As athletes, there is a standard of strength, courage, and confidence that is required to reach our goals, perform well, win, and experience victory. Athletes are generally expected to have strength and courage to go out and give it their all, all of the time. There are times in my life, and I am sure that there will be more when I am expected to have strength, confidence, and courage. But in reality, all I truly feel is that I am not strong, I am weak. I am not courageous, but I am small. I lack confidence in who God made me to be, and I have a deep fear that I cannot do it. I feel left and abandoned. Though I may feel weak and small, none of this is true. I am not lacking in strength and I am not alone.

When I am feeling this way, this is also the time that I need to wake up, because I believe that the Spirit of the living God is the provider of my strength! God’s Word tells us that we can go out and have strength and courage in everything we do because where we lack in strength and courage is filled in with the perfect strength and courage of our Heavenly Father. When we require strength and confidence to go out and do what we have been called to do, it can be extremely challenging on the days that we feel at our weakest and our smallest. But remember, God has already gone before you; His strength and courage will not fail you and He won’t ever let you go.

I have found that God’s strength and courage is the strength and courage my heart so desperately needs and loves. God has made us a promise to be with us forever. The strength and courage that He offers of me is nothing of myself, except I must choose it, and allow it to fill in all of my gaps. Even on our weakest days, we can wake up with joy knowing that God has already gone before us; His strength and courage are all ours.