Lessons in Courage

Courage is a lot of things.

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Courage is:

• Audacity

• Bravery

• Fearlessness

• Fortitude

• Grit

• Heroism

• Prowess

• Spunk

• Tenacity

• Valor

But what makes courage so brave? What makes courage so tenacious and audacious? And how can we be brave like this?

Over these next three posts, I’ll lay out my three D's of courage. Call it a 3D plan for courage. Let’s start with the first D.

Daring Defiance

In Exodus Moses stands tall against Egypt’s evil empire. Pharaoh is a force to be reckoned with, yet Moses faces fear head-on, declaring “let my people go” and delivering the Israelites out of slavery. Moses’ life and leadership is a case study in “daring defiance.”

In 1 Samuel 17 the shepherd boy David refuses to back up or back down from the oversized enemy. David does not need a king’s armor. Five rocks will do—actually just one. Can you say “daring”?

In 1 Kings 18 the prophet Elijah goes toe-to-toe with the priests of Baal. Elijah is outnumbered but not outwitted. He knows his God reigns. Daring defiance defines him.

In Daniel 6 a distinguished Daniel rises in rank in the Persian empire. Daniel’s colleagues conspire against him. A decree and document is signed to basically ban prayer—it’s a trap of cancel-culture proportions. If Daniel prays, a den of lions awaits him. Daniel prays anyway. Not once, not twice, but three times a day, as previously. Neither a kingdom of liars nor a kingdom of lions can scare him. This is daring defiance at its finest.

In Acts 4 Peter and John are told they must stop sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, or else. The apostles are not upended. In fact, they double-down in their gospel-spreading efforts. In Acts 5 their evangelistic efforts land them in prison. But even the slammer cannot slow them down. Daring defiance defines them.

Does daring defiance define you?

Want to read more on the topic of courage? Read "Why Courage Still Matters."