By Annie F. Downs
I didn’t plan to write books. Today’s call to courage? I need to be willing to write about some things I don’t want to share but feel nudged by God to do so. But in 2006, when this whole journey began for me, it looked like eight pages.
I had to start somewhere.
The day I finished Beth Moore’s Believing God study, I sat down at my computer and pounded out an eight-page document of my life as a storyteller—from a childhood full of exaggeration to an adult life of wanting to be full of truth but telling the BEST stories. I wrote about how God was revealing to me, through Mrs. Beth’s teaching, that this was the direction my life was about to go.
God’s brave moment for me that day in February 2006 was to write out what I was feeling with regard to sharing stories. He knows me. He knows you. He knows we need dreams in pieces because we would be too scared of the whole puzzle. Had I known I’d be an author and a speaker back then, I probably would have crawled under my covers and stayed there for a year or five. I’m here today because of the little starts and the brave moments dotted throughout my writing career that have grown into this.
I think of King David, way back when he’s a kid checking on his brothers in the battle against the Philistines. When he gets there, everyone is scared to death of Goliath, this beast of a man who is fighting for the other army.
Young David the shepherd tells King Saul he’ll go against Goliath. Everyone is stunned because David is a kid and the rest of the Israelite army, full of adult dudes, is afraid of him. David’s response shows us the importance of the daily steps of courage that lead to the bigger story.
But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”
—1 Samuel 17:34–37
And go he did! You can read what happened in this epic battle between David and Goliath in the rest of 1 Samuel 17. It’s worth a read, even if you’ve known the story your whole life.
David, as a shepherd boy, fought a lion. And a bear. And rescued his sheep. He never killed the lion in preparation for the bear. He didn’t kill the bear in preparation for Goliath. He just chose to be brave at every turn—to do his job and protect the sheep. And as the challenges grew in scope, so did David’s belief in the ways God had uniquely created him, and more importantly, David believed wholly in who God is and in the reality that David had a role to play on this planet that would require courage. Just like me. Just like you.
In 2006, I wasn’t dreaming of writing books. I could barely imagine writing out the story of how I wanted to tell stories! Then I started a blog that took courage every day to write. Then I wrote a Bible study for a group of high school girls who came over to my house on Monday nights. Then those printed-out lessons became Perfectly Unique, a book read by thousands of girls around the world. And then came my next book, Speak Love. And now we are here. You and I. And we are fighting against the fear.
My lion.
My bear.
My Goliath.
Oh my.
David wasn’t done after Goliath. I am not done being brave either. Neither are you, I hope.
My prayer for you today is that you will open the eyes of your heart to the map and the next brave thing and the step you need to start. Tell someone your dream. Maybe even write that first step. Make that first move to research or learn or pray about the thing that is like a God-struck match lit on your insides.
Maybe for you, it’s writing a note. Singing a song. Making a phone call. Having a conversation. Composing a story. Writing a check. Booking that trip. Sending an email. Going on a date. Reading a book. Signing up.
I’m trying to list as many options as possible, but you know the thing God is doing in your life better than I do. It’s time to get quiet before the Lord and ask him what it looks like for you to live a life of courage today. To start.
Just start.
________
Adapted from Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have by Annie F. Downs. Click here to learn more about this book.
A call to embrace the God-given courage living inside you from host of the That Sounds Fun podcast and bestselling author Annie F. Downs.
How often does fear hold you back from the very things you most want to taste, touch, and experience? New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and speaker Annie F. Downs admits she’s not exactly the bravest woman in the world. Even as an adult, she still cries sometimes when she leaves her parents’ home in Georgia, she’s never jumped out of a plane, and she only rides roller coasters to impress guys. But Annie knows that courage resides inside each and every one of us, and she’s on a mission to conquer her own fears while encouraging you to do the same.
Let’s All Be Brave is more than a book; it’s a battle cry. Annie uses honest and often humorous illustrations from her own life, contemporary real-life examples from the lives of others, and fascinating biblical stories to challenge you to:
- Discover God’s surprising answers to overcoming fear, uncertainty, and anxiety
- Let go of the things that hold you back—relationships, comfort zones, expectations, and more
- Say yes to both small and big things
- Live boldly and sacrificially for God and others
- Hold on to hope, trust God, and be brave no matter your circumstances
This book is your call to step into those places that require courage, giving you the help you need to take the next step forward—even when it’s scary.
Annie F. Downs is a New York Times bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and successful podcast host based in Nashville, Tennessee. Engaging and honest, she makes readers and listeners alike feel as if they’ve been longtime friends. Founder of the That Sounds Fun Network—which includes her aptly named flagship show, That Sounds Fun—and author of multiple bestselling books including That Sounds Fun, 100 Days to Brave, and Remember God, Annie shoots straight and doesn’t shy away from the tough topics. But she always finds her way back to the truth that God is good and that life is a gift. Annie is a huge fan of laughing with friends, confetti, soccer, and boiled peanuts (preferably from a back-roads Georgia gas station). Read more at anniefdowns.com and find her (embarrassingly easily) all over the internet at @anniefdowns.
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