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When life suddenly shifts, and you're faced with trials and adversity, what do you do? Do you cowl to the fear of uncertainty or stand up with the courage to face it anyway?
I hope you find courage. I hope you find courage because cowling to fear takes you out of the pool of victory. But, I'm sure lots of us know by now that fear is the thief of joy and purpose, so I won't spend too much time discussing that. I don't want to give fear power in this message at all, actually. I want to focus on courage because when we find courage, we find strength. And in our courage, we're empowered to talk the fear down. Until eventually, we overcome it because, after a while, this new thing doesn't feel so scary anymore.
So how do we find courage when things shift?
Tap into the parts of yourself that qualify you.
Let's say you've just lost your job and your back on the job market, but you haven't updated your resume in a while; what are you going to do? You're going to spend some time thinking through your experiences and skills against the positions you're interested in. this same mindset can be applied when experiencing heartbreak. I know you probably think I don't see how. But, I've spent some time thinking about this, and here's how: you have to think about all of those parts that make you who you are and recognize the value you bring into any relationship. And just like updating your resume, if you find something that you want to improve on, you take the necessary steps to help you in that area. By tapping into the parts of ourselves that qualify us, we can recognize that we can work with who we are and what we have to overcome challenges.
The prime example of this would be David. David found the courage to slay goliath because of the skill he gained when tending sheep. He understood his slingshots capabilities. He understood what kind of approach was necessary to hit the giant in the right spot to knock him down. Not only did he knock him down, but he also got on top of the giant and cut off its head, to really finish it off. David was truly fearless in his approach. And he only jumped in because everyone else, including soldiers of Isreal and their leader Saul, was afraid of him. So, David pivoted and didn't limit himself to just being the youngest of 8 brothers or a shepherd boy; instead, he could see himself as qualified to win this battle. Just like we all should when we're faced with difficult situations. After all, God wouldn't give us more than we can handle.
Know the God you serve.
Daniel rose to high positions within the King's court, and the other princes and presidents were jealous and would stop at nothing to get rid of him. To do this, they decided to make the King put in place a decree that anyone who prayed within 30 days would be thrown into the lion's den. Daniel being the god-fearing man he was, couldn't allow this to stop him from praying to his God. so he prayed, and in turn, he was thrown into the lion's den. But, God preserved him and took him out of the den untouched. You see, sometimes you just got to know the kind of God you serve during a shift. Knowing Him and sticking to obedience to Him can quite the fears that may stir on the inside of you, leaving you to just trust.
Understand your options.
Ruth was made to understand that she had an option to leave her mother-in-law or chose to stay. Ruth, now a widow, was left without a husband in the land that was not her own. But when her mother-in-law discovered that her relative Boaz, was available and suitable her Ruth, she made it clear to Ruth. Ruth clearly understood her option with Boaz because she did exactly as she was instructed and went to meet Boaz and presented herself to him, which led to him accepting her and doing what was necessary to have her. When you understand your options, it's easier to decide what to do next and create a plan to approach it, making the shift less intimidating.
Listen to God's voice.
The one continuously unshakable voice is the voice of God. Its the reason why someone of the people I mentioned earlier on was able to overcome these life-changing moments. In this instance, when we want to listen to God's voice, we may have to remember some of the things He has promised. We'll have to turn to His word to understand what He says about us. Remembering and knowing these things will give us the strength, faith, and courage needed to face the unknown.
Be willing to take risks.
Another thing that we see in all of these characters is that they were willing to take risks. And that's what overcoming is all about. Sometimes we're going to have to do the scary thing or the thing that we've never done before. If there's a willingness to try, then it becomes a bit easier.