If I had to define courage, I might say that it is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to trust the Lord to do what He asks us to do.

That process of trusting Him in the face of serious difficulty is a tough one. And it is often made more difficult because of our “self-talk.” We create narratives in our own heads that often impede our spiritual progress rather than help us.

I read an interesting article last week about the Navy Seals and their 24-week training, called BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition Seal Training). It is an incredibly intense experience  that includes sleep deprivation, severe physical tests, and tons of mental stress. 

The training also includes something called “pool camp.” In that exercise, you are put underwater with all your scuba gear on. The instructor yanks the regulator out of your mouth, ties up the air hose in knots and hassles you as you struggle for air. Only those who can make themselves think clearly come out of the exercise as a winner.

Amazingly, only 6% of the candidates actually make it to graduation. So why do some make it and many quit? Well, after 9/11 our military leaders were desperate to recruit more Seals so they asked that same question.  And, they began to study all the data.

The results were surprising. It wasn’t the physically fit, macho guy that made it through. It was the used car salesman types. Why? Because those guys have learned how to survive a seemingly endless stream of rejection. And they keep going. They just change their self-talk. The narrative in their mind is adjusted and it creates the courage to persevere.

You and I are not training to be Navy Seals, but we are warriors for Christ.  And at difficult moments, we tell ourselves stories as well. If those stories or narratives are negative, we get stopped cold in our tracks. But if we rehearse a different story, a story of redemption and hope, we can carry on. We just have to change the narrative playing in our heads.

Courage isn’t the absence of bad stuff, it is the background tune that we sing regardless of our circumstances. And we can sing that tune because we are thoroughly familiar with God’s grace and love. We have immersed ourselves in His story and so we have courage to do whatever He has asked us to do.

So, what’s on your list of spiritual things to do this week?