Building Uncommon Valor
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16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
Fall seven times - It still hurts, it is still hard, but each time you fall you know you can get up because you have falling seven times and gotten up again.
Resilience is the psychological quality that allows some people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as before. Rather than letting difficulties, traumatic events, or failure overcome them and drain their resolve, highly resilient people find a way to change course, emotionally heal, and continue moving toward their goals. - Psychology Today.
Building Uncommon Valor
Uncommon valor is a phrase that describes when someone with ordinary means displays extraordinary courage in the face of extraordinary circumstances, sometimes horrific ones.
The phrase is often linked to soldiers in war.
For example, the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington Ridge Park outside Arlington National Cemetery includes the phrase "uncommon valor was a common virtue".
"Uncommon valor was a common virtue." – Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
Scripture: James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
Consider it pure joy King James: Count it
James is not ordering all-encompassing joyful emotion during severe trials; nor is he demanding that his readers must enjoy their trials, or that trials are joy. He knew, as did the writer of Hebrews, that “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful” (Hebrews 12:11).
1. Outlook determines outcome, and attitude determines action. - Warren Wiersbe
This explains why the dedicated Christian can have joy in the midst of trials: he lives for the things that matter most.
Even our Lord was able to endure the cross because of “the joy that was set before Him” (Heb. 12:2), the joy of returning to heaven and one day sharing His glory with His church.
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For the joy set before him
2. Our values determine our evaluations.
If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us.
If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to “consider it pure joy.”
If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter, not better.
Job had the right outlook when he said,
10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
So, when trials come, immediately give thanks to the Lord and adopt a joyful attitude. Do not pretend; do not try self-hypnosis; simply look at trials through the eyes of faith.
3.Outlook determines outcome; to end with joy, begin with joy.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
When you face trials of many kinds
The believer who expects his Christian life to be easy is in for a shock. Jesus warned His disciples
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
In this world you will have trouble
Paul told his converts that “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God”
22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
We must go through - kingdom of God
4.Because we are God’s “scattered people” and not God’s “sheltered people,” we must experience trials.
We cannot always expect everything to go our way. Some trials come simply because we are human—sickness, accidents, disappointments, even seeming tragedies. Other trials come because we are Christians.
Peter emphasizes this in his first letter:
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
Trials face by the Allies on D-Day.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
When you face trials of many kinds
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's D-Day Message: https://youtu.be/fQ7IKM-jiJI?si=wNrE-mXGpbj5WsXt
Describe the immense trials faced by American troops during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.
Highlight their determination and resilience despite overwhelming opposition.
1. Overwhelming Opposition
Heavily Fortified Defenses: The Germans had established strong defensive positions along the Normandy coast, including bunkers, machine gun nests, artillery positions, and extensive minefields.
Strategic Obstacles: The beach defenses included obstacles like wooden stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire designed to impede landing craft and tanks.
2. Harsh Environmental Conditions
Unpredictable Weather: The invasion had to be delayed due to bad weather. Even on the chosen day, rough seas and strong winds made the crossing from England to France perilous and challenging.
Difficult Terrain: The beaches and cliffs of Normandy were difficult to navigate, making it hard for soldiers to advance and for vehicles to move.
3. High Casualties and Immediate Threats
Intense Enemy Fire: The initial waves of soldiers faced severe gunfire, artillery shells, and mortar rounds as they landed, leading to heavy casualties.
Landing Difficulties: Many landing craft were hit or sunk before reaching the shore, causing significant loss of life and equipment.
Psychological Warfare
Fear and Uncertainty: Soldiers faced immense psychological pressure, including fear of death, the chaos of battle, and uncertainty about the mission’s success.
Mental Strain: The sight of fallen comrades and the intensity of combat put a tremendous mental strain on the soldiers.
What would life be like today if we had lost to Germany and Japan?
The Man in the High Castle is an alternate history novel by Philip K. Dick that takes place in 1962, after World War II, and depicts the consequences of the Axis powers winning the war.
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Because we know / Produces perseverance
Through tests, a Christian will learn to withstand tenaciously the pressure of a trial until God removes it at His appointed time and even cherish the benefit.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Let perseverance finish its work
Don’t give up, don’t give in. Will to fight.
Both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps argue that the will to fight is the single most important factor in war. Will to fight helps determine whether a military unit stays in the fight and also how well it fights.
"The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared." – General George S. Patton.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
so that you may be mature - not lacking anything
Presbyterian pastor Lloyd John Ogilvie underwent the worst year of his life. His wife had undergone five major surgeries, plus radiation and chemotherapy, several of his staff members had departed, large problems loomed, and discouragement assaulted his feelings. But he wrote,
The greatest discovery that I have made in the midst of all the difficulties is that I can have joy when I can’t feel like it—artesian joy. When I had every reason to feel beaten, I felt joy. In spite of everything, [God] gave me the conviction of being loved and the certainty that nothing could separate me from him. It was not happiness, gush, or jolliness but a constant flow of the Spirit through me. At no time did he give me the easy confidence that everything would work out as I wanted it on my timetable, but that he was in charge and would give me and my family enough courage for each day: grace. Joy is always the result of that.
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.