Lesson 6: Courage and Fear Can Coexist

For years, I believed fear and faith couldn’t occupy the same space.

If I truly trusted God, I reasoned, I wouldn't be scared. Doubt and fear were signs of weak faith, or so I thought.

But I've learned that courage isn't the absence of fear. It's choosing to move forward while afraid.

When my children were still toddlers, my husband became suddenly ill. The doctors ordered him to take several months off work. At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom. His absence from work meant our household income would drop by 35 percent. Overnight, our financial future became uncertain.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at our finances. The thought of seeing our credit card statements made my stomach turn. Pride kept me from asking family for help. The fear felt crippling, paralyzing even.

And yet beneath all that terror, something else existed: trust.

I didn’t understand how things would work out. I couldn’t see the path forward. But deep in my spirit, I knew God would come through for us. And He did.

That experience taught me that fear is human. It’s part of our design. God doesn't ask us to never feel afraid; He asks us to trust Him in our fear.

Looking back, I realize some of my most faith-filled moments were also my most terrifying. Fear was present, but it didn’t make the decisions. Faith led the way.

What courage looks like for me now:

• Doing the thing I’m afraid of instead of waiting to feel ready.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 

— 2 Timothy 1:7

• Trusting that God goes before me into the unknown.

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." — Deuteronomy 31:8

Click here for Lesson 5: Gratitude Shifts Everything

Read the full series: 7 Faith Lessons Life Taught Me