Courage Requires Fear
A lesson on welcoming fear
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
A client, whose husband served in the military for 32 years said this, “Without fear, there would be no need for courage.”
Wowza! Take a moment and think on this.
It seems like a strange statement because we often think of courageous people as fearless. We picture them boldly charging into impossible situations without a second thought. But that isn’t how the Bible defines courage.
Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the decision to move forward despite it.
I have a ministry called FiftyNess, where we study women in the bible and parallel their lives with our own. We’ve discovered the women of Scripture were not superhuman. They experienced uncertainty, risk, rejection, and danger just as we do. Yet what distinguished them was not that they never felt afraid, it was that they trusted God more than they trusted their fear.
That’s a mic-drop statement. We trust fear. Isn’t that crazy?
Take Esther, for example. She was an orphan who unexpectedly became queen, but wearing a crown did not protect her from fear. When Mordecai urged her to approach the king to save the Jewish people, she faced an impossible choice. Persian law stated that anyone entering the king’s presence without being summoned could be put to death.
Imagine the emotions swirling inside her. Fear of failure. Fear of making the wrong decision. Fear for her own life. We’ve all heard “off with her head”. This phrase is rooted in truth.
Yet after seeking God through prayer and fasting, Esther uttered one of the most courageous statements in Scripture: “If I perish, I perish.” She didn’t know how God would intervene. She simply knew obedience was more important than safety.
Strong words. Strong faith. Strong belief. She ran towards obedience with fear and courage. She did it ‘afraid’. A lesson to be pondered.
Or consider Rahab.
Living in Jericho, she had every reason to align herself with the king. Instead, she chose to hide the Israelite spies because she believed their God was the true God. That decision placed a target on her back. Had the soldiers discovered her deception, both she and her family would likely have been executed.
Rahab’s courage wasn’t rooted in certainty. It was rooted in faith. She believed God’s promises before she ever witnessed His victory. She believed the stories she had heard and walked in courage and fear at the same time.
Then there is Mary, likely just a young teenager when the angel Gabriel appeared to her. We often picture the Christmas story through peaceful nativity scenes, but Mary’s reality was anything but peaceful. Saying yes to God meant risking her reputation, her engagement to Joseph, and perhaps even her life. In her culture, an unmarried pregnant woman could face severe consequences. Stoning was one. Social shame was another. Once again, a woman who walked her courage out with human fear because she believed God when He said, ‘Do not fear”.
In some shape or form, Scripture mentions this phrase well over 100 times. One hundred times! I think God really wanted us to hear this and get.
Mary’s response still echoes through history:
“I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38)
Her courage was quiet. It wasn’t displayed on a battlefield or before a king. It was demonstrated through complete surrender to God’s plan.
Consider the woman with the issue of blood. For twelve years she suffered physically, emotionally, and socially, she was considered unclean, shunned by all. She was afraid to approach Jesus publicly, yet she pressed through the crowd, trembling, and touched the hem of His garment (Mark 5:25–34). Jesus did not rebuke her fear; He honored her faith and called her “Daughter.” Her desperate courage brought her healing and restored her to community. Once again!!! She did it afraid! Nothing to lose over here. How often have we felt that. way?
And then we meet Deborah, a prophetess and judge over Israel. During a time when God’s people were oppressed, military commander Barak hesitated to go into battle unless Deborah accompanied him. Deborah did not lead because she lacked fear. She led because she trusted the God who had already promised victory. Her confidence rested in God’s faithfulness, not in favorable circumstances. We tend to think Deborah had NO FEAR. I can say with a straight face, that isn’t true.
There have been many times when I was scheduled to speak before a large audience. If I’m honest, my hands were shaking, my heart was racing, and the butterflies were doing acrobatics in my stomach. But I walked onto that stage anyway. Courage didn’t erase my fear, it simply refused to let fear make the decision. Look at it this way. Fear looks at the size of the battle. Faith looks at the size of God. Courage chooses to follow faith.
Each of these women teaches us something profound: fear and faith often occupy the same moment.
We sometimes believe that if we truly trusted God, fear would disappear. Yet throughout Scripture, God repeatedly tells His people, “Do not fear.” Why? Because He knew fear would be present. His command wasn’t a denial of their emotions, it was an invitation to trust His presence.
Perhaps that’s where you find yourself today.
Maybe you’re afraid to start over after retirement.
Afraid to step into a new ministry.
Afraid to forgive someone who deeply wounded you.
Afraid of what the doctor’s appointment might reveal.
Afraid of being alone.
Afraid that your best years are behind you.
Fear itself is not the enemy. Allowing fear to become your decision-maker is.
Courage says, “I’m afraid, but I’m going anyway because God is with me.”
For those of us in the second or even third half of life, courage often looks different than it did in our younger years. It may not involve standing before a king or leading an army. It may look like trusting God after losing a spouse, beginning a new career at sixty-five, caring for aging parents, sharing your testimony for the first time, or believing God still has a purpose for your life when the world tells you your greatest contributions are behind you.
These moments rarely make headlines, but heaven celebrates every one of them.
God has never called His daughters to be fearless. He calls them to be faithful.
The same God who strengthened Esther in the palace, protected Rahab behind the scarlet cord, upheld Mary in her surrender, and empowered Deborah beneath the palm tree walks beside you today. His presence transforms trembling hearts into courageous ones.
So don’t wait until your fear disappears before you obey God.
Step forward anyway.
That is where courage lives.
What is a specific situation in your life right now where you feel fear, and how can you reframe it as an opportunity for God to build your courage?
Reflection
What fear has been influencing my decisions lately?
Which woman in Scripture most resembles my current season of life?
What is one act of obedience I have been delaying because fear keeps whispering “not yet”?
How would my life change if I believed God’s presence was greater than my fear?
Prayer
Father, thank You for filling Your Word with ordinary women who trusted an extraordinary God. Their stories remind me that courage is not the absence of fear but the choice to obey You in the middle of it. Help me to recognize when fear is trying to direct my steps. Replace my hesitation with confidence in Your promises and remind me that Your presence is always greater than my circumstances. Give me the courage to take the next step of obedience, even when I cannot see the outcome. Like Esther, may I trust Your purpose. Like Rahab, may I believe Your promises. Like Mary, may I surrender to Your will. Like Deborah, may I lead with confidence in Your strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
‘from the book of Sue:)’
pic cred :: Photo by Benjamin Wedemeyer on Unsplash