The NIV 365 Day Devotional
The Courage to Change
Samuel Johnson said, “Unless a man has courage, he has no security for preserving any other virtue.” Courage is the basic virtue. Of what use is wisdom if you don’t have the courage to act wisely? Of what value is love if you don’t have the courage to love? Of what importance is truth if you don’t have the courage to speak it? Of what consequence is faith without the courage to embrace it? Courage activates all other goodness.
It also requires honesty. It takes courage to confront the truth of our unmanageable lives and then admit it. It takes courage to surrender our lives and wills to God. To face our moral life and honestly take our inventory and then admit our findings to another human being. To make our best efforts to make amends, continue our inventory, maintain our conscious contact with God — all of it takes Courage.
We can be courageous because we do not walk alone. We are with one another and God. It is knowing that we have the support and friendship of our companions that supplies the courage we often lack. The apostle Paul experienced this as a prisoner awaiting trial and possible death. His friends traveled quite a distance to visit him, and “at the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged.”
PRAYER:
Christ, increase my courage. Strengthen my will to walk with you bravely. May I be encouraged by my friends.
Taken from the NIV Recovery Devotional Bible.