“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”

C.S. Lewis

Who doesn’t enjoy a good story of heroism in film. If you ask most men about a favorite film of theirs, you’ll quickly hear about films that are usually centered on an individual’s courage and bravery, and often amidst war and battle, or in overcoming insurmountable odds.  We’re often drawn to the hero because that’s what each of us long to be.

One of the more powerful films I’ve seen exhibiting such courage and heroism centers on the story of a young man named Desmond Doss. Doss served in the US Military during WWII, but due to his own core convictions, he refused to carry a weapon. And so during the war, he served as a medic and was labeled a conscientious objector.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because Desmond’s life story was the focal point of the film, Hacksaw Ridge. The film’s climactic scene centers on Doss’s willingness to return to enemy soil to rescue his fellow soldiers who’ve been wounded and left for dead. Doss returns over and over, again and again to individually rescue the lives of more than 75 men by carrying them back to safety.

As a result of his bravery, Doss is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and becomes the first conscientious objector to receive the most prestigious award given to a serviceman.

A tremendous film and story about a true hero, but also a powerful depiction of courage on display.

Culturally speaking, courage has often become synonymous with physical bravery or wartime heroism, and usually depicted in film or television to inspire us into a grander story. This makes for great movies and compelling drama on television, but the reality is this, very few men will be required to go to war like generations past.

But the courage embodied by Doss is the courage we as men, need today.

No, I’m not referencing the courage it took to carry 75 men out of enemy territory, without even a weapon no less. That’s certainly something quite extraordinary, but the courage I believe men need most today is the courage it takes to faithfully live with deep conviction. There’s an inherent risk to live a life of deep conviction, because it costs more than most of us are willing to give. And the cost is the likelihood of standing out, and not blending in.

How often do you think Doss faced ridicule from his fellow soldiers for not carrying a weapon?

Probably every single day. You know how it goes, when there’s an easy target to tease, to bully, the crowd quickly identifies the subject that becomes a frequent punching bag of jokes and ridicule.

We need to have the courage to step away from the crowd and risk being the one who lives with deep conviction. There must be areas of our lives when it’s hard, but we must say no, when we risk being the odd one out, because of the conviction we carry.

I think sometimes it’s hard to identify courage in the lives of men because most of us have become too comfortable at blending in.

And by blending in, I’m not talking about anything inherently bad necessarily. But rather a slow fade of accepting passivity by way of comfort and a resistance to what’s difficult. Think about it, we’ve created policies, procedures and entire economies designed to essentially eliminate as much risk and uncertainty as we can. This has filtered into our personal lives where we create lives that are void of what’s difficult and avoid relationships or situations that make us uncomfortable.

Perhaps this is why courage is in short supply, because we’ve all accepted a standard baseline of eliminating what could be hard and difficult in our lives.

And perhaps what we need is an alternative example and definition of courage? I have a suggestion, and it’s influenced by people like Desmond Doss.

How about this:

Courage is the heartfelt response that’s faithfully lived out from a consecrated life.

The act of courage comes from the heart, because it’s lived out from the source, the heart. And someone whose life is consecrated to the Lord will result in a life lived of deep conviction.

This is the courage we need from men today.

Simply stated, being consecrated to the Lord is set apart for his plan and purpose, it’s faithfully and obediently doing what has been asked of you.

In Volume I of Kinsmen Journal, we selected nine words and referenced their importance, and we included the word consecrate (Qodesh). We also asked a few questions about these words, including the following:

What is the relevance of the word in today’s culture?

In many ways we desire the opposite of Qodesh (consecrate). We don’t want to be separated out. We want to be included. We don’t want to be odd, or strange, or uninvited. We want to be on the inside. And yet the twist in all of this is that in embracing the call to be set apart, we find inclusion in the family of God and find our sweet spot of usefulness in the story that God is telling.

Jon Tyson would say the proper formula for consecration is this:

Cleansing + Sacrifice + Dedication = Consecration

Cleansing by way of repentance and forgiveness.

Sacrifice of time, relationships, and resources.

Dedication by not giving up too quickly, having steady, faithful obedience.

I personally believe the courage that’s faithfully lived out from consecrated lives will shape much of the future for men of faith.

We need this type of courage from you and your family needs this type of courage from you.

I’ll close with this; I’ve written a letter to the church about men and I’ll be releasing it over the next few weeks to this audience. I’d be honored if you’d read it and share it with others. I believe it carries within it a theme of courage and what could be needed in the days ahead as we faithfully follow Jesus together.