1 March | Teens
«Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. » Joshua 1: 9
Courage is when we face something that seems big and scary, but we go for it anyway. Joshua, for example, had to be very courageous to lead an entire people! He would be the successor of Moses, the great deliverer of his people. What a responsibility! He may have felt a little scared at first, but he trusted God and did amazing things.
For us, being brave can be like speaking up in front of a class, killing a cockroach, trying a new sport, admitting a mistake, or even standing up for a friend who is being treated unfairly. Courage is raising your hand to answer a difficult question in class, or being the first to apologize after a fight.
This doesn't mean that we won't be afraid, with butterflies in our stomachs, but know that God wants to give us courage for these moments. He helps us to be strong, as Joshua was, and to face our fears. When we feel small or scared, we can remember that God is with us, giving us the strength and courage to do things we never thought we were capable of; things we thought impossible! Do not be terrified or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Take Action
Challenge of the day: do push-ups with the family! If it's difficult, use your knees for support. Just as push-ups make us physically stronger, life's trials strengthen our faith and courage. Start with some push-ups today and try to increase the number a little each day. Remember, every push-up is a step to getting stronger, just like every challenge helps us grow in some way.