3 Principles for Growing Courageous Faith

By Dennis Rainey

Years ago I attended a writer’s conference where I stayed at an inexpensive hotel with a very slow elevator. One morning I got impatient waiting for that elevator, so I decided to go down the old-fashioned way, by foot. 

As I opened the door to the stairwell, on the stairs was a “trap.” It wasn’t a literal trap like we might set for rats or other varmints, but for me it felt just as deadly. It was a Playboy magazine, with the centerfold laying open where I could see it.

I'm amazed at how many things a human being can think in just a second or two. First I thought, “Wow, she's beautiful.”

And then, “No one would ever know if I picked this up and looked some more.”  

And then, “God will know!”

And then, “I’ll have to tell Barbara.”

And so I stepped over that magazine and went to class. 

Several hours later I had forgotten about the trap, only to find it still waiting for me on the stairs.  And once again I turned away from it because I knew I would compromise my faith if I picked it up.

Temptation is not sin. We can’t avoid temptation. It’s when we swallow the bait and act on the temptation that it becomes sin.

You may not think it takes much courage to face your temptations, but it does. We’re told to “flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22, NASB). We have to put the lust of adolescent behavior behind us, face upward, and step over and up to our responsibilities as men.

I think life is full of small choices like this where we have the opportunity to grow our faith and, therefore, our courage. Ultimately I think courage is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. And the bedrock of courage is the human heart where we learn to exercise the muscle of courage as God shows us the way to live.

One of the best books I’ve found in the Bible to learn about growing courage is Joshua. In the first chapter we find what are really the ABCs of courageous faith.

As the book of Joshua begins, the nation of Israel has escaped from slavery in Egypt but has wandered in the desert for 40 years. This was punishment for not believing God when He said He would give them the land where Moses had led them. After Moses died, God instructed Joshua to tell the people:

Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. ... No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. ...

Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. ...

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

These are words to stir the soul. We find three principles of courageous faith here:

1. Courage comes from knowing and embracing God’s mission for your life.

God gave the nation of Israel the divine mission of retaking the land. The book of Joshua describes how they conquered the inhabitants as they trusted and believed God and His promise. In the same way, God has given us a divine mission in life—to follow Him with our whole heart, and to make disciples around the world (Matthew 28:18-20).

I was a student at the University of Arkansas when I began to experience His mission for me, and it changed the course of my life. Religion didn't change my life; my relationship with Jesus Christ changed me and put me on a different path.

2. Courage comes from obeying God and His Word.

The people of Israel are told, “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you.” Obeying God involves not only following His Word but also discerning His will in the difficult decisions of our lives.

I was traveling with a friend of mine, Gary Arnold, when I asked him my favorite question: “What’s the most courageous thing you’ve done in your life?” Gary told me that as a young man he’d always dreamed of going to Princeton University. And that dream seemed to come true when he was accepted into a doctorate program.

“But when I got there,” he said, “they attacked my faith that I built my life around. And finally, it became so brutal, I had to get out, or it was going to destroy my faith.”

God used the experience to show Gary a different path, and so Gary obediently gave up his dream and followed God’s will. He found another school, earned his PhD, and began a career in education that eventually led him to Little Rock Christian Academy, one of the top Christian schools in the nation. And he’s now serving on the Arkansas State Board of Education.

3. Courage comes from experiencing God’s presence as you walk with Him day by day.

In the first chapter of Joshua we are told, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." As we follow Him and His mission for our lives, He is with us personally, giving us wisdom and guidance and power by His Spirit. He will never abandon us.

I love what A.W. Tozier said: “God is looking for men through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity when we plan to only the things we can do by ourselves.” To me there is no greater thrill than being connected to the Creator of the universe and fulfilling His will, His purposes, and His presence in our lives. If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master, you have the greatest Master present in your life. You are not alone.

The last words of Jesus before He rose into heaven were, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them the in name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” These words in Matthew 28:18-20 contain all three principles I’ve just mentioned: God’s mission for you, the importance of your obedience, and His presence with us.  That’s how you grow courage.

Is there some place in your life right now where you need courage? I'd like to invite you to do  what could be the most courageous thing you've ever done. Surrender your life to the one who made you, to the one who knows what's best for you, Jesus Christ. I can promise you on the basis of God’s Word that a relationship with Christ will begin an adventure that is better than any that you can experience here on Planet Earth.

Watch the entire message by Dennis on growing courageous faith. And subscribe for free to our new YouTube Channel!