Does being brave mean putting on a happy face and pushing through even when times are extremely tough?
OR
Does being brave mean admitting that you can not do it on your own and you need help?
This is a question I have seriously struggled with over the years. In the last few months I feel God has given me a better understanding of what true honest bravery is. If your interested, I would like to share my perspective and understanding with you in this blog entry.
Some would lean towards the belief that being brave means you face things head on and act like you have everything under control on your own. A chin up, glass half full attitude is encouraged in society, but is it really how God wants us to approach life's challenges? In no way am I saying that negativity or making a mountain out of a mole hill is that appropriate path to take either. I'm simply asking what is a true attitude of bravery and how would God, not society, like us to live out that bravery?
If you look up the word Brave it can be used as an adjective, noun or verb, some synonyms for brave in all three contexts are courage's, valiant, warrior, to endure, to withstand, and so on. The definition and synonyms are interesting but still don't answer the question of how to be brave. So lets look at what the Bible says, the Bible speaks about community, the church body, and accountability.
How can any of the things the Bible speaks to be accomplished flying solo through life's struggles?
It is my belief that they can't be accomplished. Community, the Church body and accountability can not happen with out true honest bravery. Bravery that calls us to stand up for ourselves, not letting the world steam roll us into believing that we are alone and there for always needing to face things with/in our own strength.
We have each other, we have support, love and strength in numbers when we pull together. This is what has led to my belief in true honest bravery meaning that we humble ourselves and ask for help. The word humble here is key. Humbling ourselves in order to become stronger through the love and support of friends and family is true honest bravery.
So my challenge for you is, are you being brave? Are you letting others surround you and help you in your toughest time, or are you being the opposite of brave, a coward!? Wow, that word hits hard! Think about your definition of being brave, does it call you out to a honest humble place, or does it keep you bottled up in the lie that a cowardly life of putting on a happy face is a better place.
To be honest that cowardly place definitely seems like a safer place at times. No need to admit fault, failure, weakness, confusion, brokenness and many more qualities that may seem negative. It is only in and through these qualities that we can have true community, a true church body and true accountability. They are not negative at all, only twisted into that by a world full of fear in what others may think of them. These seemingly negative qualities are in fact our most positive expression of who we are as humans and how much we need each other and a gracious God.
This is something that I am only beginning to learn. It has been a hard lesson and I am no where close to having true honest bravery completely nailed down. I feel like this may be a lesson that takes me the rest of my life to grasp. It involves understanding grace and being able to extend that to yourself as well as others. It involves honesty with yourself and others. It also involves vulnerability, this is the aspect I personally struggle with the most.
I pray that when you finish reading this entry you're not over whelmed with how hard true honest bravery may seem, but rather I pray that you realize that the support and encouragement that you are needing right now is in your own hands. Open up to someone you trust, allow them to see your heart, the hurts and all. You will be blessed even in knowing that you let yourself be honest with where you are at in life, no pretending.
Listen to the words in this song, they are for you....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hi-VMxT6fc
God bless.
Shauna
