Women On The Frontlines: A Call To CourageНамуна

Joan of Arc: The Cost of Courage

Joan of Arc simply loved God. She never received any theological training and knew very little about the official doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, the only church in France at that time. All Joan knew was that when she went to mass, God met her there. Joan knew God, loved to spend time with Him, and would do anything for Him.

In the summer of 1425, when she was thirteen, Joan experienced her first heavenly visitation: a blaze of bright light accompanied by a voice.

Over the course of three years, she had dreams of horses running in battle and of herself being led away with an army of men. During this time, she gradually became aware of the call of God on her life. He seemed to be telling her that she was to go to the aid of the disinherited Charles, the true king of France; drive the English away from Orleans and out of the country; and lead the procession to see Charles enthroned. At first, she resisted: I’m just a girl. I have no education, no training in military skills. Who’s going to listen to me? Her voices became more and more insistent.

By May 1428, Joan was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was leading her to go to Charles’ aid. She loved God so much that she would go anywhere and do anything to fulfill His desire. She believed that God was true and that He would back her up in everything that He called her to do.

By April 1429, Joan and her army had moved rapidly and entered the city of Orléans. Within a week, they had captured all the English forts surrounding the city.

We can take courage from the simple fact that Joan was so ordinary. By normal human standards she had no qualifications for the mission she undertook. She had no education, no religious training, and no leadership experience. In fact, she lived during a time when women’s freedom in both church and society was greatly restricted.

What made the difference? Joan possessed the only qualification that mattered: she loved God with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. She was completely sold out to Him. God chose her and used her because she made herself available to Him.