Complimentary Story
“There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. Once, armed only with a club, he killed an Egyptian warrior who was 7 1⁄2 feet (about 2 1/4 meters) tall and who was armed with a spear as thick as a weaver’s beam. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.” (1 Chronicles 11:22-23, NLT). Wow, what courage! That is how you would describe Benaiah, one of David’s mighty men. Did you catch that? This valiant warrior went into a very dangerous pit when it was very slippery because of the snow and killed a lion. When you corner or trap an animal, it will become very vicious and extremely dangerous.
Some would call him crazy. Several facts about lions include they can weigh up to 500 pounds (226 kilograms), run 35 mph (55 kph) and their vision is five times better than a human with 20/20 vision. Benaiah did not have odds on his side.
He caught the lion and killed it. We do not know how he killed it. No wonder David made him his chief bodyguard. Benaiah also killed a huge Egyptian who had a huge spear while Benaiah only had a club. Benaiah got a hold of the spear and killed the Egyptian with it.
Is this advocating killing animals and people? Not at all. What is being encouraged here is to serve Jesus, just as Benaiah served David. Standing alone when everyone else is telling you to go for it or just do it, is very hard. Staying away from activities that you know you should not be involved in when your friends are involved and wanting you to join in is very hard to do. Checking out a porn site when no one is looking, entertaining an impure thought or having an impulse to get even with someone with a juicy piece of gossip may seem innocent, but it can quickly spiral downward to other sinful behaviors.
The likelihood that Satan will hit us with a “big, bad” sin is highly unlikely. Rather he chips away with minor, incidental things and pretty soon, we are doing things we never dreamed of doing. It takes spiritual courage to say no, not only to the big things, but as importantly, to the little “no one will know” sin activities.
It also takes a lot of guts and courage to admit that you have sinned and that you are sinning against our awesome, holy God. Yet that courage leads you to freedom from sin bondage, being a slave to sin and its habits.
Spiritual courage is needed to serve Jesus, in whatever way He leads in your life. You may find yourself in some uncomfortable situations as you see it, but He is stretching you and wants to use you for His glory. What an awesome privilege that is.
Examples of courage are found throughout the Bible. To live your life the way we know we should as Christians and to be obedient to God’s leading is not easy. It was not easy for Benaiah, Paul, Mary, Joseph and even Jesus. Ask Jesus to give you the boldness and courage to do the right things and to live your life that represents Jesus well.
