FIVE FIERCE TRUTHS is a new five-part series for your Fierce Calling journey…

FIERCE TRUTH #3 – YOU Have Fierce Courage Through Christ

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

I extended my palms toward the bonfire, allowing the vibrant flames to dance just close enough to soothe my near-frozen fingers. Acutely aware of the invisible boundary, I edged closer.

The scent of burning firewood filled my nostrils, taking me back to sticky summer nights of roasting marshmallows and singing campfire songs. The comforting warmth and sweet memories calmed my shivers as I listened to the chatter of friends close by.

Fire.

Mesmerizing, powerful, beautiful.

Fire both comforts and burns–offers survival in the wilderness and destruction in its wake. Fire refines and purifies. And in the words of John the Baptist when speaking of Jesus: “…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11b

Fire signifies the presence of God in a fiery pillar and a burning bush. Fire rains down from heaven and burns for an eternity in hell.

Fire accomplishes God’s purposes no matter the context–even when we’re called to walk through it.

Have you walked through a fiery trial?

Walking through fire refines us even when the enemy’s plan is to burn us.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced fear and fire with courage and conviction. How do we know this? When given the chance to simply fall down and worship an idol or face death–they remained standing.

They knew their God was real and they would not bow to another.

And that seven-times-hotter-than-usual-fiery-furnace did not kill them, it became a testimony to the power of the living God. And we’re still talking about it.

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.’” Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV)

(Emphasis in bold added; God’s ways are higher and things don’t always happen the way we think they should).

Who would have thought walking into a fiery furnace would be a divine appointment? Not only because the fire did not touch them but because there was Another in the fire with them.

There was Another in the fire.

Have you heard the song? Listen til the end…

Jesus is with us in the fire–no matter how hot it gets. We can walk in courage and we can fight back when fear rises up.

And we need not fear the darkness because the darkness bows to Him.

Fear Hides What is Meant to Shine

Fear is no respecter of persons. It slams into our human condition and disguises quicksand as solid ground. And we can create our own fear but a good bit of it is a tactic of the enemy.

If we all lived in fear the light of Christ-in-us would stay hidden under a bushel. Right where Satan and his evil cohorts want it to be. That makes me even more determined to push past fear and shine that light.

How about you?

Having the Right Perspective

We can easily confuse fear with a warning and being cautious. We can have a healthy discernment of danger and evil, but living in a constant state of fear is not where God wants us.

How do we know this?

Because God tells us not to fear and He is never double-minded.

Taking Action Against Your Fear

What are some fears you’re fighting, friend?

I asked my readers what they felt held women back from walking in their calling.

Fear topped the list.

The following is a list of fears they shared with me. I’ve added a response in parenthesis to each one.

See if you can relate to any of these:

• Fear of flying (limits us in where God wants to send us).
• Fear of success (means we’re focusing on the human definition).
• Fear of failure (hinders us from learning important life lessons).
• Fear of the future (signals we’re forgetting the character of God).
• Fear of the enemy (distracts our focus from God, Who is in control).
• Fear of not measuring up (too self-focused–we can do all things through Christ).
• Fear of loss (you’re going to be okay).
• Fear of judgment (may indicate shame or spiritual conviction–confess any sin, walk in the Spirit, and know God is the lifter of your head).

Working Through Fear with God

We all have experienced fear and it can be debilitating and it can be paralyzing.

We’ve heard the phrase, face your fears, right?

Fear may be rooted in past trauma, current circumstances, future uncertainties, or all of the above. It can creep up behind us or hit us head-on.

But whether fear rises up from the past or causes anxiety about the future, you have been given God’s power to overcome it in the present.

Whether fear rises up from the past or causes anxiety about the future, you have been given God's power to overcome it in the present. Click To Tweet

Try writing out any fears you have in a journal. Think about why you may have these fears, then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anything He wants you to know. Then write those things down, too.

Once you’ve written what is on your heart, lift it to the Lord and release all of your fears to Him. He will take them but this is key, don’t take them back.

You can also write a prayer using the fears you are surrendering and what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you. Pray through scriptures about fear and what God has to say about it (Grab your free Fear-Fighting Bible Verses printable list at the end of the post).

What is courage really all about?

Just like Cinderella’s mom taught her, have courage and be kind.

Here’s a snippet from Merriam-Webster:

History and Etymology for courage:
Middle English corage, from Anglo-French curage, from quer, coer heart, from Latin cor — more at heart.

More at heart.

Courage is a heart thing.

What is God calling you to do? Have you felt that tug on your heart to step out of the boat, but you’re afraid?

Step out of your fear and you’ll step up your faith. God will catch you if you fall or pick you up afterward. Whatever His plan is, it will be a good one.

Step out of your fear and you'll step up your faith. God will catch you if you fall or pick you up afterward. Whatever His plan is, it will be a good one. Click To Tweet

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 (NIV)

Redirecting Fearful Thoughts to Action with Passion

What if instead of allowing fear to rule us we made it move us?

Move us into taking action through passion and conviction?

You, as a follower of Jesus, have been empowered by the Holy Spirit. Fear does not negate that truth.

The Lord God goes with us wherever we go. We find our courage in Him. Redirect fearful obsession toward what makes you mad.

What are you passionate about and where do you want to see change?

Human trafficking? The war on drugs? Homelessness? Hunger? Abuse?

You may find that the thing you’re so afraid of? It’s exactly the thing that keeps you back from serving God where your passion, compassion, and conviction intersect.

A Powerful Truth

“Empowering His children with the strength of the Holy Spirit is something the Father wants to do. It’s not something we have to talk Him into. He genuinely wants to see us walk in His strength.” –Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit.

As followers of Christ, we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. The same power that rose Jesus from the dead.

THE SAME POWER THAT ROSE JESUS FROM THE DEAD.

Yes, that’s worth shouting about because we forget that truth when the struggle is real.

Fear is not the boss of us. We can fight fear with faith through Christ and when we fear the Lord? That’s the beginning of wisdom.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)

Although our flesh may fail us, we as believers in Christ have the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit within us.

And we’ve got Jesus and He’s got us.

The world needs His light and His light is in you.

YOU HAVE FIERCE COURAGE THROUGH CHRIST and child of God, it’s time to walk in it. The world is starving for truth and God wants to use you to tell it.

Blessings as you walk in fierce courage!

Don’t miss Part IV of my five-part series, FIVE FIERCE TRUTHS About You: Fierce Truth #4: You Have Fierce Gifts. It’s coming up next so subscribe to the blog below and when you do, you’ll get my free Fear-Fighting Scriptures printable.

May the Lord bless you and keep you as you draw near to Him and love your neighbor.

By the way, here are the links if you missed Part I and Part II.

Cover photo by Julian Santa Ana on Unsplash