Taking Courage

Recently I have been reimpressed with the story of Joshua in the Old Testament. I want to tell you something about this man's life, not by way of sermonizing; but because I have found something that relates well to our running.

You see Joshua was a great man in his own right. He was a great general and a fine leader; but he was never really first. He somehow came out second in every comparison. The trouble was, he followed the magnificent Moses; and no one could measure up to him. So even when Joshua won a great victor, it was as if there was an asterisk by his name; and the footnote said: "But Moses was not in the race today".

In the midst of these difficult circumstances the message came to him time and time again: "Be strong and of good courage". Do you know it takes more courage to be second than it does to be first? Courage is for when you are losing...when things are going wrong...when you are defeating yourself. That is the time for digging deep in search of solutions.

Even when you have won a race has someone been happy to suggest "but so and so was not here today?" They want to keep you in second even when you came in first; but there is a message for us in this. YOU DON'T HAVE TO COMPETE WITH ANYONE WHO IS NOT AT THE RACE. Others may have run faster on other days and on other courses; but that should not distract from your victory this time. NO ONE CAN POSSIBLY WIN WHO IS NOT IN THE RACE; and the fact is that you are here and you won. So rejoice in your victory; and don't allow anything to distract from it.

Actually I have a Gold from the Nationals, partly because better runners didn't show up that day. I never doubted for a moment that there are fellows out there who can beat me; BUT THEY WERE NOT THERE THAT DAY. Maybe because of distance to the event. Perhaps they didn't want to go through the Regional and State competition to qualify. Or maybe they had simply not been running well in other events. Even so, there may be a number of reasons why your strongest competition does not show up for a given race. You might even find that they dread facing you head on almost as much as you dread facing them. So on this day, on this course, you have been the best. At another time they may win; but you don't have to replay this one (even in your own mind) for their benefit. They have lost this one forever.

There is another part of the story, however, that impresses me even more. Twice in Scripture I have found where it was said of a man under very trying circumstances: "He tood courage". Somehow that expression came to mean more to me in regard to running. Notice this:

1. COURAGE IS AN OPTION. It is something you can "take". You don't have to be born with it. It does not come automatically. It is a choice; and it can be yours. You just have to take it.

2. COURAGE IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH LACK OF DOUBT OR FEAR. It is enlightening to learn that some of the most heroic acts have been preformed by people who were desperately afraid at the time they did them. They had simply resolved that fear would not control their lives or prevent them from doing what they felt was needful at the time.

At some time in almost every race more than anything else you are going to need courage. Courage not to quit. Courage to press on. Courage to preserve against every negative thought or discouraging circumstance. Courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of difficulty. It is the determination to overcome.

I was so impressed with the words of Lord Wellington of England, who helped defeat Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo. After the victory, he was frank enough to admit, "the soldiers on the other side were equally courageous as ours; BUT OURS WERE COURAGEOUS JUST FIVE MINUTES LONGER". That's what it takes to win. Not necessarily that the race will be over in five minutes but if you can get past this difficult spot, the rest may at least become bearable. Even those who hit "the wall" in a marathon speak of how they ran stronger later on.

Notice that I am not asking you to have courage or to be courageous but to take courage. Rationally, deliberately decide to take courage. When things go bad. When negative thoughts surround you. Courage is right there for the taking. Your ability to do so may well determine both the size and thrill of your victory.