Courage That Lasts

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Hebrews 10:35 (NIV)

My worldview is the filter I use to see and understand life. As a Christ follower, I may notice that a lot of people around me see things differently. Not everyone will share my beliefs—and some might even push back.

So how do I find the courage to stand strong when that happens? I can do two things:

First, accept God’s Word as my authority. It’s the only source of truth! To be a man of courage, I need to build my life on the Rock that never changes, not on popular opinion.

Hebrews 6:18 says, “God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us” (NLT).

I will build my life on one of two things: the world’s opinion or God’s Word. When I build my life on God’s Word, I won’t waste my time worrying about what other people think. I say things all the time that are unpopular. Why? Because I fear displeasing God more than I fear someone’s rejection.

If I don’t know what I believe, a great place to start is by exploring the Bible and getting to know it for myself. My local church is a great resource and can give me the tools I need to grow closer to God through his Word.

Second, spend time with Jesus. The more time I spend with Jesus, the more confident I'll be to stand up to any opinions that contradict God’s Word. Spending time with Jesus fills me with courage to stand for the truth even when it’s hard.

This was true for Jesus’ followers in the Bible: “The leaders saw that Peter and John were not afraid to speak, and they understood that these men had no special training or education. So they were amazed. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 NCV).

The reward of standing courageously for the truth will last forever! It might be unpopular and is rarely easy, but when I accept God’s Word as my authority and spend time with Jesus, I'll develop an uncommon courage I never thought possible.

Here’s a prayer I can pray today: “God, I want to be a person of courage. I want to live to please you and not other people. I want to build my life on a biblical worldview and stand courageously for my faith. I make these two commitments today: First, I accept your Word as my authority and the foundation for my life. Second, I want to spend time with you every day and get to know you personally. I want to be so full of joy and courage that people say, ‘That person’s been with Jesus.’ I ask you to help me to be fearless for the truth. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

In summary:

Hebrews 10:35 reminds me not to throw away my confidence, because standing firm in my faith brings lasting reward. As a Christ follower in a world full of differing opinions, I can develop courage by doing two things: accepting God’s Word as the ultimate authority and spending daily time with Jesus. Building my life on Scripture gives me a steady foundation that isn’t shaken by public opinion, and deepening my relationship with Jesus fills me with the courage to stand for truth—even when it’s unpopular. Like Peter and John, people will see boldness in me not because of my background, but because I’ve been with Jesus. Courage grows when I live to please God, not people, and the reward of that courage will echo into eternity.

Bottom line:

The courage to stand for truth comes from building my life on God’s Word and spending time with Jesus—because confidence in Him will always be rewarded.