The Contagious Courageous
The military officer paces before his loyal troops. “Today, we face the greatest enemy we have ever encountered. We are outmanned and outgunned, but we are all that stands between our foe and the fair land we call home. This mission is unlike any we’ve embarked upon before, but I have surrendered to answer the call. I cannot and will not order you to follow, but I wonder, are there any among you who will join me in the fight?”
For several moments, the soldiers survey the faces of those around them. Fear. Indecision. Shame. Finally, a single warrior steps forward and proclaims, “I will go with you.” Within a few seconds, another steps forward and then another until, finally, each soldier has joined the fight.
What made the difference? What motivated the fearful warriors to risk their lives? Their decision could be attributed to the love of their country, the respect for their commander, or even the moving speech given by their superior officer. But I believe the most significant contributing factor to their decision to go forward was the courageous stand of one of their fellow soldiers. A single man compelled an entire army to throw caution to the wind when he dared to step forward. You could say his "courageous" was contagious.
Few of us want to be the first to take a stand, but as Christians, that’s what we’ve been called to do. We are soldiers in the Lord’s army, and we ought to motivate others to take a stand that makes a change. We ought to be the first to step up and say, “I’ll go.” And if we’re concerned about standing alone, we need not be. First off, the Bible assures us we are never alone. God is on our side, and He will never leave us or forsake us. But not only that, when we dare to take a stand, we inspire others to do the same. Our "courageous" becomes contagious.
Just imagine how we could impact the world today if each of us were willing to step forward and join the mission. Consider how many others we might inspire by our bold obedience to the call of Christ.
Our Commander is asking, “Who will join me in this fight?” How will you respond?
“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. ”