Courage

“I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.”

-Psalm 139:14 ASB

Nothing in life is worthwhile and meaningful that does not require a strong belief in oneself. If we are to let go of what holds us back and take risks to become better, courage is an essential leadership characteristic. When you are out front, you must trust yourself. Self-trust requires a strong sense of your worth, and Christian leaders ground that trust in their creator.

As the Psalmist says, "I am awesomely and wonderfully made." Trust in ourselves is not grounded in pride, egotism, vanity, or superiority but in the knowledge that you are both loved and created in God's "good" image.

Many pastors lack the courage to face change because they fear they don't have the answers to all the questions life presents. The global pandemic is a micro-storm of the change facing the church since World War II. The enlightenment taught us to lead with answers. Today, life is moving so fast that yesterday's answers are irrelevant. Expertise in leadership skills, organizational management, program development, and human psychology is no longer sufficient to face the questions facing the world or the church. Leadership must now live into the questions instead of the answers. That takes courage not grounded in proficiency but a faith that believes God is out front and can be trusted with our destiny.

The courage to lead comes from a deep faith grounded in the history of a God who has been faithful through all the seasons of human history. The leader can summon the courage to lead the people by focusing on their own, and the communities trust in the One who is faithful and has promised to lead.

The truth is, even though the Israelites kept wandering in circles in the wilderness, God brought them to the Promised Land despite themselves. They kept learning and growing through questions about God, the church, and themselves.

Their salvation in suffering, exile, wilderness, and Temple life, was not a result of their proficiency but of the solid truth that they were "awesomely and wonderfully made."

If you need the courage to lead the people of God, seek it in gratitude for the wonderful works of God. May all our souls know it very well.