Courage 🍃

Verse: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” Psalm 31:24

Keyword: Courage

In oxford dictionary, courage means the ability to do something that frightens one; bravery.

In the Bible, courage is defined not merely as bravery, but as a deep, unwavering trust in God that empowers individuals to act righteously—even in the face of fear, danger, or uncertainty.

Devotion: In my own reflection, the word “courage” is what we carry as a believer in situations where we are not sure why we are there, but still, we face it and do what we have to do no matter what with God’s help & guidance.

In 2016, I arrived here in the UAE. I was only 22 at that time, with no idea what awaited me here (like many of us, I didn’t have an employer upon arrival, so I had to take a chance and apply for jobs once I got here). I didn’t have enough work experience back in the Philippines, so it took me 8 months before I found a job.

From 2016 to 2023 (for 7 years), I had only one company/employer. During those 7 years, I submitted a resignation letter almost every year, until the pandemic came and my brother started studying medicine. I was the one supporting him, so I stopped submitting resignation letters.

In 2023, my brother graduated. That was the moment I had been waiting for—to finally submit my resignation. I needed a lot of courage because I didn’t know where I’d end up next. At that time, I just wanted to rest and find a new opportunity.

After I resigned, I started applying for jobs for 3–4 months, attended a few interviews, got rejected, and got accepted (but didn’t push through). Eventually, I accepted an offer from a company in Business Bay. The office hours were 10 hours a day from Monday to Friday, and I accepted it because of the two days off.

That’s when I started experiencing things I had never experienced before… Being yelled at every day, getting scolded even when it wasn’t my fault, and being humiliated in front of many people. It was especially hard during the first 3–4 months because there was no one to help or guide me. But that’s when I learned to fully depend on the Lord—and He never let me feel alone. Whenever tasks were assigned to me that I didn’t understand, I turned to prayer, asking God for wisdom to understand and accomplish what was asked. Every night, I’d wonder what tomorrow would bring, and every morning I’d pray, “Lord, please help me today. Please give me the wisdom and understanding I need!” I didn’t want to be yelled at, but with my boss, it was inevitable—whether I did things right or wrong, I’d still get yelled at. But the Lord always reminded me with words that calmed my mind and heart: “Do what you can do, and leave the rest to Me.”

Facing battles with courage always bears a beautiful purpose that comes from the Lord. And the Lord will always use it for you to learn, to grow, and to mold your heart to be like His.

Here are a few things I learned during those stormy days (I call that job a storm in my life):

• We have the choice not to carry in our hearts and minds the negative words spoken to us—so please always choose to let them go. (That’s why I always say, whatever insult I hear from my boss, I won’t carry it with me because I know my identity in the Lord.)
• We can turn the pressure into “do the best we can and leave the rest to God.”
• In every negative situation or environment, there’s always something good in it… and that is the goodness of God.
• We may be in a place we least expected or wanted to be, but the Lord will always use something from it to prepare us for what’s ahead. (I remember during my first week at work, my boss wanted to switch our accounting software from QuickBooks to Zoho. I wasn’t even familiar with Zoho yet, and he already wanted to switch. He kept telling me to study it and asked for updates monthly. At first, it was such a hassle for me, but I still did it—I watched videos and used the 1-month free trial. And this was one of the reasons the Lord used to help me get hired at my current company.)

Most of us might be in the most undesirable workplace or situation, and sometimes we wonder how long it will be like this. We lose motivation and sometimes feel like giving up… but the Lord is reminding us today to take courage. It may be hard, but He won’t let go of you. It may be scary, but He won’t abandon you. Have the courage to go through all the battles, because they will not be wasted—God will use them for a greater purpose. And with that I’ll leave you with His promise found in Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Shalom and God Bless everyone!

(If you want the unedited original & Tagalog version, please send me an email request.)