A Verse a Day Keeps the Heebie-Jeebies Away

A goal of mine this year is to memorize thirty-six Bible verses. Each month, I select three verses that align with a unique theme help to bring me closer to my purpose as a faith-centered athlete. As you’ve likely gathered from the title, one of my themes is courage.

I choose to memorize verses instead of simply reading them for the same reason police carry their guns with them on the job rather than just leaving them at the range. Having spiritual tools on hand at all times is key to not only helping me defend myself but also to encourage others who are in the midst of spiritual warfare.

Why do we Need Courage?

As all athletes can attest, participating in sports requires a great deal of courage. Though this fact is obvious for more extreme sports (the ones nearest and dearest to my heart), it applies to any sport (but don’t fact-check me on that with curling). In training, tenacity is called into question constantly as competitors stretch into discomfort over and over again to improve their physical abilities. In competition, boldness is required when one steps forth and gives their all in front of spectators who are hanging on their every move.

As with every virtue, we grow in it as we grow closer to God. Ideally, if we continue to strengthen our relationship with Him, we will reach a point where we fear nothing but God. Now, this may not be perfectly attainable for us as flawed and fallen humans, that shouldn’t stop us from making an effort to grow in our boldness and bravery daily.

The Meat and Potatoes (I mean… The Verses and Analysis)

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for – the verses. I memorized these back in January this year (it’s now August), and so far, they’ve helped me steadily grow my courage by helping me to refocus my mind on my Creator and His purpose for me in moments when the freak-out part of my brain starts to steer the ship.

1. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise – in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Psalms 56:3-4 [NIV]
   • This verse serves as a reminder that fear is only made worse when I put my faith in myself instead of in God. This is especially useful for me in situations where I face the fear of judgement. It reminds me to be bold and speak the truth louder than the lies, and God will take care of the rest. No amount of mockery, slander, or even physical blows can erase God’s love .
2. Therefore, put on the armor of God, so that you will be able to hold fast on the evil day and to hold your ground with all your strength. Ephesians 6:13 [NCB]
   • This verse calls for vigilance in growing close to God, preparing us for life’s greatest tests. Courage, like any skill, needs practice. In the most challenging situations, our success hinges on the diligence of our preparation.
3. I have given you a command. Be strong and brave, do not be afraid nor dismayed. I, the Lord, your God, will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 [NCB]
   • The call to courage isn’t a question, as we see in this verse. God doesn’t say, “Being brave might be a cool thing to try.” He gives it as a direct command. But He’s not only demanding something; He’s also offering something far more valuable in return. His presence. If I hold on to the faith that God is with me, even the darkest tunnel starts to appear brighter.

A Vastly Underrated Sport

Norwegians are crazy. What? That came out of nowhere.

It’s true, they are. Ever heard of døds? Probably not. Death diving? That might ring bell…

What’s my point? Well, what I’m trying to say is that I picked up a new extreme sport recently (of course I did). In case you haven’t heard of this psychotic Scandinavian sport, Wikipedia defines it (like so): “Death Diving is a form of extreme freestyle high diving jumping with stretched arms and belly first, landing in either a cannonball or a pike position. Classic death diving, also known in Norwegian as ‘Dødsing’, was invented by guitarist Erling Bruno Hovden at Frognerbadet during the summer of 1969.”

So, why did I start death diving? Three words, twelve letters. It looked cool.

Enough said.

I can’t lie, throwing yourself belly-down, like a flying squirrel (or a Superman wannabe), off a cliff isn’t the most natural thing to do. Even I, with my slightly-impaired central governor, feel that churning in my stomach before going for a running leap. However, the courage I’ve gained by building confidence in my Lord and Savior with these verses has made the process of embracing the døds a little less… well, abrasive (at least mentally, please don’t ask my eyeballs how they’re doing). As long as I remember that God will be with me through every meter of the fall, I can confidently give it a full send.

Full disclosure: Having courage and faith in God doesn’t necessarily make you immune to the laws of biology and physics at any given moment. Please depth check, build up difficulty gradually, and don’t surpass the limits of your abilities. God doesn’t guarantee miracles, and you would need a miracle to survive after dødsing directly into water that is only a foot deep or performing any similarly dumb stunt.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more content about being both holy and wholly ready to send it.

Citations

1. Wikipedia contributors. (2024, July 30). Death diving. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 2, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_diving

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