01 Sep Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way (Because Tenacity is a Necessity to Fulfill your Destiny) Part 17
Over the last number of months, we have given you our key verse found in II Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.”
Then we began to teach on 10 Truths Towards Tenacity:
- Tenacious people don’t’ waste time feeling sorry for themselves (Rom. 8:31).
- Tenacious people don’t hand the reigns of their emotional well-being to another (Phil. 4:4)
- Tenacious people embrace change (Ps. 55:19)
- Tenacious people don’t waste energy on things they can’t control (Phil. 2:14).
- Tenacious people are not people pleasers (Prov. 29:25).
- Tenacious people are courageous (Joshua 1:6-9).
Here the Bible tells us, “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shall thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 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 withersoever thou goest.”
We began with our 6 Courage Concepts:
1. Anyone can see a problem. It takes courage to solve a problem.
2. Courage says publicly what everyone else is whispering privately.
Now let’s continue with…
3. Fear is simply courage’s opportunity.
Sometimes we must simply do it afraid!
4. Courage is not careless!
Before David took on Goliath he did not initially just run at him like Rambo. He thoughtfully went to the brook and gathered five smooth stones. This was not in case he missed, but Goliath had five brothers. These stones were meant for the entire “Giant” family! Courage is not just kicking down the Hell’s Angels motorcycle clubhouse door and hollering, “You’re all going to hell and you need to get saved!” There is a difference between tenacity and stupidity!
5. Courage is contagious!
Do you remember when you were a little child and you wanted to go off the high dive at your local swimming pool in the summer?! You’d watch all the other older kids going off that board and it looked like so much fun, but it also looked so very high! Finally, you would get enough nerve to get in line at the high dive. Slowly you inched yourself closer and closer to the ladder. Then you were up to the ladder and it was your turn now! There was no turning back.
You climbed the rung with fear and trepidation, and made your way out to the end of the board. You curled your toes tightly around that board and wanted so desperately to turn around and climb back down that board. Then you looked at the line and children waiting at the bottom of the ladder. Do you remember how patient, kind, understanding and supportive those little angels were? “Take your time!” “You can do it!” “We are here for you!” …they would patiently say! LOL!
They were awful, “Hurry up!” “C’mon, you wimp!” “You’re gonna die!!” Those statements would much more accurately reflect those “compassionate little darlings.”
After what seemed like an eternity you finally made the big plunge into the water. After sinking for a few feet, up you came gasping for air…but alive! All of your little friends were watching and now they all wanted to go on the high dive because courage is contagious!
I remember taking a mission trip to Jamaica a few years back with WCBI students. We were all out ministering when suddenly it began to rain. In Jamaican culture, the natives do not like rain and they will scurry under shelter immediately. Well, our mission team all found themselves under shelter with a multitude of Jamaicans. Most of our students were lamenting about the rain and having to stop ministering. I watched while one student figured out the “ministry” had just moved under shelter and was now all in one spot! She began ministering to the Jamaicans immediately around her. It was as if a light bulb went off in all the other students as they began doing the very same thing!
Remember this: Going first with courage gives others permission to go second!
6. With courage what could be and what should be…will be!
Next week we will continue our series!