Courage in the Daily

I listened to a sermon today by Pastor Gary Hamrick on the life of Gideon.  Gideon started his life out meekly and then he obeyed God and God made him into a mighty warrior.  God used him to defeat the Midionites with only a small army.  He led the Israelites for 40 years, but sadly he did not finish his life well.  Gideon had courage in a time of crisis, but he did not have the courage to live his daily life for the glory of God.

That stuck with me…do I have courage in the daily?  It is a different courage than the courage required to stand under fire. 

Washing dishes with a smile.

Mopping the floors with a spring in my step

Disciplining with love

Cleaning up the same messy faces over and over happily

Keeping my calm in the midst of chaos

Joyfully living the daily routine every day

All these things take courage…a lot of courage

Many times it is easier to be courageous and cling to God when the going gets tough.  But what about when the going gets ordinary?  That kind of courage is hard to come by.  It comes through walking closely with God daily in the mundane.  It comes through admitting your weaknesses to the people in your life and most importantly to God – then allowing Him to be strong in your weakness.

I am not there yet.  Many days I am not courageous.  I know in my head that I need to rely on God, but my frustrated, tired flesh takes over.  I grumble, I complain, I lash out.  The beautiful part is that God gives us each moment to start anew. 

So… “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” Colossians 3:23