Success, Fear and Courage on the Edge

Some thoughts this morning about fear and courage. Living on the edge adds a level of excitement to life that is found no where else. As I read about the life of Jesus and the life of the disciples, I see that they were at times balancing on that edge and totally trusting God to keep them in place. We trust God everyday to keep the earth in its orbit and to hold back forces of destruction that would try to take us under. Our choice is to hunker down and be “safe” or to set our face on the goals and head out. Whether we are successful or not materially is less important that the fact that we launched out on the path that was right and good. Winston Churchill once said, “Success is never final, Failure is never fatal, it’s courage that counts.” That kind of courage makes us hang on a minute longer, take that next step, go up one more notch and go to our knees in prayer. Courage is “fear that has said its prayers.” In Acts chapter 4 we see how true men of God handle fear:

“As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said.
Then all the believers were united as they lifted their voices in prayer: "O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them --
you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant, saying, 'Why did the nations rage? Why did the people waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.'
"That is what has happened here in this city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed.
In fact, everything they did occurred according to your eternal will and plan.
And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching.
Send your healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

Be assured today that God sees your problems, and if you ask, He will make up the difference. You will never do anything worthwhile in the world without courage. You will never have true courage without praying and asking God for it. He will tell you that it’s on the edge, go get it.