“I command you – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The company or business leader who takes the big risk and then succeeds will experience others recognizing their courage to step forward and take the chance when others wouldn’t. We applaud courage and we give praise to those who demonstrate it and follow through. Yet in business there are usually a group of naysayers who will be the first to “dis’ courage” or be discouraging. We know who they are and if we thought about it for a moment, we could come up with a list of the people we can count on to consistently be looking for the hole in the doughnut or point out all the risks to an extreme. I have often wondered why these people do what they do and I believe it is their own lack of courage that holds them back from supporting or jumping on the bandwagon. They would rather take their own chance to stay safe, secure and controlled by the fear of failing. The problem is that these people are not only securing themselves, but also holding back others who want to strive and reach for more.

God does not want us to be those who discourage others. We are to be encouraging and we are to be courageous and strong. Being discouraged is mentioned together with being afraid and if we are either then we are turning our backs on what God has promised us. Others are looking to us and we have the opportunity today, right now in this time, to be ones who can be courageous because we believe, know and trust that God is with us wherever we go. To be any less is to say that our God is not what He says He is! Today is a day for courage and strength that comes from Him!

Reference: Joshua 1:9 (New Living Testament)