74. Leadership Secrets: 9. Joshua: The God Assurance

When one becomes a leader, one is told always to be brave, to be of good courage. The question is, where does one obtain this courage from?

You would have heard various ways to do so. Some say the courage comes from within you, you just need to allow it to emerge. Some say, "Fake it til you make it!"

Others say, "it is not the absence of fear, it is acting in spite of fear!"

Joshua from the Old Testament may have some or all of these, but he definitely received courage and strength from an external source, his God.

Let's read Joshua 1: 5-9:

5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Right after God called him to continue with the task of Moses as a leader, God knows it is not an automatic thing to just pick up the reins and move along.

God gave his assurance to Joshua.

In these verses, you can see God told him to be strong and courageous 3 times in this short passage.

No matter how strong you may think you are, in this world, it is difficult to do it on your own.

Do you have a mentor? A coach? The greatest leaders in the world have people they turn to. For advice, for reflection, for bouncing off ideas, as a listening ear, etc.

If you still do not, go look for one, or two.

If you are a Christian leader, maybe you can look to a church leader, a pastor, a more matured Christian leader, someone from your own organisation, maybe someone from a different denomination.

But above all, your courage comes from the Lord. So take heed to the scripture passage today.