“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15; NKJV).
The Hebrew word for courage ('amats) means “to be strong, to be alert, to be courageous, to be brave, to be stout, to be bold, to be solid, to be hard” (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon). Courage is an issue of the heart. Fathers, GOD is calling you to be a braveheart!
The opposite of a brave heart is a faint heart – a cowardheart. Men who don’t develop brave hearts break hearts. Not all men betray. And not all men lose heart. Not all men do impulsive, self-centered things that destroy their homes. In Christ Jesus you have what it takes!
Sin destroys relationships. Be a braveheart about your sin. Own it. Move quickly to repair the damage. Be swift to ask forgiveness. Do everything within your power to make things right.
Bravehearts make independent choices! Bravehearts are not concerned with the majority. They do not seek the approval of the culture. They are unconcerned with how a choice will affect their career. Bravehearts are not interested in what a choice will cost in terms of money, pain or even life. Men of courage do right regardless!
Bravehearts commit their family! “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” This is a statement of purpose. Only when we have such purpose can we hope for such results. These words of Joshua imply an acceptance of responsibility to lead his family in service to GOD. They also express his confidence in his family to follow his lead.
Dare to stand like Joshua! To dare is “to venture; to have the courage; defy or challenge” (DK Illustrated Oxford Dictionary). The first step to becoming a braveheart is to get brave about dealing with your sin. You do not have to be enslaved to sin any longer – you do not have to serve sin any longer. Sin is not your master – Christ is your Master! Experiencing a change of heart. Go from self-serving to Christ-serving. Throw yourself on His mercy. Ask for His forgiveness. Ask Him to create in you a new heart. A clean heart. A forgiven heart. A Braveheart!
Jason
