I am Courageous - Daily Devotional for Women by Anna Szabo of Online Discipleship for Women

Did you know that God gives you the supernatural power you need to be courageous? You are courageous through Christ! In the cover image of this blog is my wedding picture. I am divorced now. Why did I use it? Because believing in love and getting married was the most courageous thing I had ever done. That experience allowed me to witness my own faith-based courage, which gave me the foundation for starting Online Discipleship For Women, this Christian ministry dedicated to helping alleviate suicide among women globally by sharing hope in Christ. Today, I want to share with you what the Bible says about your courage and how I realized that I am courageous. Courage is the antidote to fear. Courage makes your faith greater than whatever obstacles you’re facing. You have courage. It’s already in you. Let me show you!

I am Courageous #52Devotionals Devotions for Women  by Anna Szabo

Introduction

I can’t tell you how many times people called me “fearless” because they assume that me stepping outside of my comfort zone and taking risks means that I have no fears. I do… but my faith is bigger than my fears. I do big things scared. I take action when God calls me, and when it’s scary, I trust in Him, not in my own limited power. His limitless power helps conquer my fears with faith.

It’s always a process.

The battlefield in my mind.

The weapon for God’s victory is my courage.

The truth is that I have many fears, insecurities, doubts, assumptions, suspicions, and even terrors, which I described in my blog post called “Getting to know Anna Szabo.”

But I trust God.

We talk.

I listen to God’s voice.

I hear Him out every time.

Sometimes, I procrastinate because of fear.

Yet, God always wins.

Being Courageous

I remember God’s conversation with me about starting a podcast for Christian women on iTunes, Spotify, and other online platforms. He put a digital ministry on my heart. He talked to me about it every morning around 4 am. Of course, I resisted. Why? I felt fearful. Of what? Of not being able to meet His expectations.

Can you relate? Has God ever called you to something big and impactful but you resisted? Why? I felt unqualified and unequipped. Have you ever felt this way?

Coming from a background of not even being a Christian for most of my life, having addictions to sex and alcohol, using profanity as its own language, raging in anger regularly… I felt inferior. I was telling God that He needed to choose someone who at least read the entire Bible in order because it wasn’t me. I only read the Bible partly and not in its exact order. I was genuinely longing for God’s wisdom. I was studying His word. I was trying my best to obey His commands by abiding in Christ. But as a newbie Christian, I just felt unequipped and unqualified for ministry yet. But God didn’t see me the way I saw myself. 

He continued swirling the topic of a Christian podcast for women in my heart. He woke me up every morning with a podcast topic, intro, outro, music, and full content. I was like a walking podcasting factory: new Christian podcast episodes were unstoppably popping up in my head and being fully produced there. 

I’m not kidding! 

I began thinking about the possibility of actually doing it. There was so much I didn’t have: a studio, a professional noise-isolating microphone, and on and on I went in my mind talking myself out of doing the good work God prepared in advance for me to do.

Ok… Maybe I could do the podcast! 

God opened up my eyes to free podcasting opportunities and I finally agreed to do it. But I was scared. I wasn’t fearless. I was willing to step outside my comfort zone and confront my fear with my faith-based courage. God revealed to me that I had the gift of courage, just not in my own power but through Christ.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lordyour God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9 

Wherever you go… Hmmm…

I thought to myself: “Even online???”

I asked God to show me the way.

Where did I need to go online?

I opened up my heart to God’s calling.

I felt courageous! 

And God showed me the way. 

He gave me a free little studio in my closet.

He gave me a free 100% off discount on the syndication platform. He taught me about podsafe music, where to get it, how to produce a podcast… everything!

I produced my first podcast.

I published it.

I syndicated it everywhere online.

And then I listened to it in my car.

And I hated my voice…

Feeling Tenacious

I remember reading a book about being a great team player. It was authored by John C. Maxwell. One of the seven qualities of a team player was tenacity. I was on the same team as God. So, my podcast wasn’t perfect! It’s not a reason to quit.

Practice makes perfect.

