Courage

Activity - Fear Quiz

Let’s do a quick quiz. Here are the five things that a lot of people fear in the world. You will be given the scientific name and you must guess the object of fear. (Example: Hydrophobia is the fear of water).

So herewe go:

1. Acrophobia - fear of heights 

2. Arachnophobia - fear of spiders 

3. Trypanophobia - fear of needles 

4. Nyctophobia - fear of darkness

5. Hemophobia - fear of blood 

6. Examophobia - fear of exams!!

Debrief: What else do we fear? (Let the students answer). Why do we fear things? It can be our experiences of the past or misconceptions about things that cause us to fear. Sometimes it is not just the fear of things but the fear of circumstances too. What will be my future? Will I pass my exams? How can I speak in front of a crowd? Well, what we need is a steady dose of courage!

Lesson point 1: What is true courage?

• Courage is a basic requirement for life. Our brains are designed and conditioned in such a way that we learn from our past and apply those learnings for future challenges. Many things we were once afraid of are no longer terrifying to us. But there may still be other things that we are yet to overcome.

• Often when we talk of courage we think of great battles, fearless stunts etc. These thingscertainly can take courage but true courage is not fearlessness, it’s about overcoming fear. Itis doing what you know is right even if you’re afraid to do it. There can be no courage unlessyou’re scared.

• Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook said, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” It is true. As we grow older and face newer challenges, we need to be people of courage. If we stay back in fear, we will miss out on everything in life. Moving forward with courage is the way to go.

• There are two kinds of courage. One is called physical courage. It is the ability to take an action in the moment of danger or need. For example, when you see a street dog charging at a small child, you will take a stone or a stick and chase the dog away even though your own life is at risk. The second kind of courage is the moral courage. Moral courage may not need a physical action but it is the decision of the mind to take the right stand. For example, when you have not studied well for the class test and your friends allows you to cheat the answers with him and you refuse. You know that you may fail the test but you also know that it is wrong to cheat. Courage is always a step towards doing the right thing.

• So as a student, where all can you show courage? (Let the students answer). Here are some possible answers:○ Deciding to work hard rather than cheat in assignments and exams.

• Standing up for a weak person who has no one to defend him/her.

• Deciding to stay away from something that you are convinced is wrong though your friends compel you to do (smoking/drinking/eve teasing/name shaming)

• Speaking the truth at all times and not lying to save yourself.

• Being convinced and open about your faith in Jesus. You do not need to be ashamed

Remember courage is about making the right choices at the right time.

Video 1: Who Was Anne Frank? | History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ond6r5pafjw

Lesson point 2: Courageous Heroes

1. History is filled with stories of courageous men and women, boys and girls who have influenced many generations after them. If they had stayed back in fear, history itself would have been different.

• There is Jim Elliot and his four friends who tried to reach out to the Auca tribe in Ecuador in the 1950s. These people were very primitive and superstitious - often killing each other for trivial reasons. No man from the outside world had been able to reach them ever. These five young men flew a small airplane with the intention of helping them know about their worth. Sadly, they were killed hours after they landed in the jungle. Years later their wives and others moved into the jungle and were able to transform the entire community. God honoured the courage and sacrifice of the young men. Today the Auca tribe is part of the society, living good and decent lives.

• There are countless Christian men and women who left the comforts of their homelands and travelled to our nation in the 1800s responding to the call of God. They set up schools and hospitals, revived languages started newspapers, fought against social evils and brought transformation to the entire nation. People like Amy Carmichael, Ida Scudder, William Carey, Paul Brand, John Hands and hundreds of others continue to inspire us with their courage and sacrifice.

• The stories of the Indian freedom fighters, many of whom gave up their lives are that of courage and determination. It is easy to forget their role in ensuring the quality of life that we enjoy today. Without their selfless lives, we would never have become a free nation.

2. The Bible is full of stories of those who lived a life of adventure and courage. What was the source of their courage? It was their faith in God. It was this unwavering faith that helped Rahab to take a stand for God, what helped Esther go to the king and plead for her people, which helped Joshua fight mighty enemies, which made David face Goliath, which made John the Baptist speak the truth against King Herod, which made Stephen and all the other apostles give up their lives for the truth. We cannot live a true Christian life without having courage.

3. God asks us to be people of courage. The Bible says, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Fear is one of our greatest enemies. God knows this well and the Bible has some 365 references where God says “Do not fear”, which means there is one verse for each day! The Spirit of God resides in His children and He gives us courage. Paul encourages the young man Timothy and says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

4. Jesus is our role model. He was a man of great courage. He challenged the wrong practices of the religious leaders of that time. He always stood for those who were marginalised and had no one to speak for them - like the woman caught in adultery. But the greatest act of courage was shown by Him on the cross. Though He was pure and innocent, He took up the sins of the whole world and went through the excruciating pain of crucifixion. He was thinking of you and me as He suffered the pain. True courage is displayed when it is selfless and other-centric.

Lesson point 3: How can I be courageous?

So how can I be a person of courage – who takes a stand for the right things? Here are a few practical tips to do so:

• Read the word of God and know the high calling of God on your life. You are called to be a warrior. Be encouraged by stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for God. He doesn’t expect us to do anything on our own strength. He has given us His Spirit to guide and help in times of need. Pray to Him for strength and grace.

• Identify the areas where you are afraid and tend to compromise often. Is it in telling the truth? Saying no to evil? Not able to stand up for the truth? Have a desire to be a person of courage.

• Dismiss all irrational fears. Most of the things that you fear are not going to come true.Rationalise the fear and dismiss all unnecessary exaggerations.

• Think of small steps you can take to overcome. For example if you are prone to call teachersbad names, decide to stop the conversation or keep quiet or if you are prone to cheating in exams, decide that you will study harder and take a seat in the front of the exam hall to avoid cheating or if you are afraid to talk to your friend about your faith, start by praying for him/her. Remember it is a slow but steady progress.

• Talk to someone who can pray for you, keep track of your progress and guide you when you are stuck.

Optional videos to be shown

Video: Iqbal Masih, The Story of The Brave Child

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXpUwIeaZNo