2 Corinthians 5:5-8, “He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Would you say you have performed with courage this past week? Have fears, worries, doubting self-worth, thinking you are stupid, and seeds of uncertainty been nibbling at your mind, so thoughts of defeat have taken root? I think this might effect us women more than men, generally speaking.
How have you had to exercise your faith this week? I have the same struggles. Paul did as well, but he was determined to keep the goal of continually pleasing Christ first because he was assured he would be rewarded eternally in heaven, as he stated in 2 Cor. 4:16-18, “These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us (The MSG).”
The ESV uses the word “courage” in 2 Corinthians 5:6 & 8. The NIV and the HCSB both use the word “confidence.” Have you been able to perform courageously and confidently this week in modeling godliness? How about during times of conflict within your workplace or in other areas? That is a big one for me. Since you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you (1Cor. 1:22), you have a holy and high royal ranking. God gave us the Holy Spirit, our comforter, which is the guarantee of a down payment to our future inheritance. The presence of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s life gave him courage for the conflict, which gave him confidence that God was at work in him, and would continue His work (Phil. 1:6), so Paul did not lose heart. He viewed his final destination as his motivation to keep on keeping on and wanted to hear the Lord say to him , “Well done (Lk. 19:17)!”
Ask God for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit within you, if you are wrestling with feelings of insecurity, or other struggles. Recite 2 Cor. 5:5-8 out loud and where you find the word “us” or “we” replace it with your name.
Stand up straight. Ask God to fight your battles. Always be of good courage. Walk by faith, not by sight, in every daily activity. God is preparing a mansion for you, and in heaven, there will be no cramped living conditions! Take courage and grab onto the security that God has redeemed you and knows your name (Isa. 43:1). Today you are one day closer to seeing the glory that will be revealed to us in heaven than it was yesterday.
God wants to show you things in His Word that will transform your life as you draw close to Him. Then you will automatically have the courage to walk by faith and not only by sight. Write down in your journal verses that will help you live out the specifics of your life. I want to share one with you that gave me “good courage” just this week, Isaiah 52:12, “For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”
What verse(s) have given you “good courage?” How have you been challenged this week? Break the chains, crushing every stronghold from being in God’s presence.
Listen on YouTube to Natalie Grant – My Weapon (Sacred Version) (Official Music Video). Let the words of this song sink into your heart, as it has spoken to me this week.