April 23rd, 2025
by Jacob Hess
by Jacob Hess
The Secret to Courage
When I was a freshman in college, I got a job working as a worship leader at a summer camp near my hometown. It might not seem like a big deal, but for me, it was an exciting opportunity. The only worship leading I had done before that point was at the small church I attended while in high school. This camp, on the other hand, had hundreds of kids attending from all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The worship leaders from the previous year did such a great job, I felt like I had big shoes to fill. I prayed a lot in preparation for that summer, asking God to show up because I knew I was inadequate. And God really did show up! That summer was full of some of the most impactful moments of gathered worship I have ever experienced. Kids came to faith almost every week! God used the music ministry to soften hearts and change lives.
Have you ever been given a task that made you feel inadequate? This must have been how Joshua felt when God gave him the task of leading Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua had big shoes to fill too. Imagine what it would have been like taking Moses’ place! God gave Joshua this encouragement: “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them" (Joshua 1:5-6). Here we see the secret to courage. It’s the fact that God is with us and will never leave nor forsake us. Joshua could have courage, and I could have courage that summer so long ago, because we both knew God was with us. But there’s another important secret to courage.
The Other Secret to Courage
Joshua had courage because he knew God was with him. He wasn’t leading the Israelites to do something that God had not promised and prepared. Because he was seeking to be obedient to God, Joshua could be sure that God would lead and empower him to do what God was asking. But it required a willingness from Joshua and the Israelites to step out in faith and trust that God would show up and fulfill His promises. This is the other secret to courage—it’s a willingness to step up to the task even if it seems scary or you feel inadequate. I could have chosen to listen to my fears and not applied to that worship leading job. It wouldn’t have foiled God’s plans, but I would have missed out on participating in the amazing work He was planning to do through the music ministry that summer.
Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s acting in spite of fear. The most essential thing for courage is God’s presence with us. If God calls you to do something, you can know that God is with you and will lead and empower. As a church, we feel that God is calling us to make room at the table, to provide space in our life together as a church and in our individual homes for friends and neighbors who don’t know Jesus. It can be a scary thing to step out in faith and build a friendship with a neighbor who’s been a stranger perhaps for years. It can be awkward to have spiritual conversations. You may not feel up to the task, but it’s in those moments that God can show up and do something amazing!
When we are inadequate, we often find that God is more than adequate. So, let’s step out with boldness and courage in this next season, trusting that God is with us wherever we go. Because making room at the table was Jesus’ mission (Luke 5:31-32), and it is the mission He gave to the disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). Exciting things happen when we are willing to be uncomfortable and take on scary tasks with hope and trust. Let’s make room at the table!
When I was a freshman in college, I got a job working as a worship leader at a summer camp near my hometown. It might not seem like a big deal, but for me, it was an exciting opportunity. The only worship leading I had done before that point was at the small church I attended while in high school. This camp, on the other hand, had hundreds of kids attending from all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The worship leaders from the previous year did such a great job, I felt like I had big shoes to fill. I prayed a lot in preparation for that summer, asking God to show up because I knew I was inadequate. And God really did show up! That summer was full of some of the most impactful moments of gathered worship I have ever experienced. Kids came to faith almost every week! God used the music ministry to soften hearts and change lives.
Have you ever been given a task that made you feel inadequate? This must have been how Joshua felt when God gave him the task of leading Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua had big shoes to fill too. Imagine what it would have been like taking Moses’ place! God gave Joshua this encouragement: “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them" (Joshua 1:5-6). Here we see the secret to courage. It’s the fact that God is with us and will never leave nor forsake us. Joshua could have courage, and I could have courage that summer so long ago, because we both knew God was with us. But there’s another important secret to courage.
The Other Secret to Courage
Joshua had courage because he knew God was with him. He wasn’t leading the Israelites to do something that God had not promised and prepared. Because he was seeking to be obedient to God, Joshua could be sure that God would lead and empower him to do what God was asking. But it required a willingness from Joshua and the Israelites to step out in faith and trust that God would show up and fulfill His promises. This is the other secret to courage—it’s a willingness to step up to the task even if it seems scary or you feel inadequate. I could have chosen to listen to my fears and not applied to that worship leading job. It wouldn’t have foiled God’s plans, but I would have missed out on participating in the amazing work He was planning to do through the music ministry that summer.
Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s acting in spite of fear. The most essential thing for courage is God’s presence with us. If God calls you to do something, you can know that God is with you and will lead and empower. As a church, we feel that God is calling us to make room at the table, to provide space in our life together as a church and in our individual homes for friends and neighbors who don’t know Jesus. It can be a scary thing to step out in faith and build a friendship with a neighbor who’s been a stranger perhaps for years. It can be awkward to have spiritual conversations. You may not feel up to the task, but it’s in those moments that God can show up and do something amazing!
When we are inadequate, we often find that God is more than adequate. So, let’s step out with boldness and courage in this next season, trusting that God is with us wherever we go. Because making room at the table was Jesus’ mission (Luke 5:31-32), and it is the mission He gave to the disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). Exciting things happen when we are willing to be uncomfortable and take on scary tasks with hope and trust. Let’s make room at the table!
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