Courageous.

Today has been one of those eye-opening days for me. God has shown me things that I would have never even thought of, had it not been for my peaked interest in the movie "Courageous". I honestly believe that this movie will change lives. But what God brought to my attention today is how far am I willing to go to be courageous? Having courage is knowing that no matter how prominent your fear is, there is an underlying love that trumps all fear present.

Imagine that you've just put gas into your car and stepped away for only a second... The moment you take your eyes off of your car, someone jumps in it and takes off with it. Would you risk your life for a car? Would you be willing to put yourself in harms way to get your car back? Watch this video and see how this man reacts...

...At first glance you think this man has put himself in danger to save his truck. (I'll admit, when I first watched this I thought "This guy has to be stupid.") But as the scene plays out, we realize that he is actually risking his life to save his child's. Now, I would bet that any parent would do anything for their child. No doubt about it. But this short clip really caught my attention.

There are people in my life that I would without a doubt risk my life, to save theirs. Even though it would be scary I would not even question dying for them, if I had to. But actually acknowledging this made me realize the following...I say that I would die for these people but I don't live for them. If I'm willing to die for someone, I should be willing to live for them also. In order to live for them, I need to be a leader, someone they can count on. I need to be someone who doesn't just give up when things get hard or something doesn't go my way. I guess being "courageous" means something different for each person, but for me...I would say that being courageous means fighting against the real enemy and living for those that matter to me.

Being courageous means having the guts to stand out in a secular society. Being courageous means living my life for God's glory rather than my own satisfaction. Being courageous means facing my toughest obstacles with my head held high giving no room to crumble under pressure. Being courageous means living my life as a daughter of my Heavenly Father despite our world's opinion. Being courageous means sharing Christ's love with those who mean the world to me. And last but not least, being courageous means wholeheartedly loving each and every person God gives me the opportunity to share life with. Because whether we admit it or not, love or the lack thereof is lost in our society. Now let me ask you...what does being courageous mean in your life?

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9