Being tenacious means not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action. It means being determined. It’s defined as tending to keep a firm hold of something, be resolute and unshakable. Tenacity has an interesting synonym: endurance. And we are called in the Bible to “run our race with endurance.” The “race” for me was the Christian podcast for women and I was supposed to figure it out and reach women worldwide. I was supposed to do it with firmness, commitment, steadfastness, resolve, and endurance.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1

What was I doing criticizing my voice and feeling discouraged? I was being full of negativity and self-doubt! The very sins God asked me to put aside. These were heavy weights weighing me down, about to cause me to quit. I saw my destructive thinking pattern timely. And guess what? I decided to be tenacious, not readily relinquishing my position. I committed to staying resolute and unshakable.

And my Christian podcast reached tens of thousands of women globally in its first eight weeks. Glory to God! I’ll be completely honest with you. Many times after I decided to run my “race” with endurance and be courageous, fears, insecurities, and doubts tried to cripple me again and again. My resolution was to remain gutsy

“Gutsy” means showing courage and determination and being bold and fearless. Once I got in a habit of conquering my own criticism and self-attacks with negativity by remembering that God made me courageous, I started receiving negative comments and reviews online. Guess what?! God had me perfectly prepared and equipped for that! By then, I had practiced enough to be bold and fearless.

God made me so daring, despite my own inner criticism, nothing could force me to change my direction and abandon my race. I became courageous, bold, and daring. 

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

I saw that my labor for the Lord was not in vain by getting many positive ratings, reviews, and private messages. Most importantly, through digital analytics, I saw that people were listening to my podcast all over the world. I was able to see how they were coming back for more content and replaying episodes. I saw that I was not doing God’s work in vain. I was inspired, empowered, and behaved valiantly by continuing to produce my Christian podcast for women.

Behaving Valiantly

What does it mean to behave valiantly? It means taking action with courage and determination. On my own, I was insecure. But with God on my team and by my side, I had courage. I was determined to continue reaching women globally. I was committed to empowering women through the word of God using my podcast.

There were times when I couldn’t make myself do it. I’d be paralyzed by my insecurities and devastated by anxiety. I would fall on my knees, pray, ask for God to take over, and everything would just happen like a miracle. All I needed to do was to show courage and determination. God took care of the rest. As always. Glory to God!

When I prayed to Him, I declared His word.

God’s truth is the source of courage.

Declaring God’s Truth

My journey to podcasting has been a trial. God tried my faith and courage. What really helped me was knowing God’s truth and declaring it out loud. Which truth? The truth I was declaring daily was the following.

God’s Truth I Declared:

  1. Lean not on my own understanding.
  2. God prepared good works in advance for me to do.
  3. I can do all things through Christ.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

I couldn’t understand how God would choose someone like me to do a Christian podcast. I didn’t know how to go about it. But God did. And I trusted Him. I bought a huge scripture wall decal and put it in my living room to declare God’s truth daily.

Organized home living room by Anna Szabo

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

I didn’t see myself podcasting.

I didn’t feel qualified or equipped.

But God prepared this great work for me, and He prepared me for it. He put it on my heart because He created me as His masterpiece to do impactful work in His Kingdom.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

I couldn’t do the podcast on my own.

It was too scary.

I was too imperfect.

And I didn’t like my voice.

But through Christ, I was able to reach thousands of women globally and encourage them with God’s word. To declare God’s truth intentionally, I bought a scripture wall decal and put it in my bedroom to be the first thing I see every morning.

I can do all things through Christ - bedroom wall decal

I am courageous in Christ. 

What about you?

Can you follow God’s calling fearlessly and tenaciously? Do you believe that He will make your path straight and give you the strength you need because God Himself had prepared the good works in advance for you to do and equipped you for His work? 

If you believe, memorize my Biblical affirmation.

I am Courageous” Affirmation

I am Courageous #52Devotionals

I am courageous, fearless, and brave.
I am tenacious, gutsy, and daring.
In every situation I valiantly behave.
In every trial I'm God's truth declaring.

“Whoever Brings Blessing Will be Enriched” Proverbs 11:25

Bless Online Discipleship For Women
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