Financial Virtues Series: Fortitude (Courage) with Dr. Craig Bartholomew | FaithFi
July 28, 2026
Financial Virtues Series: Fortitude (Courage) with Dr. Craig Bartholomew
Faith & Finance with Rob West
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
Biblical courage is not bravado or self-confidence. It is faithfulness rooted in the presence and promises of God.
That kind of courage matters in every area of life—including the way we handle money. Following Christ may require us to give when we would rather hold tightly, resist cultural pressures, act with integrity when compromise would be easier, or obey God when doing so comes at a personal cost.
Dr. Craig Bartholomew, Director of the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge, England, joined the show today to close out our Financial Virtues series to explore the virtue of fortitude and what it means for faithful stewardship.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
Biblical courage is not bravado or self-confidence. It is faithfulness rooted in the presence and promises of God.
That kind of courage matters in every area of life—including the way we handle money. Following Christ may require us to give when we would rather hold tightly, resist cultural pressures, act with integrity when compromise would be easier, or obey God when doing so comes at a personal cost.
Dr. Craig Bartholomew, Director of the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge, England, joined the show today to close out our Financial Virtues series to explore the virtue of fortitude and what it means for faithful stewardship.
More Than a Moment of Bravery
When we hear the word courage, we may picture dramatic acts of bravery. Scripture certainly includes those moments. Joshua needed courage as he prepared to lead Israel into the Promised Land.
But fortitude is broader than courage in a single crisis. It is resilience. Resolve. Endurance.
The Christian life is less like a sprint and more like a marathon. Fortitude is the strength to continue following Christ over a lifetime—to remain faithful not only in dramatic moments, but also through the ordinary decisions, pressures, disappointments, and temptations we encounter every day.
That distinction matters because some of the most important acts of courage in our financial lives may never look heroic to anyone else.
It may mean living below your means when everyone around you is upgrading their lifestyle. It may mean refusing a dishonest opportunity even when the money is attractive. It may mean continuing to give generously when fear tells you to hold tighter.
Fortitude is the courage to keep choosing faithfulness.
When Money Becomes Our Security
Money has a way of exposing what we fear.
We fear not having enough. We fear an uncertain future. We fear losing the lifestyle we have built. We may fear falling behind others or disappointing the people around us. But the deeper question is this: Where have we placed our security?
If our identity, security, or sense of worth rests primarily in wealth, then anything that threatens our finances can begin to threaten our sense of self. That is a burden money was never meant to carry.
Scripture continually redirects our trust away from created things and toward the Creator. Money is a good gift and a useful tool, but it makes a terrible foundation for our identity. Christian fortitude begins by remembering who we are and whose we are.
Our ultimate security is not found in the size of an investment account, the value of a home, or the stability of an income. It is found in God, who promises to remain faithful to His people.
That does not mean financial losses or uncertainty become easy. It means fear no longer has the final word.
Jesus Shows Us What Courage Looks Like
Jesus gives us the clearest picture of true fortitude.
At the beginning of His public ministry, Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, offering shortcuts to power and glory that would bypass the path of suffering and obedience.
Jesus refused. He remained faithful to the Father and continued toward the cross.
His courage was not merely displayed in one final moment. It characterized His entire life—a steady obedience to the Father regardless of the cost. That same pattern should shape His followers.
Money can easily become one of the competing loyalties of our hearts. Jesus repeatedly warned about the spiritual danger of wealth when it moves from being a tool we steward to a treasure we worship.
Money must remain in its proper place. Fortitude helps us keep it there.
Generosity Requires Courage
One way we loosen money’s grip on our hearts is through generosity.
Giving shifts our attention away from ourselves and toward God and our neighbors. Rather than asking only, “What can this money do for me?” generosity teaches us to ask, “How might God use what He has entrusted to me to serve someone else?”
Sometimes that requires real courage.
Giving can confront our desire for control. It can challenge our instinct to accumulate more before deciding we finally have “enough.” It may require us to trust God with what happens after we release what we have been holding. But generosity reminds us that life is not ultimately about us.
As we put God first, He turns our attention outward—to the neighbor down the street, the family facing hardship, the ministry serving people in need, or even someone across the world whose circumstances are far different from our own.
Fortitude gives us the courage to hold God’s provision with open hands.
The Courage to Choose Integrity
Fortitude also matters when faithfulness costs us financially.
There may be moments when telling the truth threatens a business opportunity, refusing to compromise means walking away from profit, or acting justly puts us at a disadvantage.
Those moments require more than good intentions. They require discernment to recognize what is right—and courage to do it.
Our culture constantly communicates messages about success, wealth, status, and power. Christians must learn to examine those messages carefully rather than simply accepting the assumptions around us.
Not everything profitable is good. Not everything financially advantageous is wise. And not everything considered normal in our culture is consistent with following Jesus.
Fortitude enables us to remain faithful when obedience becomes costly.
Courage Is Cultivated in Community
Christian courage should never become another form of self-reliance.
We can be extremely determined about the wrong things. That is why fortitude must be shaped by wisdom, discernment, prayer, Scripture, and Christian community.
We need other believers who can help us recognize blind spots, challenge our assumptions, and remind us of what is true when fear begins to distort our perspective.
This is especially important with money. Financial decisions can be complex, and our hearts can easily rationalize what we already want.
Wise counsel helps us discern where genuine stewardship ends and where fear, greed, pride, or self-interest may be taking over.
The goal is not simply to become more resilient. It is to become resilient in following Jesus.
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
Most of us will face moments when courage is urgently required. But much of Christian fortitude is formed in thousands of smaller choices.
Choosing generosity again. Choosing integrity again. Choosing contentment again. Choosing to trust God again.
Faithful stewardship is not built through one extraordinary financial decision. It is shaped over a lifetime of ordinary obedience.
That is fortitude: not the absence of fear, but the courage to remain faithful because we know the One who is with us wherever we go.
On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:
What’s the process for setting up a trust for my children, and do I need an attorney to do it?
Is it best for a husband and wife to share a checking account? If so, how can we manage it well and avoid conflict?
Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every weekday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God’s resources.
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