Are you brave if you are not scared?

Courage is a gift of the Holy Spirit. I can only imagine how much courage the first apostles of Jesus must have had. So many of the first Christians died for their faith as martyrs because they did not want to deny their love for Jesus.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

Do you have any of these fears?

Fear of failure

Fear of rejection

Fear of commitment

Fear of pain or illness

Fear of confrontation

Fear of being alone

Fear of change

Fear of success

Fear can paralyze our life, keeping us in a holding pattern unable to make positive progress.

What’s the solution?

Answer: Faith in Jesus! Prayer to Jesus!

Courage is a gift God gives us so we can accomplish the plans He has for us.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Anger has a way of halting our personal growth and success. In order to prosper we must move beyond anger and find room in our hearts to forgive.

When Jesus was being crucified He prayed:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

One of the hardest things I did in my life was forgive people who had hurt me and refused to say “I am sorry”.

It was only as I began meditating daily on the Passion of Christ that I realized that I needed to pray the same prayer Jesus prayed.

So I prayed: “Father, forgive them, for I don’t think they knew what they were doing”

Forgiving those that had hurt me gave me the freedom to move beyond anger and resentment. I was able to find peace and a new beginning that wasn’t burdened by a profound sense of loss and injustice.

It takes courage to take a deep look at our life and ask ourselves are we the people that we want to be?

Are we the people that God wants us to be?

God wants us to be people of love, people of mercy, people who stand for and fight for justice.

But what is love?

The Bible tells us that

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16

Love is born in each choice that honours God and does His Holy Will.

Sin is born in each choice that dishonours God and violates His Holy Will.

Why are some people so full of love?

Answer: Because they are full of God!

Relationships have a way of defining us. A relationship with Jesus builds us up and helps us to discern between right and wrong.

Jesus fills us with His love through the power of His Holy Spirit and through the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, the Holy Eucharist.

It takes humility and wisdom and faith to acknowledge we need Jesus.

Jesus will give us the courage to look at our lives and see what’s working that is giving God glory and what’s not working and missing.

Let us pray…

Holy Lord Jesus, Saviour of the World, we need You and we love You! Please give us the courage to make the choices that will please and honour You. Please forgive us of our sins and help us to forgive one another. Heal us and inspire us! Protect us from evil and from the fear that can prevent us from becoming all that you want us to be. Amen

Friends of Jesus,

Please join Ther Mercy Movement, a peace movement, that is uniting Christians in a daily prayer for peace. We stop daily at the the Time Jesus died for us, 3pm (in our local time zones) to remember Our Lord’s Passion and to pray for His courage to do God’s Holy Will today, tomorrow and always!

Learn more about this historic peace movement here.