Bravery
as a Choice
Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of
the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)
America is, as
the song goes, “The home of the free and the brave.” I am convinced, however,
that no one is born brave. Bravery is a choice. Christ our Savior is no
exception, either. He chose the Cross in order to put an end to the terrible
condemnation that hung over all humanity. Yes, Christ died for the sins of the
whole world; not just for the elect (1 John 2:2). Notice, the scripture does not
say that he was a victim, but rather a volunteer; and, of course, there is a
world of difference between the two. One, the former, has no choice; whereas, the later does.
To endure is to
choose. Endurance is never imposed upon us. We can always rebel. Complain. Cower
in shame because of someone else’s opinion. Cave in, as it were, to political
correctness. The choices are ours.
It is said, for
instance, that Polycarp the last disciple to have sat under the ministry of an
Apostle mounted the burning stake with these words:
“86 years have
I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and
my Savior?”
That was a
choice. He was not a victim, but rather a victor. Thus, we have a perfect
example of bravery. Turning as it were adversity into an advantage. Bravery does
that.
Now, don’t get
me wrong, facing adversity most often is not a choice. Nor is simply weathering
the storm, so to speak. The storms of life or the adversities that we face are
most often not a choice, they're an imposition. But, impositions we must deal
with; and what better example than Christ. He chose to endure. The choice was
his. He could have called down twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53); He,
however, chose a surer path—that of obedience. Not my will, Father, He prayed,
but Yours be done (Luke 22:42). That’s the mark of a brave soul. One who is
willing to put God’s will above theirs. And, in a nutshell this is what true
spirituality is all about. The brave soul always takes that path—that is, the
path of courage and obedience, which in turn is a sure sign of
bravery.
"The LORD will
deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the
commandments which I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous, do not be
afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you.
He will not fail you or forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Now, there is
one other thing that I must point out and that is that “perfect love casts out
fear (1 John 4:18)” So, if we have issues with not being courageous enough, we
should check our love index. Perhaps, we are not brave and courageous because we
don’t love enough. Friends, the real news is that God has not given us the
option to just pick and choose which politically correct but morally wrong
position we wish to defend. We must bravely face the issues head-on and leave
the consequences up to God. Sure we may face criticism and even vociferous
opposition, but the choice is not ours. Love dictates otherwise.
I must say in closing, it been a long time since I have heard the rally call of an age gone by:
Stand up, stand
up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His
royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory
unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe
is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Only the brave will accomplish that.
Blessings on
you, better yet, bless others!
JimR /
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