Christian, take courage like a hobbit
The God who said “let there be light” (Gen 1:3), who himself dwells in “unapproachable light” (1 Tim 6:16), who is drawing those in darkness to his light (Jn 8:12), transforming them into children of light (1 Thess 5:5), gives us the armor of light to pierce a frightfully dark world (Rom 13:12).
I’m currently reading through the Lord of the Rings. And one thing that has struck me over and over is the theme of courage. Tolkien’s story is full of courage. And as a Christ follower I can’t help but think of how courage relates to my faith.
I’m convinced we as Christ followers are called to a courageous faith. Like the Hobbits it takes courage to leave what’s comfortable and embrace the Spirit of adventure. It takes courage to overcome doubt, weakness, and fear in the face of real danger. It takes courage to stare down enemies much stronger and much craftier than us. But this is the faith that Christ calls us to.
But a courageous faith is a gift given to those who are unlikely recipients. Hobbits are not creatures associated with hero lore and tales of battle. They are not known for being warrior folk. They are gardeners, homemakers, song singers, conversationalists, and much more practiced in the craft of food and drink than the craft of war. But I think this is exactly why Tolkien chose them as the people to produce the hero.
They demonstrate a theme present in Christianity: God calls the unlikely to participate in a great adventure that will lead through wilderness and war, darkness and despair, to emerge in the end victorious over the powers of evil that shroud the world in darkness. Those who have faith in Christ are like the hobbits called on an unlikely adventure. One that will require great courage.
But the thing about Christian courage, like Hobbit courage, is that it seems to come out of nowhere. For example, whether it’s Bilbo saving the warrior dwarfs from man-eating spiders, or facing down Smaug the Dragon, or Sam taking up Frodo’s sword in the pitch darkness of Shelob's lair, you see courage well up in the hours of greatest need. When all hope seems lost the faithful are supplied with a strength of resolve beyond what they are normally capable of. You could say that faith in Christ means we will be surprised by courage.
This source of courage in the life of the believer is the Holy Spirit. It’s something we see implied in the Lord of the Rings, but it is explicit in the Bible. It is God who is light and it is God who pierces the dark world. And it is through faith in Christ we gain access to the light of God. And it is the light of God that shines through us in moments of great darkness. The courage we muster is not from any reserve we possess on our own. The courage that comes to the faithful comes from God himself.
The Holy Spirit supplying our courage is good news for those who find themselves in moments or seasons of thick darkness. Whether it’s an economic darkness of rising inflation that threatens your ability to put food on the table; whether it’s an emotional darkness of constant anxiety threatening to cripple your life; whether it’s online trolls slandering you and all that you hold dear; whether it’s family members bent on making your life a living hell; whether it’s war abroad or at home; whatever it may be, God will supply courage to those who have faith.
By faith in Christ you put on the armor of light, making you invulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. And by faith in Christ you can muster the courage necessary to meet life’s challenges and emerge victorious. After all, it is Jesus himself who went before us on this journey. His end was resurrection. We too press on toward this end. Resurrection is our destiny. And so we take courage in the face of this present darkness. No matter how dark it all seems.
Children of light, have faith, and be surprised at the courage only God can supply.