It takes courage to be loving

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:24 KJV)

While thinking lately on what God wants from humanity, I was reminded of this message. Why did God put us here in the first place? Theologians explain that the Bible tells us that God was already a community of three persons in one being—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—that had perfect, infinite love within Them and They didn’t need any more. They created us so that more beings could share in this love.

Jesus said that the most important thing in our existence is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. And courage is nearly as important, because it often takes courage to be loving, to do the right things, to protect others from harm, and just to face the struggles of everyday living.

It took God infinite love, and also infinite courage, to send His Son into our broken world as a tiny baby, to walk our dusty roads, and to share in our sorrows and diseases. And it took Jesus infinite love, and infinite courage, to go through the pain of life, and the torture of death on the cross so that we could have eternal life!

We must choose to walk hand in hand in kindness with others, even when we don’t know the way ahead. And we must be courageous to face whatever comes our way, with the faith that our heavenly Father is leading us in His love and wisdom. [1]

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. - Lao Tzu

[1] Activated Have Courage and Be Kind