Courage in Culture: Your Mission Field is Between Your Feet

by David Chadwick The definition of courage is “the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” You must decide to be a person of courage long before you face a difficult situation. You must know the truth and know how to speak the truth in love. When speaking the truth, you need to expect resistance. It is the sign that you are taking new ground for the Kingdom of light. As the resistance comes, pray for your enemies who may persecute you in the process. God calls everyone, no matter what age they are, to walk in courage. What else must you do to have courage in culture? Know that your mission field is between your feet. Wherever you are. Trusting God has you there at that moment for his purposes. If God is sovereign over all (and he is!), he has a call upon your life. A purpose and a plan, even in the midst of chaos, to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11—a promise given to the Jews while they were living in the Babylonain culture!). He strategically puts people in different places to accomplish his will. With Daniel, for example, God put him in Babylon as a teen and kept him there all his life. Yet he remained faithful to serve God at all stages and in each place where he was put. His love for God was never defined by how old he was. He was always faithful and, amazingly, was continually lifted up to places of honor as he walked in humility (James 4:10). This truth should give parents tremendous hope that your children and teens can resist the temptations of this world and stand for Jesus. And still be honored for doing so! No matter where you find yourself, your mission field is right where you are positioned. If you’re seven years old, you have a mission. If you’re 45 years old, you have a mission. If you’re 84 years old, you have a mission! You can accomplish God’s will wherever you may be in the culture where you live, no matter how Babylonian your culture might be. If God wants you in a different job, or place, he will put you in a different job. Until that point, be salt and light each and every day, wherever he has placed your two feet. For that place is your mission field!