Three Tips to Cultivate Courage
Overcoming my fears and finding confidence as a professional writer has shown me how to cultivate courage in other areas of my life.
When I returned to my writing career three years ago, I was confident God had called me to it. Nevertheless, a lack of courage met me at every step. I was terrified I was no good, was lacking some major element of education or experience, or readers would think of me as a fraud.
Sound familiar? It’s common to have these feelings about a new endeavor in life, especially if we’re taking a risk or stepping outside our comfort zone.
I knew my calling required obedience, so I began thinking about why I lacked bravery. It came down to forgetting three things: who my Father God is, who I am as His daughter and His unending devotion to my spiritual success.
“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’” (Isaiah 30:15, English Standard Version)
Where did my courage, my strength in the face of fear, come from? Not from focusing on myself, where all my flaws and the fears crowded out the courage. When I turn my focus to Him, when I remember the loving grace shown me on the cross, the power given me by the Spirit, I see HIS abilities and know I can do anything He equips me to do. My God is powerful and capable He doesn’t call me to something He isn’t ready to accomplish through me.
Returning my attention to Him gives me the courage I need to do the scary things.
As His daughter, He equips me – with skills, talents, and experiences. When I rest in that truth, I’m courageous in who I am because of who He is. It’s easier for me to recognize when He wants me to step up and do the hard thing when I see my circumstances through His perspective of me. And when the world is trying to distract me or my pride sneaks in, remembering who I am in Him gives me the courage to do what may seem risky to others.
He saves me from my fears by showing me who I am – a force to be reckoned with as a Daughter of God. Knowing He has my back makes worries disappear.
I’ve also learned to list all the times God has been faithful to me, which helps when I forget, which is often. It turns my trepidation to trust. That trust is my strength when I am weak. When something breaks in the pursuit of my dreams, I know I can trust the end result. It gives me the courage to brush off the dirt and keep going.
I wasn’t expecting my methods to help me anywhere else, but they did. And better yet, I was able to pass along this confidence to friends facing bouts of fear also. I heard them voice the very same doubts I experienced. Witnessing their fears made me realize how courageous I had become. Women struggling to cultivate courage can find it in the truth of who we really are – Daughters of God, courageous warriors for Him.
It may seem overly simple, but just reminding myself of who God is, and then who I am in Him, shifts me from fear to courage. Remembering His faithfulness means I can trust him with my success, whatever that might look like, in whatever goal I’m pursuing.
Have you ever surprised yourself by being courageous? Share your story in the comments!
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