Courage in Culture: No Age Limit
by David Chadwick Last week we began to look at a series of ways to stand courageously in culture. I believe we are in uncertain times where we must be actively preparing for hard situations long before we face them. As we continue to explore how to have courage in culture, I want to remind you today that there is NO age limit to courage! Anyone who has the Holy Spirit residing inside of him or her has the same power that rose Jesus from the grave (Romans 8:11). There is not a biggie size Holy Spirit for adults and a junior size for children. If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you and empowers you to be a witness for Jesus (Acts 1:8). The book of Daniel begins when he is a young teen and ends when he is about 95 years old. Throughout his entire life, Daniel remains faithful to God. There are habits of courage he developed as a young boy that were strengthened and cultivated over the course of his life. By the time he was of ripe old age, he continued to stand. And if you look at Daniel’s entire life, he influenced the four greater emperors/kings of that day (Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar 2, Darius and Cyrus). From 13 or so to 95 or so, Daniel remained faithful to his God. And two great Babylonian kings and two more powerful Persian kings all exalted him into positions of power and influence. Courage is never defined by someone’s age or stage of life. Courage is only defined by the truth of God’s Word. It’s the absence of fear and the presence of faith, which sets people free. Whether you are nine or 99 years old, you can walk in courage! Wherever God has placed you in life, be faithful! Love God and choose to live for him every single day. And then watch as God is faithful to complete the work he began in you (Philippians 1:6). Observe that when you are humble to your Lord, he will exalt you (James 4:10). Raises, promotions, and influence can happen for the faithful follower of Jesus—even in a cancel culture that hates truth and people who stand for it.