“Everyday courage has few witnesses. But yours is no less noble just because no drumbeats for you and no crowds shout your name.” Those are the words of Robert Louis Stevenson.
It takes courage, everyday courage, to live in the world today: courage to stand up for what we know is right, even as the crowd moves in another direction; courage to stand strong when doubt and uncertainty begin to build; and courage to stand steady when the winds of tribulation blow with hurricane-like force.
A young person I know chose to courageously stand up to high school pressures, even if it meant being less popular. This person taught me, “It’s not the quantity of friends that matter; it’s the quality.”
Another friend of mine is choosing to courageously stand strong even as he fights a debilitating disease. His response upon receiving the devastating diagnosis? “I’ll run through the finish line.”
I am also acquainted with a family who chooses to courageously stand steady. Heartbroken from the loss of their young mother, they collectively said, “We are brave, and we are tough.”
Standing up, standing strong, and standing steady are examples of everyday courage found in everyday people. In fact, many of the most tender examples of everyday courage can be witnessed in the seemingly small and uncelebrated moments of life. These simple moments become sacred moments that matter.
True, there will be moments when we want nothing more than to run and hide from the challenges that stand in our way. But remember, everyday courage is fueled by exercising faith – every day. It takes faith to choose courage, and sometimes it takes courage to choose faith.
No one has exercised greater courage than did Jesus Christ. He “hid not [His] face from shame and spitting.” He was “in an agony but prayed more earnestly.” He was betrayed by one friend with a kiss and denied by another with the words, “I know him not.” He was mocked, beaten, and sentenced to death. Yet, to His offenders, He responded in prayer, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
And then, in a moment that mattered most, He pressed on with godly courage, completely submitting to the will of His Father.
As we remember His sacred moments, let us take everyday courage in all that we face. As we stand up, stand strong, and stand steady, Jesus Christ stands ever ready to strengthen our courage and faith.
October 06, 2024
Broadcast Number 4,960
The Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductor
Mack Wilberg
Organist
Andrew Unsworth
Host
Derrick Porter
With Songs of Praise
Newel Kay Brown; Arr. Mack Wilberg
For the Beauty of the Earth
Conrad Kocher; Arr. Mack Wilberg
Hallelujah Chorus, from Christ on the Mount of Olives
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sweet is the Work
John J. McClellan; Arr. Andrew Unsworth
I Would Be True
Traditional; Arr. Mack Wilberg
Let Us All Press On
Evan Stephens; Arr. Richard Elliott
O Come Ye Nations of the Earth
German hymn tune