“I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?” Psalm 121
For the most part I’m a pretty sore loser. That’s not to say I am ungracious about it, it’s just that I don’t like losing. So, what’s wrong with that, you ask, shouldn’t we all strive to win? Of course we should, except in my case I dislike losing so much that sometimes I refuse to compete if it appears the odds are stacked against me. If it doesn’t look like I’ve got a fighting chance I just don’t play.
Now, that’s probably smart when it comes to things such as investing in the stock market; after all, who in his right mind would buy a stock believing it never had a chance of going up? No, when we invest in the stock market we do so believing the odds are that our stocks will appreciate. But let me ask you, have you ever taken on a challenge where logic says you have no chance to win, yet even under the slimmest odds you did it anyway because it was so worthwhile, or you simply felt called to do so? To be that undaunted in the face of probable failure requires conviction and courage, doesn’t it?
Here’s the point. Sooner or later each of us is going to be blindsided with some sort of overwhelming challenge. Disaster will strike, a crisis will emerge, and we will find ourselves face to face with Goliath – a giant twice our size. So why not pick a few insurmountable challenges of our own rather than waiting for fate to choose for us – things that matter, that make a difference, that make the world a better place? Ask yourself these three questions. What are my dreams that seem out of reach? What passions do I keep locked away? What footprints do I want to leave behind from my walk on this earth? How you answer these questions will determine which insurmountable challenges are worth taking on.
So, then the question of courage arises, from where is it to come? The psalmist wrestled with the same question. “I lift my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?” he asked. Then he answered his own question, “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” Our courage can be found there, too. Believe it – then get in the game!