Courage

Cowardly Lion: "Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?"

Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man: Courage!

There are days when I feel like the cowardly lion and I am lacking courage.  I have moments where I am terrified to talk to people, or answer someone's question for fear of saying the wrong thing.  I fear all sorts of things and there are a billion other things I could fear, but having courage means that I have to be fearless!

In the bible Joshua states, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:9).

A prophet of the Lord commands us to have courage. We have the Lord on our side and do not need to fear life or the unexpected that lies ahead.  We are all children of God and are entitled to greatness and the courage to face the future with confidence. 

 I love what the Young Women General Presidency have said, "Whatever your circumstances, you were born to lead in your family, in your school, and in your community. So this year, be strong, have courage, and make a difference in the world! You are not alone. Heavenly Father will hear and answer your prayers and guide your actions as you remain pure and worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost." ("Have Courage: Lead Out in the Cause of Virtue!" New Era, Jan. 2010, 6.)

We are all somebody great, and the Lord is on our side supporting us and helping us along the way. We can have the courage to do anything the Lord calls us to do.  So how do we get the courage we need in this life?  The Young Women General Presidency tells us how.  They said, "Your courage to lead will come as you live the standards, make correct choices, and follow the prophet. Your strength will come as you strive daily to increase your testimony of the Savior by praying and reading in the Book of Mormon."

Like everything in life, it's doing the daily simple things that draw us closer to Heavenly Father that will bring us more courage, more faith, more happiness, and eventually eternal joy.  I am grateful to a Heavenly Father who is always trying to help us be better and stronger.  He requires us to have courage, along with a lot of other virtues and talents, but He is always helping us acquire the things He requires.  It's a beautiful plan.