“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

Ambrose Hollingworth Redmoon

So how do we find the courage to do what we are otherwise afraid to do? We have to look beyond the fear. We have to keep our eyes on the goal, on the “something else.”
Mountain climbers risk life and limb under grueling conditions such as exposure to the elements, hunger, and exhaustion, all for the thrill of reaching the peak and seeing the world from a perspective that few others ever have or ever will. Athletes exercise incredible self-discipline and push themselves to the limit because they are focused on the trophy, the gold medal, or the prize money.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, the apostle Paul recounts how he toiled long and hard and went without sleep, how he suffered hunger, thirst, and nakedness, how he was flogged and beaten, stoned and left for dead, how he was shipwrecked and imprisoned, how he was in constant danger and often on the move. Where did he find the courage to endure such things? In Philippians 3:13-14 he tells us his secret. “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” That’s the secret! Press toward the mark. Keep your eyes on the prize.

This world is full of problems, sorrow, and pain, and both today’s news headlines and numerous prophecies in the Bible tell us that things are going to get worse before they get better. Where will we find the courage to face what’s ahead? We must look beyond this life and focus on the prize.

For most people, Heaven seems very far away; it’s difficult to perceive as the Bible describes it—a world far more real and infinitely more enduring than the material world we now live in. But that heavenly vision is at the very core of faith. It’s where the believer finds courage. By faith, Moses “endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 12:27), and so can we. (by Misty Kay)