Courage, Dear Heart

One of my favorite quotes is from a letter written by Catherine Booth (wife of William Booth and co-founder of The Salvation Army) to her daughter. The letter is filled with advice for her young daughter who is getting ready to enter the world. As a young woman, I’m encouraged by Booth’s words.

“Do not give into lowness while you are young. Rise up on the strength of God and resolve to conquer.” (Catherine Booth)

Young people today seem to be lacking in this attribute of strength—courage. We are easily swayed by the whims of our emotions and give into lowness, wearing it on our sleeves as though it were a virtue. I don’t say this with judgment, for I see this tendency in myself. I am delicate, fragile; and while it is good to be tender, it is not good to be so tender that we easily break.

The world is a difficult and broken place. I’m not saying that it is easy to gather courage; but listen to the story of Catherine Booth, who took courage in her God in the face of difficulty and weakness.

As a young mother, Catherine suffered from chronic illness that kept her trapped in her bed all hours of the day. Caring for her children and her home was a daily battle that she sometimes couldn’t win. Despite this, Catherine was a persistent evangelist, proving more popular than most men of the time. She did not let her suffering dissuade her from sharing the gospel, but instead, would boldly share the gospel.

She was not pushed away from dangerous situations either, rather, she would speak to groups of drinking men, encouraging them to turn from the bottle to Jesus. Catherine did not give into lowness, into weakness, into fear, but rose up on the strength of God and conquered the days she was given.

If Catherine can do it, then so can I. So can you. Why? Because the same God that strengthened her lives in us, too.

Courage is not just an ideal to be desired. It’s a command that we ought to strive for. There are so many examples of God’s commandment to be courageous in Scripture, and many to be seen in the lives of the early church fathers who gave up their lives for the sake of Christ. Among the Scriptures, one of my favorites is Psalm 27:13-14.

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:13 NIV and Psalm 27:14 ESV)

We can take courage because we know that God’s goodness will ultimately prevail. If God is good, what then do we have to fear? If I trust that God will take care of me and show me His goodness while I still have breath in my lungs, then in what do I have to be dismayed?

Friends, let us not give into lowness while we are young. Instead, let us be strong and brave, ready to fight the good fight of faith because we know that our Savior is good to us. No matter the sorrow or struggle, we can find the strength to face our deepest fears because His joy will embolden us.

I’ll close with this thought, then. Listen for His voice. Keep your ears open to hear His whispers that encourage.

“Courage, dear heart.” (C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader)