What does it mean to be brave?
Courage has been defined as being motivated from the heart to do something brave. I love this idea—that our choice to be brave comes straight from our hearts and what matters to us most.
Imagine a mother lion defending her cubs. If you are a mother, chances are you would not think twice about leaping into a dangerous situation to defend your children because of how much they matter to you.
What Does it Mean to be Brave?
Being brave does not necessarily mean doing something extraordinary or fearless. Sometimes it is simply choosing to show up each day with grace and courage to fulfil all our roles.
Sometimes being brave simply means choosing to stay in a difficult situation.
Perhaps you are in a job that is really difficult, but the difference you are making is worth the cost. For you, being brave means staying, bringing your best, and trusting God’s timing and purposes for your life.
Maybe you are in a relationship that is stagnant, fraught with a history of hurts and resentments. You are both trapped behind walls of mistrust, fear, lack of hope for change. Leaving might seem like the easier option, but perhaps for you, choosing to be brave means choosing to stay. It may be choosing to gradually take down the walls, seek help, and persevere with making changes that are hard and costly, but ultimately will restore connection and hope.
Being brave means choosing to have that conversation with your partner when you would prefer to avoid the issue altogether. After all, you are both coming from entrenched positions built up over years of misunderstandings and hurts. Why would you choose to step across into no-man’s-land and risk being vulnerable when all you fear is more conflict?
Because you are choosing to be brave.
Sometimes being brave means being willing to listen without an agenda, rather than jumping in to give your view. For some, being brave is standing up to injustice or opening your home to a stranger in need.
Bravery sometimes means speaking up. When I wrote about our experience of living with my husband’s depression, a common reaction to our story was that we were brave enough to talk about it. But mental health needs to be discussed, and the more people who choose to be brave, the more others are likely to find the courage they need to seek help and support. It takes bravery to respond to a friend’s, “How are you?” with— “Actually, I’m not okay, can we talk?”
Sometimes, being brave means committing day-in-day out to the mundane, repetitive, and unglamorous aspects of raising a family with acceptance and the decision to bring the best of you to the task. Because what can be more important than investing in the people most dear to you? They take up so much space in our hearts and therefore provide that central motivation that is behind our courage.
You Are Not Alone
The wonderful thing about this as Christians is that we are not expected to be brave on our own. All these situations, and ones that you are facing that were not mentioned, are far from easy. But no matter the size of the choice, we do not face it alone. We are given the supernatural power of God to strengthen our hearts and motivate us to continue.
What do we do when the situation we are facing seems impossible? That was certainly the case for Joshua as he was tasked with the challenge of entering the promised land. How did God reassure him?
"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” (Josh. 1:9).
What a stunning verse! The Sovereign and Almighty God Himself promised to accompany Joshua at every stage of the task that He called him and equipped him to do. Joshua’s role? To keep his eyes fixed on God. This, too, is our central focus. It is too easy to be overcome by the enormity of the task facing us and see nothing else. But, like Joshua, when we choose to fix our eyes on Jesus and His promises, we are given the motivation and strength to be brave.
David faced Goliath trusting the skills and experience God had given him, not using the ill-fitting armor that he was offered. In human terms, the odds were stacked against David, but he believed in a God who is infinitely bigger than some human giant. Sometimes we try to be someone we are not, or we feel inadequate for the task. David fought Goliath using only who he was and what he had. But he did so in the Lord’s strength, believing that God had purposed him for this task.
Encourage One Another
As Christians, we also have the advantage of being part of a wider Christian community. The word encourage has courage at its heart. Sometimes our role is to bring that courage to another who is struggling with brave choices.
A while back, I completed a treetop high ropes course with friends. I am not keen on heights, but I do like a challenge, so this seemed a good opportunity to overcome some inner anxieties. All the way around the course, on tiny platforms and ropes and planks up in the trees, we cheered each other on. My wobbliest moment—quite literally—was trying to jump off a platform seventy feet off the ground into fresh air, trusting that the swing would hold.
“I can’t do this, you’re going to have to help me,” I shouted to my dear friend and partner.
Without her loud, encouraging, and unstinting affirmation of her belief in my abilities, chances are I would still be in that tree now. That day, none of us were brave in isolation—one person’s fear was countered by another’s bravery and encouragement to complete the challenge. It’s a silly example, but it reminds me that choosing to be brave sometimes involves seeking endorsement from a cheerleading friend.
What a gift to give to someone you know who is struggling. What a gift to stand with them in their choice, affirm them for who they are and why this is important, and to pray as Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they would know “his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 1:19–20).
Choosing to be brave is choosing to live today in the fullness of life that Jesus promises us, keeping our eyes fixed on Him. God Himself is our reason not to fear, but to have courage and be brave. God is who He says He is, and He will do what He promises to do. So, as you consider the situation in which you are choosing to be brave just now, know that the Lord is your confidence (Prov. 3:26, NKJV). Let that be the motivation of your heart.
For Further Study:
📖 Read:
💭 Reflect:
- What does bravery look like in your life right now? Is it staying, speaking up, listening, or something quieter but no less costly?
- Where do you tend to look for strength—within yourself, from others, or from the Lord? What shifts when you begin with His presence and power?
🙏 Pray:
Father God, You know the situation I’m in right now where I’m trying to be brave. I often feel small, tired, or unsure. Remind me today that I am not alone. You are with me, You go before me, and You equip me with the strength I need. Help me to keep my eyes on You, to trust Your promises, and to live with quiet courage that honors You. And when I falter, surround me with encouragers who will speak truth and hope into my heart. Amen.
