Little Steps Can Lead to Big Courage

By Kelly Cilano

Courage in the Bible is defined as acting in obedience to God, regardless of the circumstances. So, what does that look like?

To find out, we must first back up and look at the faith of those past saints that portrayed the courage that only the Holy Spirit could provide.

Courage is a result of knowing and believing God and His Word.

When we get saved, the Holy Spirit essentially awakens our spirit that is dead in trespasses and sins.

That makes us aware not only of right and wrong, but also awakens us to a spiritual realm in which God also operates. It is in this realm that we begin to know about God and become aware that the physical realm reflects the glory of God (albeit not perfectly, because of the Fall). Even in its fallen state, its beauty and majesty are reflective of its Creator.

“The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims His

handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).   Salvation is the opening of awareness and the first step to securing courage, because it connects us to our God.

The next step is knowing God. Now, that in itself is an awesome task, but it starts by reading and listening to the Word of God.

When I first got saved, I wanted to go to every church service, every Bible study, and to anyone who would teach or speak with me on the subject of God. I was like a thirst-driven person who had been in the desert way too long! I couldn’t get enough of God.

Not everybody’s experience is like mine was, but you get the picture. Knowing God comes through listening, reading the Bible, prayer, studying and taking notes during sermons, Bible studies, and discussing questions.

These are necessary steps in the growth process of the Christian. This process mirrors the growth process of a human. Babies have needs in all areas of their new lives, but as they grow and become more independent, their needs change. Their needs become more complex and demanding.

As our walk with God advances, our challenges do, too. 

Courage is also developed the same way. It starts in little bits, asking the pastor questions, speaking to others about your faith and finding out how it helps to know God in those times of challenge.

It takes courage to change friends, change what you watch for entertainment, change what you listen to on the podcasts, and learn to challenge those who dismiss you because of your faith.

Courage helps you to speak out when the world says to fit in.

Daniel knew all about this. In Daniel 1:8, he asks Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs, if he and his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah could not eat the King’s delicacies because as Jews, the food was defiling them.

Daniel knew his God, knew His voice and obeyed Him. That was Daniel’s source of courage. God was pleased with the request and granted them favor with their Babylonian master. Ashpenaz allowed them to dictate their own diet, and as a result at the end of the ten days of testing, “their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies” (Daniel 1:15).

The Holy Spirit had moved upon Daniel, and he was obedient. This was a key ingredient to Daniel’s courage: his remarkable faith. He knew his God, and was obedient to Him.

You see in this famous example that courage, like faith, starts in small doses.

David, as a young shepherd boy, didn’t face Goliath first. Rather, it was through learning to be a shepherd to his father’s sheep and protecting them from thirst, hunger, and predators like the bear and the lion.

It was also during this time that David learned to sing praises to his God for all his little victories. Consequently, when he came up against Goliath, David already knew his God and was obedient to Him.  The tests of courage and faithfulness were constantly applied through the circumstances of his life. Some tests King David passed majestically, and others he failed miserably. 

Yet, Daniel and King David both knew their God and were obedient to Him. That was the foundation of their faith and their incredible legacy. They not only died in their faith but passed it on to their families and their nation.

We need to remember that courage can only grow through our faith, which is encompassed by obedience and by knowing our God.