Thanks for reading my blog! This is the fourth in a series based on my book Pursuing Uncomfortable: Lean In and Overcome, which will be out before the end of the year. (Squeal!!!) CLICK HERE to join the waitlist.

Hi friend, let's talk about courage. It's a word we admire, but when it comes to living courageously, it's not always easy. Choosing courage means stepping into the unknown, embracing discomfort, and risking failure, all of which can feel overwhelming. Convenience, on the other hand, offers a sense of safety.

It's familiar, easy, and let's be honest, quite tempting. But here's the truth. A spirit filled life, the kind of life where you feel truly alive and connected with God and others, requires courage. It asks us to say no to what's easy and yes to what's meaningful.

Convenience makes life easier, but it rarely leads to growth. Courage challenges us to step into discomfort and embrace the hard but meaningful work of becoming our best selves. Choosing courage means saying no to what's easy and yes to what's right. It's about living with intention, even when the path forward isn't clear or the outcome guaranteed. 

Let's start with why convenience is so tempting. It feels like the path of least resistance. Well, it is. Why risk trying something new when you can stay with what you know? But convenience often keeps us from experiencing the fullness of life. It limits us, while courage expands us.  I remember a time when I had to make a choice.

Take a bold step forward or stay in the comfort of what I knew.  I was a biologist and was teaching biology to high school seniors.  I liked the school, had a great relationship with the other faculty, and found purpose in teaching the science of life.

Everything was fine.  Then a call to ministry intruded on my comfortable life. Let me be honest with you. I was not happy about that and did my best to ignore it. Accepting that call meant I would have to move two states away to attend seminary for three years, then relocate again to only God knows where  and serve as a minister to a church.

That's a whole lot of change and upheaval.  Not to mention the thousands of dollars seminary would cost as well as three years of not having a salary and investing in retirement.  It was all too much.  Besides,  my life was fine.  However, for those of you who practice faith, you know that when your higher power wants something of you,  there's just no rest. 

My life was fine. And it had purpose. Why would I make that kind of change?  Did I even have it in me to do it?  It was a decision that required a lot of courage. Uprooting my life in that way didn't make sense to some people close to me. 

It wouldn't be easy, and what if I was wrong? What if it was a big mistake, and I was giving up a good life?  That was the thing, though. It was a fine life, and if I'm honest, I could see how the seeds of burnout were there and how it could become predictable for me year after year.  

Ultimately, I went for it. I decided to accept this calling and leap into the unknown, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable.  And guess what?  I received a scholarship to help pay for the expense of seminary, and a small local church hired me to be their pastor for the three years I was there, so I was able to support myself. That decision led me down a path of healing and growth for myself, and sharing it with others. I'm so very thankful for the courage to take a radically different path.  

Now I take what I know about the science of life and weave it together with the spirit of life. I share a faith perspective that is unique, life giving, and life affirming.  

The courage required to join the Army National Guard in high school and to pursue a call to ministry as a second career was tremendous. And it produced a ripple effect of choosing courage over convenience. It's like rolling a snowball downhill. It takes some effort to get it going, but once you do, it gets a whole lot easier and it picks up its own steam. 

When we choose courage, we give ourselves permission to grow and inspire others to do the same. It's a way of living that connects us more deeply to God, to others, and to ourselves. 

Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's moving forward in spite of it. Every time we choose courage, we're choosing a life of faith and trust. And here's what I've learned. Courage leads to transformation. Not just in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us.  Convenience may feel easier in the moment,  but it often leads to regret.

Courage, on the other hand, might be harder but it can lead to a life of meaning and purpose.  I have to confess there have been times when I summoned courage to do a hard thing and failed miserably. There are no guarantees in this life,  yet I wouldn't change those experiences. Failure is a fantastic teacher. Choosing courage and even failing is where we experience the presence of God most deeply. When we step into the unknown, and trust that we're not alone.  

So here's my challenge for you. Identify one decision where you've been choosing convenience over courage.  Maybe it's a conversation you've avoided, a risk you haven't taken, or a step you've been hesitating to make. 

Take one small action toward courage. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be brave,  even a little bit. 

If this resonates with you, I tell the full story of my calling experience and dive deeper into these ideas in my book, Pursuing Uncomfortable, Lean In and Overcome. You'll find practical tools to help you live with courage and purpose.

Also, check out my blog for more reflections on courage and transformation in the fiLLLed in 5 and Cuppa playlists.  And don't forget, Subscribe and join me for my next video where we'll talk about faith in action and doing what scares you most. Until next time, remember, courage might be hard but it leads to the spirit filled life you're meant to live.