Did you know that the Library of Congress named “The Wizard of Oz”, American’s greatest and best-loved homegrown fairy tale? (reference). One of the characters from the Wizard

of Oz was known as the “Cowardly Lion.”  All he wanted in life was courage.  Have you ever found yourself wanting just a little more courage to take on a challenge at work, or perhaps the courage to pursue a new career?  Maybe you need the courage to confront a situation within your family. Courage is the ability to face the unknown with the knowledge that you will be victorious no matter the outcome.  

You have plenty of courage, I am sure… The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.

– The Wizard of Oz

 It takes a great deal of courage to push the sheets off your body, pull yourself up and get out of bed each day.  Especially in today’s world, it takes a great deal of courage to greet the day when we live in a time of such trepidations.  From the moment we walk out our door and brace ourselves for the outside world, we are taking on risks that we aren’t accustomed to dealing with just months ago. We salute those who face this pandemic daily and have the courage to wear a mask and keep our world safe.  

Now more than ever, we need courage to stand up to the virus that so desperately wants to control us and leave us feeling discouraged in a world where hope is our only leverage between courage and discouragement.  That hope is found in our faith and dependency on God.  These words from Deuteronomy give us courage, knowing that God is with us, he is always there, and he commands us not to be afraid or discouraged.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. 

Deuteronomy 31: 8

Throughout the Bible there are numerous verses that deal with discouragement or fear. The following words from Isaiah 41:10, so clearly show that God is always with us, he will never leave us therefore we should not be afriad or even discouraged.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I willstrengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

The root word of courage is “cor”, it is the Latin word for heart. In its earliest definitions, courage meant, “to speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.”  As time passed, courage has been typically associated with heroic and brave deeds. https://thesoulofhope.com  

Courage to be Strong

Perhaps you have not thought of yourself as heroic or even brave.  In the famous words of Christopher Robin,  from Winnie the Pooh, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”  Sometimes we just need to be reminded that we are strong, courageous, and brave.  Don’t let any outside force try to take away your courage.  Discouragement can creep in ever so slowly and before you know it, that feeling of hopelessness, and disappointment take over your thoughts and feelings.  When that happens, remember the words from 1 Corinthians:

“Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

It takes a great deal of courage to stand firm in your faith and know when it’s best to just walk away from a situation that is getting out of control. Courage knows when to speak and when to remain silent, that’s when true wisdom occurs, and silence might be the most courageous act of all.

You are under the unfortunate impression that just because you run away you have no courage; you’re confusing courage with wisdom.

– The Wizard of Oz

I pray that God would fill your heart with courage and strength to meet the demands of each day.   May He give you hope to guide, and peace to direct your thoughts away from discouragement.   I hope you have a happy day!  Peace

For more inspiration and resources go to the resource page on the website.