A common jargon that all world racers, current or alumni, have come to embrace and practice whether immediately or reluctantly. I fall into the latter category.
High Courage is having the courage to speak your mind, even when it is difficult or different from group think. High Consideration is just as it sounds – being considerate to those around you. Sounds like a simple enough concept? Jesus and Paul certainly were models to us exercising these 2 concepts. Yet how often do we truly see this exercised in our churches? If someone wrongs us, do we love them enough to talk to them about it and give them feedback on their course of actions? Or do we go to the person we are most comfortable to confide in and vent to them about it? We seem to think that if we just vent to someone, things will be okay. That is what I used to think. The reality is, venting does not make it better, it can potentially spread negative emotions leading to defilement (another world race vocab) of the person that wronged us. I used to believe that if something bothers you or upsets you, let it slide, no big deal, or I turn to my confidents. But then it slowly accumulates, like dust under the carpet, until the ball of dust becomes a lump. Then what? We choose to let things build and we think that if we only talk to someone about it, it will be better. Feeling better doesn’t mean that it is right or resolved.
Jesus teaches that if a brother wrongs you, you go to him and talk to him, if he doesn’t listen, you bring 2 or 3 with you and if he still doesn’t listen then you bring it to the church.
I was great at venting and letting things slide. I chalked it up to my personality that I’m just not confrontational. But being non confrontational is the same as saying I care not about you because I am not responsible for your actions and while I think that we are not responsible for other’s actions. But we are responsible to love each other enough to help challenge and spur each other to grow.
It was in month 5 that I have finally exercised High Courage and I have seen the fruits of it. Mostly that I was free from allowing bitterness to grow. Bitterness, like cancer, starts off small and unsuspecting, and grows unnoticeably until it kills, unless it is completely removed. I have seen restored relationships from High Courage, I have seen deeper relationships grow because of high courage. All instances began with an awkward, difficult, sometimes cringing conversation that leads to tears and some form of drama (it’s not realistic for girls not to be dramatic) BUT ends in righteous resolution.
The process may be long, it WILL be uncomfortable but it is what Jesus taught.
Where do you stand? Do you let things slide, or vent to someone thinking it will be okay or do you care enough for the person that wronged you to say something to them? Where do our churches stand? Are we challenged to exercise High Courage within our congregations? Is it worth a discussion?
