage in God. For when we trust fully in God and begin to see the situation from His eyes, it will help us persevere to see a righteous outcome. When the 12 Israelite spies returned from spying the Promised Land, only 2 had the courage to believe the Israelites could take the Promised Land. While 10 saw themselves as grasshoppers before the giants of the land, the 2 saw the giants as grasshoppers before God (Num 13).
Courage increases when we know we can rely on His great power. When Daniel was wrongly accused and thrown into the lions’ den, he remained courageous (Dan 6:13-23). Why? Because he trusted in God’s ability to shut the lion’s mouths.
I have determined to be courageous. Over the years of my Christian walk, I have noted that the times when I had arisen in courage in God, it has led to significant changes for the better. But the times when I shrunk in fear, it led to lost opportunities and gains lost.
May this New Year be a year that you rise up with courage in the Lord to do what is right before His eyes. Together we can rise up for greater things in the Lord.
This article was taken from INSIDE HOPE 7th January 2009
