Be strong and of good courage, and do it. Fear not, be not dismayed; for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.
– David to Solomon, 1 Chronicles 28:20
Fortitude Enables Diligence to Defeat Sloth
So we know we need to keep on keepin’ on. But how can we keep going when all seems lost? Courage and strength – in other words, fortitude. We grow courage and strength through our day-to-day actions. The little choices we make add up, so let’s start making some good little choices.
Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.
– James 1:12
I find this to be the easiest virtue to understand but among the most difficult to exercise. (Also, it’s definitely the most difficult to sketch or capture in a picture.) Like any other muscle, we must practice being courageous and strong in order to become courageous and strong.
Story Time
I have some habits that tend to annoy people such as telling the truth when they don’t want to hear it, and standing up for even the most unpopular person in the room when they’re subject to cruelty (regardless of whether it may be justified – those situations are awful, but we all have human dignity). I know these things can be bothersome, and I have been working on being more tactful in my honesty and (ill-equipped) defenses of others, but I do them because they’re the right thing to do.
But how am I able to? How does my stomach not churn in a knot and squeeze the contents of my system out in both directions?
Well, it still feels like I’m losing my lunch sometimes, but I’ve come to understand the feeling. It’s certainly not comfortable to be in such a situation, but there’s no magic wand. At least for me, if I don’t want to later regret being in that situation, I need to do something.
Dinner Disruption
My freshman year of college, I was sitting with an acquaintance at dinner. She’d been going around telling everyone that she was dating someone; he decided to denounce and correct the rumors by screaming at her in the crowded commons a number of degrading comments, in addition to providing an exceptionally vulgar, somewhat discriptive account, all while waving his arms broadly, his head jutting out like a turtle away from his body, eyes bulging and veins popping out of his neck.
I repeatedly insisted that he calm down, to which he repeatedly, firmly, borderline-yelled at me to, “Stay out of it!” When I explained that he brought the issue to my table and thus made me a part of it, he screamed the same words at me. I continued to attempt to calm him down, but as she started to cry, his words became more shrill. When she wept openly, in part for how he was describing her, he stepped forward and repeatedly hit the table. I stood up and told him to leave. She told me to let him do whatever; my eyes trained on him, I demanded that he leave.
My friends were standing behind him, looking somber, condoning his actions, and clearly disagreeing with my standing up for her. (That was the most difficult part for me.) I get it; I understood it then just as I do now: she absolutely deserved it. (There was a lot more to the story, including why I of all people should not have protected her.) But that doesn’t really matter. Just because someone “deserves” something, be it a verbal whipping, a literal lashing, or a piece of pie, it doesn’t mean we give it to them. We are all made lovingly in God’s image. Every single one of us has dignity, and we are called to respect that.
That night was so agonizing that now, several years later, just describing the incident is churning my stomach, leaving a metallic taste in my mouth, and drying out the top of my throat. I wasn’t born with it, and it certainly wasn’t comfortable. I worked that muscle in previous occasions and that night it was put to the test.
Thank God he opted to not put his fist through my face; the physical threat was clear enough from his body language, and he absolutely could have sent me to the ER.
Tiny acts of courage. Big things are fine for a nice jump start, so if you have an opportunity, try. You don’t have to succeed in your attempt to be courageous; just trying will get you started.
How did I start? The first report I’m aware of regarding my courage was related to me by an old friend when we reconnected after many years apart.
In second grade, she was new to our elementary school. That morning had been particularly rough for her. She was in a bad mental space from being teased, and she didn’t have any friends because she’d just moved into town. So, at recess, she found a plot of land where nobody was, and she decided to sit alone and stew in her melancholy and try to not cry.
Enter a (totally clueless) me. I saw her sitting alone in the field. I went over to her and sat down a few feet away, saying hi and trying to stare off exactly the same way she was. It was uncomfortable because I didn’t know what she was doing or who she was, and I left a game (of color tag, the second-best recess game ever, with all my favorite friends) to join her. We were in different classrooms, so I was oblivious to the earlier incidents and it was my first time meeting her.
But that was it. She was alone, and I went over to say hi. That takes courage. That builds strength. That flexes the muscle for more strenuous use later.
How Does That Work as an Adult?
Say hello to a stranger in a shop. Are you waiting in a line to order or check out? If they’re getting six packs of your favorite soda, playfully remark that you’d love to be at their party. I was once in front of a couple of women who were only purchasing bubbly and orange juice: “Nice! It’s mimosa day!” They both smiled, and we chatted together happily.
Along the same lines, talk with the cashier. They’re trained to ask how your day has been. Ask them how their days are going – and attentively listen to the answer. Smile and continue to talk with them until the conversation comes to a nice break point. Hold up the line for five seconds if that’s what it takes for the thought to conclude (by carefully folding up your receipt, for example).
Do or say something kind. Give sincere compliments to people you meet; more props if they’re totally unexpected. Does that dress look totally chic on the woman walking toward you on the sidewalk? Tell her, genuinely but quickly, and move on. (If you linger, they may suspect you want something in return.) However, there may be times when they want to stop to talk to you to gush about the compliment or the dress or your kind soul; that you should stay for, even if it takes a little extra courage to do so.
Wave to people you recognize – even if you can’t remember their names. I once did this and, in the moment, the couple insisted they didn’t know me, giving me a quizzical look and walking by. The next time I saw them, they came up to me to say how nice it was of me to acknowledge them on the sidewalk, that it helped them to realize there was community for them in town.
Allow others to interact with you. Sometimes being inviting is difficult, but reciprocating is a great way to start. When someone waves at you, wave back; when someone pays you a compliment, thank them. Chat with that person in the grocery store line who said hello to you. Do something to make them think, “I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone.”
Theological Fortitude
We are called to live our faith. This week’s sin specifically relates to not forging forward spiritually. Act like the saint you are meant to be as often as possible.
Saints don’t condemn people; they uplift them. Be kind; temper your frustrations. Be courageous; temper your fears. Be caring; temper your apathy. Recognize the dignity of Christ in others, and use that as your guide for where to start.
Want something more formal? Join groups in the religious community; I relate more about my faith when I have more stories to tell about it. I recommend a Bible study, some sort of outreach program or hands-on help, and a small group; studies prepare the mind, the outreach softens the heart (and gives you fun vignettes), and the small group reminds you why you like the people you’re doing great things with.
The important piece, regardless of how you slice it, is to simply do. Know the Word, but also be an actor on its behalf.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
– Joshua 1:9
Summary
Sloth is not doing what we’re supposed to be doing. Diligence counters sloth, but we need fortitude to power it. Fortitude empowers us to exercise all of the other virtues, but we need to practice it to be able to use it.
Thoughts about what we learned this week? Questions regarding how to use our new knowledge? Ideas on how to better press on? Let me know in the comments!
He told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’ For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
– Luke 18:1-8
