Introduction

We are about to embark on an adventure that will require great bravery. More so it will require us each to look deeply at what we have defined as brave. Thanks to Angela Thomas' new study offered by LifeWay we will all be able to study together about bravery and to be challenged to bravely confront some issues that are common to most women. Brave - hmmmmm..... That one word can evoke all types of images. What is true bravery? I would love to say it is standing boldly in the midst of battle every time and defeating the fierce enemy with one final and death giving blow. In fact when I think of brave one of my favorite fictional characters come to mind. The princess from Lord of the Rings as she rides to battle on a horse disguised in the armor of men. She boldly rides into battle swinging her sword determined to help her people win the greatest cause. Then the moment comes - (drum roll please) - she is face to face with the enemy, the foe, the dreaded thing that threatens to destroy all mankind. The enemy looks at her and states, "No mere man can defeat me!". And with one move she yanks the steal helmet from her head while raising her sword with the other hand and says (with a coy smile) "I am no mere man". Shock registers briefly on the enemy's face as she swings her sword and destroys the enemy. This woman is who I envision myself to be - who I aspire to be. I want more than anything to boldly ride into every battle and to triumphantly defeat the enemy. However, guess what this is not what God requires of me. In fact I am learning that sometimes true bravery is quite the opposite of what we have been taught bravery is. There are other women of history that have inspired this warrior spirit, this spirit of endurance, this spirit of bravery in me. Women like Amy Carmicheal, Corrie Ten Boom who followed her faith then was later imprisoned for it, Mary mother of Jesus who took the hardest road, Ruth who followed into the unknown, Rahab who believed despite the walls the crumbling around her. There are so many more that I can not list them all. As I discussed on Wednesday night this study came at a unique time in my life. Most of you know that in October 2010 after praying for many months over our pregnancy we lost our son Caleb Levi. I think this had been my greatest trial of faith since I began my Christian walk. For at this time I was required to lay my son at the alter and trust fully in Christ's provision of strength. Truly this became a time of great grief and a greater understanding of grace as I began to realize God's answer is not my answer but is always the answer I need. For in this trial by faith was refined and and tried and refined some more. In it I began to realize that bravery is not about the right words, the right walk or even being strong - it is about boldly approaching the throne then laying it all down for His will to be accomplished. God has called us to bravely approach life IN CHRIST! This is the key to all bravery this one simple phrase IN CHRIST and it makes all the difference in the world! In fact it says in the new testament that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church" (Matt 16:18). These words were spoken to Peter as Christ changed his name. The meaning - we can boldly face everything IN CHRIST, we are called to battle IN CHRIST, we will have victory IN CHRIST. Be prepared that victory too, must be redefined by us also. For our definition of victory is not God's. His definition is for us to be conformed to the image of Christ and that my sister's is his victory in our lives, when we live boldly IN CHRIST we are brave, courageous, victorious and triumphant. We lost our son Caleb Levi Riddle on October 26, 2010. We put his tiny body in the grave on November 5th. In that moment I realized my bravest moment had come and gone - it had been the night I surrendered my desires for this son, my dreams, my hopes to the absolute will of God. The greatest moment of bravery came when I allowed God to show me His purpose and will - and the victory? The victory was in discovering grace, discovering peace, discovering answered prayer in the midst of the one prayer that was not answered my way. Sometimes the bravest thing we do is to boldly approach the throne. So let us begin this week in this study to aspire to true bravery...to live life boldly IN CHRIST!