I’m currently reading The Courage to Be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi.
I first came across the title a few years ago, and it immediately resonated with me. That phrase alone speaks volumes.
As someone who has been on a journey of healing from people-pleasing, I know firsthand what it’s like to crave approval. To shape your actions so that others will like you. And I also know how exhausting and unsustainable that life is.
I’ve shared before about how the Holy Spirit has been teaching me to build healthy boundaries. So, imagine my excitement when I found this book available in my library!
I started reading it a few days ago, and it has not disappointed. One line in particular stopped me in my tracks:
“Your unhappiness cannot be blamed on your past or your environment. And it isn’t that you lack competence. You just lack courage. One might say you are lacking in the courage to be happy.”
Whew. That line felt like a wake-up call, a gentle slap of truth. Especially for those of us who have used the pain of our past as both comfort and justification for settling in mediocrity.
As I sat with those words, one word came to mind: freedom.
Because freedom and courage go hand in hand.
Do you know how many times God told His people to be strong and courageous in the Bible? Eleven. That’s one for every month of the year.
And then Jesus, our Savior, said in John 8:36:
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
A free person is a courageous person, because the biggest obstacle to freedom is fear.
And the antidote to fear? Courage.
For a long time, I believed courage was simply the decision to move in spite of fear, at least that’s how the world teaches it. But the Bible paints a different picture.
Again and again, when God speaks to His people, He doesn’t say, “Move even though you’re afraid.”
He says, “Do not fear.”
Because fear affects how we move. Yes, we may still act, but that action is often laced with hesitation, worry, and unbelief.
But courage? Courage brings assurance.
It empowers us to move with confidence. To walk faster, obey quicker, and take bold steps with full faith.
And that courage helps us avoid fear-based mistakes.
There is always a difference.
So when I go back to that quote, I can’t help but reflect on how much we’ve been missing out on—simply because we lacked the courage to choose joy, peace, and abundance.
Jesus said in John 10:10:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.”
That abundant life? I want it. And I imagine you do too.
But it takes faith and courage not just to believe it’s possible, but to actually live like it is.
It takes a holy boldness to lay hold of the promises of God.
To walk in dominion and fruitfulness.
To multiply and fill the earth with the goodness of God.
So I pray today that we won’t just recognize this truth, but that we’ll have the courage to choose it.
Amen. 🙏🏽
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