The Courage of Our Convictions

“Be strong and courageous; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

What enables the Iranian housewife to step into the river to be baptized knowing that persecution, and quite possibly death, might well await her?
The courage of her convictions.

What moves the Chinese pastor to withhold the location of their secret church in the face of torture and imprisonment by government authorities?
The courage of his convictions.

What was behind Eric Liddell giving up his chance at an Olympic gold medal in the 100 yard dash, his best event, rather than run on a Sunday?
The courage of his convictions.

We could talk about the husband or wife who refuses to leave their spouse despite mounting difficulties, and in the face of feeling abandoned and betrayed; or the man or woman who refuses to lie, cheat or deceive at work knowing it might cost them their desperately needed job. And the teenager who would rather spend Friday nights at home alone than be with school friends who are drinking and doing drugs would be another all too real example. And the reason why, in each case and in the untold examples that dot our lives, would be “the courage of their convictions.”

We could define it as having enough courage and determination to carry out one’s goals and stay true to one’s beliefs. The courage of our convictions is having the boldness and the confidence to do or say what you think is right regardless of who disagrees with you and regardless of what the consequences might be.

The conviction part is easy – we should all have “firmly held beliefs or opinions.” But that conviction is only as valid as the cost we are willing to pay to live it out. And that’s where courage comes in. The Iranian housewife, the Chinese pastor and the Scottish runner all have one thing in common -  they each needed courage to live out their Christian beliefs.

The courage to stand, the courage to fight, the courage to suffer if need be, the courage to not give up, and the courage to say no are the marks of those who have faced a challenge to their beliefs and not relented to the pressure. My prayer is that we’ll find strength today from the encouragement that the Lord gave Joshua, “be strong and courageous – I’ll be with you” to live out our beliefs, and to stand for the convictions of our heart.

God Bless

Pastor Joe

Gateway Church