As we enter the Christmas season—a time when many celebrate the birth of Jesus, whether knowingly or simply through the traditions of family, friends, generosity, and hope—I felt prompted to speak on Courage, Encouragement, and Endurance. This time of year brings joy for many, yet we will also cross paths with people who carry hidden battles behind a brave exterior: loneliness, financial strain, relational struggles, health concerns, or the fragile tension between addiction and sobriety.

We often hear the phrase, “You cannot give what you haven’t received.” In many ways, this applies to courage and encouragement. When you have had to rely on a God-imparted courage through a season of uncertainty or hardship, you are better equipped to offer genuine encouragement to someone facing a similar struggle. While we don’t always need to have lived someone else’s experience to empathize, encouragement becomes deeply authentic when it flows from firsthand understanding. The world can offer positive sayings and self-help ideas, but our identity in Christ—and our knowledge of His character and faithfulness—allows us to bring encouragement that reaches the heart and speaks to real circumstances.

And when the challenges requiring courage do not resolve within our timelines, we need God-given endurance to persevere.

Our prayer is that this Christmas, and as we move into 2026, we would be people who offer authentic, Scripture-rooted encouragement and endurance to our families, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and even strangers we meet—because we ourselves have sought God’s presence and received His courage in our own journeys.