Courage
- Michael Haldas
- Dec 16, 2025
- 5 min read
“The Lord allows a man's vices to humble his soul. Perhaps he will turn from them. But courage is one of the general virtues begotten by Wisdom. Courageous people enrich others in virtue.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Proverbs 10:4)
“When you think of what it takes to be a Christian, does the word “courage” ever come to mind? The first words that tend to come mind when describing what it takes to be a Christian are usually the obvious ones like faith and trust. Certainly those are important. Knowledge is important, and so is discipline and consistency. As the world continues to change (and I’m not so sure it’s for the better), the word “courage” is starting to make its way into my mind as something we are going to need in greater and greater amounts in the future. The world is becoming polarized when it comes to traditional Christian values. There are those who are trying to change what Christians have believed for centuries, trying to update it to reflect the shifting morality of contemporary times. There are some who are staunchly defending traditional Christian morality who are being silenced and cancelled. And there is the what I think is the majority who practice the faith almost in silence, at most afraid, and at the least disinterested in bringing it out into open forum.” (Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis)
“…both types of courage required of each of us in our own Christian lives. We must be ready and willing not only to endure in a Christian manner the suffering and sorrow which are absolutely inevitable in this broken and sinful world, but we must also be ready to let go even of the good things which it contains — if those good things begin separate us from God. We must all have the courage of our faith: faith that in the end God will comfort every sorrow and heal every hurt, but also the faith there is absolutely no comparison between any sacrifice we could possibly make — any good thing we could possibly give up — and the incomprehensible blessings which God desires with all His heart to give to us in their place. For truly, “as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (I Cor. 2:9).” (Igumen Gabriel)
“But above all, listen to Christ, Who says to each of us: Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). The Apostle Paul calls us not to despondency, anxiety, or panic—but to courage. He seems to say, “The Lord is with us. Go out to battle without fear or confusion.” To be strengthened in the Lord means to go to Him in faith, not to wait for grace to fall on us from the sky. God does not say, “Just wait, and someday I will help you.” No. He says: “I am already here. Fear not; be of good courage.” Timidity is a small inward betrayal, as if we were saying to God, “You will not manage this.” But faith is the firm knowledge that God is stronger than all enemies. If God be with us, who can be against us? We live in a troubled time, but not a hopeless one. Even the darkest times become a time for courage. God never surrenders His position. And if we stand firm in doing good, each victory of this sort will draw us nearer to God. Thus will we be able to walk the path of faith, keeping the heart alive, bright, and Christ-filled.” (Metropolitan Luke Kovalenko)
“The grace received from God requires us to cooperate with Him…The more a person struggles for Christ’s sake, the more grace he receives. There is a dynamic of grace: The more we struggle with sin and strive to do good, the more God’s grace takes root in us, giving us the strength and courage to perform our good fight to the end.” (Metropolitan Serafim Joanta)
“The root of the word courage is cor—the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage had a very different definition than it does today. Courage originally meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart…In short, vulnerability is a sign of courage, not weakness…Although vulnerability is often associated with weakness, it actually lies at the heart of courage and resilience, for a person who has accepted her vulnerability can put herself in situations of risk, uncertainty, or the possibility of failure…the freedom to be vulnerable is associated not merely with emotional health, but also with a high degree of physical resiliency…the simple act of choosing to embrace our sufferings with courage is a key to spiritual resilience.” (Robin Phillips)
“We need to be very attentive to our lives, to see if we have enough courage to show love. To ensure that despite the fact that we are sinners, we still turn away from sin and move towards God or, conversely, degrade even more. In this way we’ll become like our Savior and those whom He sets as an example for us. This woman showed mercy, thereby preparing the Lord for burial. Any manifestation of such nobility, self-sacrifice, and generosity within us is what the Lord expects from us, is what pleases Him. That’s how He wants to see us. We’re all sinners; there are no righteous people. There are only people who are deluded about themselves.” (Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov)
“A Christian life is often full of hardships, and we must always remember that we can’t live without God’s consolation! The verb “to comfort” is repeated many times in the New Testament, and it does not only give the meaning “sympathy” to the noun “comfort”, but is also used in its original meaning: “bravery”. Divine consolation not only gives our souls peace and relief, but also the bravery and courage to cope with all the difficulties in life.” (Hieromonk Kirill Popov)
“There is a fundamental relationship between courage and the light of being, one which functions as the primary expression of the good against evil.” (Lisa Coutras)
“When you fear loss, you are hard-pressed to live a life of courage, for it is in living with courage that we are able to participate fully in life and become fully human.” (Abbot Tryphon)
“Courage is not the absence of fear…Courage is simply doing what needs to be done even though you are scared and tired.” (Alex and Brett Harris, Rick Johnson)
“To be a true Christian today will require a cost, a risk; it is an adventure, a confession, a form of ‘foolishness.’ To be a Christian is not for the indolent, the self-centered, the idle, the superficial, and the fearful. The Christian today must be intelligent, enthusiastic, courageous, daring and fearless. The saints of our Church who were fools for Christ inspire and guide us into this transcendence — helping us to move outside of our shell of individualism and the frozen ego; and enter into the realm of spiritual health and balance, which is marked by a holy humility... courage is an expression of the transcendental.” (Orthodox Agape, Lisa Coutras)
“When people see how courageous and optimistic you are during your troubled times, they will be drawn to Christ." (Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler)
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