Courage: Having the Mind to Suffer After Counting the Costs

Last updated on: June 20, 2018 at 11:05 pm by KP Yohannan

Courage: Having the Mind to Suffer After Counting the Costs 2018-06-20T23:05:35+00:00 KP Yohannan

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What is courage? How can we wrap our hands around it and bring it into our own lives? It’s a word many in this world are familiar with, but few really know it by personal experience.

There is a particular side of courage that I want to focus on. It is defined: the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.

National workers show incredible courage as they share God’s love in so many remote places.

Simply put,

Courage is the resolve in our spirit that we will stand strong no matter what comes. Our mind is made up—no difficulty will deter us.
It is a determination that suffering cannot cause to quit. And it was an essential element to Timothy’s ministry, as it is today with every servant of God.

When Paul encouraged Timothy to be unashamed and courageous, he was trying to prepare Timothy for all that lay ahead, to bring him to the place of decision where he determined once and for all that he would stand strong no matter what may come.

This was also what Jesus did with His disciples when He told them what would happen after He was gone. He, too, spoke of courage, telling them to “make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. . . . By standing firm you will gain life.” (See Luke 21:14-15,19.)

Again, these examples show us that courage is having a mind to suffer ... counting the cost and moving forward though the price may be high.

Courage for Today

Do you have a different spirit in you, one that takes courage in God and braves the storms? Let each one of us make up our minds today that whatever comes, whatever opposition we face as we serve our Lord, we will have the same resolve of courage that nothing can deter us from keeping the faith.

I encourage you to stay on your course. You are called to be a teacher, a leader, a husband, a wife—someone responsible for caring for others and for representing Christ to this world. There will be times when demonic opposition in the spiritual realm will be very severe.

We must make up our minds now, knowing who has called us. We must realize that without courage, Christ could not have completed the work the Lord gave Him, and neither can we.

All that is truly valuable always comes with a price and with suffering, and to endure to the end we must be people of courage.

Overcoming Fear

Today, begin to develop a “mind to suffer” by surrendering the urge to run from suffering. Embrace the fullness of God’s call on your life.

Dr. KP Yohannan, founder and international director of the nonprofit organization Gospel for Asia, has written more than 200 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than 4 million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

Gospel for Asia is a nonprofit organization serving the “least of these” in Asia since its beginning in 1979, often in places where no one else is serving. Gospel for Asia supports national workers who are serving as the hands and feet of Christ by ministering to people’s needs so they can understand the love of God for them for the first time. Gospel for Asia is engaged in dozens of projects, such as caring for poor children, slum dwellers and widows and orphans; providing clean water by funding wells; supporting medical missions; and meeting the needs of those in leprosy colonies. Through Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Program, tens of thousands of children are being rescued from the generational curses of poverty and hopelessness.

Take a step of courage to give a year of your life completely to the Lord for Him to do what He wants in you and join Gospel for Asia’s School of Discipleship.

Get encouragement to become a more disciplined person.

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