Living Courageously

Living Courageously

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? In this episode of Hope, Healing & Freedom, Lee Wootman talks about courage as a key ingredient for a bold Christian life, especially for anyone feeling stuck in fear, shame, or spiritual passivity.

Lee starts with heroic tales, from Harriet Tubman’s repeated trips back into slavery to rescue others, to the film "The Natural", and then to the founders of Restoring The Foundations, Chester and Betsy Kylsa, who left secure careers to build a global healing ministry.

These stories aren’t shared to make anyone feel small; they highlight that, as Lee puts it, "They were just ordinary people who God used to do great things." The heart of the episode looks at what stops people from living courageously. Lee challenges a common definition of courage, arguing that it doesn’t erase fear but moves forward despite it: "Fear's not the problem.

When we let our fear control us, that's the problem that is solved by courage." He then links this to shame and generational patterns of unworthiness, drawing on Dr Brené Brown’s finding that shame often whispers, "Why do you think that you can do anything great?" You’ll hear how feelings of unworthiness, old heart wounds and spiritual opposition can all work together to keep someone quiet, compliant and far from the heroic life they long for.

Lee shares his own painful memory of a disastrous saxophone solo that left him terrified of being on stage alone, and how God later brought healing so that public speaking became his calling rather than his nightmare. The episode points toward practical steps: breaking unworthiness, seeking healing for past hurts, and recognising spiritual resistance. It’s especially relevant for those in addiction recovery who sense they were made for more than just surviving.

By the end, you might find yourself asking a simple but challenging question: what is one small, courageous step you could take today?