By Dennis Rainey
Years ago, while Barbara and I were hosting a dinner party, I sat thinking, “Why are we going to spend this evening boring ourselves with ourselves? Why don't we really get to know people and who they are and what they stand for?”
So I asked them, “What is the most courageous thing you've ever done in all your life?”
Silence.
You could almost hear crickets!
Then a few spoke up and said, “I’ve never done anything courageous.” Likely they were comparing themselves to soldiers or first responders ... the people we normally associate with courage.
So I said, “Wait, you’ve never done anything courageous? If you've done your duty in the face of fear, you've been courageous. All of us have done that.”
So one women talked about confronting her mother about her anger and her desire to be in control of their relationship. She told her mother that this needed to stop.
A man said, “I asked a young lady I was dating for a number of years to marry me. I was afraid of getting married.” Another man in the group told of talking to his children about sex. Any parent who has done that knows how much courage it takes.
A seminary professor said the most courageous thing he’d ever done was to break up with his girlfriend when he was a young man. He was growing in his Christian faith, but she didn’t share his values. “So I broke up with her, and she didn't want me to leave,” he said. She put her hand on the windowsill of his car and held on so tight, “I had to pry her fingers off of that door to drive away.” He said it changed the course of his life because he ended up marrying a woman who was just as committed to her faith in Christ.
As I explain further in a new video podcast on “What Is Courageous Faith?” I’ve asked many people this same question over the years. A number of years ago, I even had the privilege of having dinner in the Blue Room of the White House with the President of the United States and asking him that question. (I’ll share his answer sometime in the future, so be sure to subscribe!).
I believe that courage is not the absence of fear, it's overcoming fear and doing what's right. Real courage is doing your duty in the face of fear or temptation or hardship, no matter what obstacles you face. It’s taking action when you don't feel like it.
I love a statement from John Wayne, who said, “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” A lot of people do that every day.
Sometimes the need for courage pops up at unexpected times. I remember a meeting years ago when we were discussing a project that would cost a lot of money. I was uneasy about this project because it would put us in debt, and I didn’t think that was wise. Our leader said, “I want all of you to stand if you believe we need to do this business venture,”
Everyone began standing, and despite my misgivings I stood up as well. I looked across the table and only one man in the meeting remained seated. I’ve never forgotten his courage to resist that immense peer pressure. Thirty years later I told him, “I want you to know that you were a model of true courageous leadership in that meeting. I’ve never forgotten that.”
I believe we face a deficit of courage in our world today. We need men, women, moms and dads, even grandparents who are courageous, who will do the right thing and do their duty and stand up against evil. But it’s not just courage we need—it is courageous faith.
I’ve already defined courage as doing your duty in the face of whatever obstacles or emotions you’re facing. Well, for followers of Christ, “doing your duty” means obeying God and His Word.
So courageous faith is believing in and obeying God’s Word in spite of any obstacles or feelings you are facing.
Recently as I’ve thought about my years of following and serving Christ, I realize that one of my consistent themes has been challenging and empowering people to walk with Christ in courageous faith. So it seems natural to me to make “Inspiring Courageous Faith” the theme of this new YouTube initiative we’re launching.
This is the most strategic initiative that I’ve worked on since I turned over leadership of FamilyLife in December of 2017. We’ve worked hard over the last few months to begin producing cutting edge content, and we know you will find these stories and instruction from Scripture challenging and encouraging. As Billy Graham said, “Courage is contagious. When one man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.”
To watch my whole message on, “What Is Courageous Faith?” go to the YouTube channel. You’ll also find two other video podcasts, with more to come soon. And be sure to subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss a thing. It’s FREE.
For now, I’m interested in how you would answer the question, “What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done in your life?” I’ve asked this question to countless people over the years, and now I’m curious to know how you would answer. If you’ve got a story, just REPLY to this email.
I’m hoping to use these stories in the months to come! And who knows, you might end up being asked to share that story on “Inspiring Courageous Faith.”
Stand strong and be courageous,
Dennis Rainey
