Often when asked to define courage, we tend to offer examples of extreme acts of bravery. We think someone is courageous if they jump into a raging river to save a drowning child. When the first astronauts flew into space, they showed courage as they risked their lives to travel where no one had gone before. Yes, these certainly qualify as acts of courage, but most ordinary people will never face these types of dangerous situations. Even so, I contend the common person still exhibits acts of courage daily. Most times courage is simply choosing to do the next right thing.
At this moment, you may feel like the world has turned upside down. Every direction you look, there’s some crisis brewing. When stress presses on every side, it’s tempting to hide or run away. Fear of ‘what’s next’ becomes overwhelming and we fall into paralysis, not knowing how to solve these huge problems. But God doesn’t ask us to solve the world’s problems. That’s His job. He asks us to faithfully attend to the tasks in front of us. Courage for most of us is choosing to do the next right thing.
But what is the next right thing? It’s as different as each of us is unique. For one person, it may be feeding their baby or perhaps going to work caring for their patients. For another, it might be taking a meal to an ill friend. Doing the next right thing is moving forward, spreading the good by loving those in your circle of influence.
The Lord has told us what is right and what he demands: See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God.
Micah 6:8 CEV
I’ve often heard that God does his best work when we’re moving forward in faith. A rudder does nothing if a boat is standing still. However, once a boat is out in the current, the rudder easily works to turn it’s direction. So it is with believers. When we choose to take that first step to do the right thing, God will direct us to the next and the next and the next. Soon we’re making a difference in ways we never imagined before.
Even when you find yourself in the valley of the shadow of death, don’t park yourself there. Keep moving forward and God will lead you out of the valley to a better situation. In this life, none of us can avoid these dark places. But the Lord will guide you through your problems as you do the next right thing.
I don’t want to downplay the magnitude of the issues we all face at this time. But I also don’t want to delude myself into thinking this is something new. Every age and every generation goes through periods when they questioned if their world could possibly survive. But it did. And the people persevered by moving forward in courage by doing the next right thing, day in and day out.
Now I profess to be a Christian and as a Christ follower, I do believe someday Jesus will return. None of us knows the day or the hour but He gave us this promise-He will come again. He asks us to stay ready until that time. We stay ready by faithfully doing his will and courageously choosing to do the next right thing.
Do the right thing, and then do the next right thing, and that will lead you to the next right thing after that.
Michael J Fox
