If I am afraid to do right,
If I cower and yield to peer pressure,
If I am afraid to take a stand,
I know nothing yet of courage.

No one wants to be afraid; no one wants to be fearful, and yet mankind is very fearful!  There are many “Fear nots” in God’s Word.  Our Father in heaven understands fear, and He wants to help us to have courage.  There are many verses about courage in the Bible too.  Without courage, we will do wrong; we will sin; we will yield to temptation; we will be weak; we will stumble; we will be ashamed of ourselves, and God will be ashamed of us too.  With courage, we will do right; we will not sin; we will not yield to temptation; we will be strong; we will walk straight and true; we will have self-respect, and God will be pleased with us.

Thus, “To have courage or not to have courage” is the great question for each of us.  Our parents cannot give us courage.  Our friends cannot give us courage.  God does not give us courage, but God tells us “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” —Psalm 27:14.  God will strengthen us to have the courage to do right.

So, let us examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word, and learn about courage, and how we can become more courageous.