I am humbled the minute the word, courage, rolls over my tongue. Chills of strength course through my veins, and a spirit of honor rises in my core. Instantly, it commands respect as it stands tall in capital letters: C-O-U-R-A-G-E!

As much as I love what courage stands for, I don’t always feel or act courageous. How about you?

As Christians we are called to courage. And especially as single-mothers we are called to courage. But how do we answer the call to courage when we so often feel fearful and inadequate?

The bible is full of stories of fearful people acting courageously. Esther is one of those stories. The book of Esther is only ten chapters long. I would encourage you to read it and see for yourself why she is an amazing female example for us to learn from.

Esther was a real-life woman with a very high calling. Even though Esther’s story isn’t one of motherhood, like our own, she had “people”—her people—the Jewish people living in her sphere of influence. They were her charge. And her call to courage was personal sacrifice on their behalf.

Our children are our people, our charge, and we have the same responsibility of personal sacrifice to lead them and fight for them as Esther did for the Jewish nation.

Although her situation was different in many ways, the theme of courage that permeates her story is befitting for us all. Make no mistake, there is a battle for our children. They face fierce battles each and every day. Among friends. At school. In secret. On the internet and within pockets of social media.

Admittedly, single parent homes can be very tough as well. Tough on our kids and tough on us. Too many days our battle seems to be against each other. We battle wills, attitudes, disobedience, poor choices, and worse.

Take courage, moms! God has chosen you for this very important responsibility. Our children are our charge. God has bestowed on us a monumental honor, and to accomplish the charge we have been entrusted, we will need courage. The capital letter kind of COURAGE.

Courage to love them when they disappoint us. Courage to discipline even when its easier to look the other way. Courage to lead by example. Courage to fight for them in spiritual matters.

Interestingly, courage isn’t courage at all without the presence of fear. It has been said that courage is not the absence of fear; rather, it’s choosing to act in spite of the fear. Fear is what makes courage possible, identifiable, honorable.

Although God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear, he understands that we struggle with it, so he has given us promises to stand on when fear gets in our way. Second Timothy 1:7 tells us that he has given us a spirit of power, and love, and a sound mind. And Joshua 1:9, our scripture for this week, reminds us that even in the midst of fear we can choose courage because he will be with us wherever we go.

Therefore, in light of these good promises, let’s stand tall and be an example of courage for our kids. They want that from us. They need that from us. And even in the midst of fear, God will infuse us with the courage we need to shift our focus off the fear and onto him.

Will you try that this week? Not in your own might, but in the power and might of him who will never leave you nor forsake you. Indeed, he has a good plan for your life and the lives of those children looking to you for leadership.

Reflect and Respond:

What are three fears you face in raising your children? Ask God to replace those fears with trust, and to help you live in courageous faith that He is in control. Then, do something outrageous and courageous by moving forward in faith despite your fear. Now that, my friend, is capital letter COURAGE!

Remember, you are not alone. If you’d like to share, tell us how will you answer the CALL TO COURAGE this week?