LEADERSHIP IMPACT (6)

“Be strong and of GOOD COURAGE; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” – Joshua 1:9b

COURAGE is crucial for LEADERSHIP IMPACT: “Be strong and of GOOD COURAGE; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Jos.1:9b). God repeatedly commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. This leadership impact was rooted in trusting God's Presence and promise to be with, and never leave Joshua, but was also dependent on his obedience to God's Law – His Word. Courage isn't the absence of fear, but the strength to act in faith despite it, drawing confidence from God's promises rather than one's own strength. 

The assurance of God’s Presence was a recurring theme, providing strength in the face of daunting tasks. God’s Presence makes the difference! Courage comes through getting closer to God in His Word and submitting to His Spirit’s leading. It flows when we know that the Lord is with us wherever we go! Counting on His Presence, David motivated courage in Solomon: “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God – my God – will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord” (1Chr.28:20).

In Judges 6, God substituted Gideon’s fear and feelings of inferiority, for divine strength: “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (Jud.6:14). The Lord encouraged Gideon: “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man” (Jud.6:14-16). He eventually became confident that God was with him, and routed the vast Midianite army with just three hundred men (Jud.7:7). Elsewhere, Joshua challenged the children of Joseph: “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there…” (Jos.17:15a). The Lord is throwing us a similar challenge as leaders in one area of life or the other: The wood country is waiting for us to conquer!

One with God is an indomitable Majority (Isa.41:10-13). Paul, the apostle wrote: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1Cor.16:13). Courage is needed to achieve goals; even the courage to fail. Infants have this kind of courage, when learning to walk. Falls, injuries and failures may occur, yet they never give up! Our Courage can mean the world to others. Billy Graham said: “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” To achieve anything worthwhile in life, we need: the courage to try, to begin, to continue, to persist, to resist, and to complete.

True leadership requires courage to face challenges and to move forward, relying on God's power and promise, to achieve His purposes.