"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." — 2 Timothy 1:7
Courage is an integral part of a life of faith, a component we are reminded of through the life of Christ and the apostles. Their many acts of grace and mercy required courage, so they could lead extraordinarily different lives than those around them—giving up their everyday lives to follow Jesus, striving for a daily focus on God and good works based in faith. We need courage, too, to live a Christian life, and ultimately to be the agents of God’s love, light, and truth.
It can be a challenge to summon what’s needed to take risks, make sacrifices, face difficulty with faith, and be focused on the needs of others. But the fruits of fortitude, perseverance, and strength feed our ability to develop new strengths, face things that can seem insurmountable at first, and cultivate a confidence in our own courage for when it is needed again (and we know it will be needed again, and again). Courage in the face of adversity is not easy, but it usually has a cumulative effect. The more courageous we are today—experiencing the strength courage nurtures—the more increasingly courageous we are likely to be tomorrow.
source: shrine of st jude
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