Christian Bible Lesson 124: Exercise Courage

Bible Verses

“Be strong and courageous and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.” – 1 Chronicle 28:20

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.” – Isaiah 54:4

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27

Christian Bible Lesson Overview

It is critical to have the courage to make the right decision and stand by that decision when you are faced with major challenges.  As stated in the Bible Verses above, God will support you if you trust in him.  Sometimes it is difficult to respond because of being afraid of physical harm, desires not to hurt someone, or fear of losing possessions.  Although these fears are different, they all require the same courage to face a challenge with the strength of Christian Teachings. 

Immediate relief may come from departing Christian Teachings and taking the least painful path.  However, over the long term, you will continue to frustrate in your life because you do not have the courage to always follow Christian Teachings and do what is best for you and those affected by you.

Always consider the impact on everyone when making difficult decisions. There will be times when you are affected by difficult decisions made by other people.

Christian Bible Lesson for Today

Fred works hard to support his family.  He has been married for sixteen years with three children who are all in school.  His wife Sally works as well.  The insurance company where Fred works has a scheduled day off the following Monday.  Fred thought about what to do during that day.  There was a movie playing at the local theater that he wanted to see.  He also knew his wife, Sally wanted him to pull some weeds, water the yard, and rake some leaves. 

When Fred talked with Sally about his day off from work, he told her he planned to do the yard work she requested.  However, he decided that he would go to the movie and complete as much work as he could after he arrived home.  He did not tell Sally because he wanted her to think his priorities were supporting the house.

After Sally left for work, Fred checked the movie schedule and left for the early showing of the movie.  By the time he watched the movie and ate lunch, it was almost 2:30 PM.  He was not able to finish the yard work.  He was faced with a challenge when his wife arrived home.  Does he tell her that he went to the movies and out for lunch instead of working on the yard, or does he make an excuse for not finishing the yard work?

Either way, Fred will experience stress.  If he tells his wife that he went to the movie, he will feel stressed because of her.  If he lies to her about the movie and gives some other excuse, he will be breaking the Ninth Commandment.  Either way, Fred faced this situation because he did not have the courage to tell his wife that he wanted to have fun on his day off instead of working in the yard or having the strength to not go to the movie and complete the yard work at his house.    

It is always better to be open and make the right decision early so you are not faced with breaking a Commandment.

Christian Bible Lesson Summary

Most of the time you can avoid breaking a sin by thinking about the entire situation and having the courage to communicate your actions in advance. Even when those actions have a negative effect.  Be honest and open with the people around you.  Do not take the easy way by hiding information that will cause you stress later.