Be Bold In Christ
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” -- Acts 18:9-10
I don’t know when I first became afraid. It wasn’t one of those conscious decisions. It wasn’t something I was particularly aware of. It’s just that slowly, over a period of many years, I became a person who just wanted to get along rather than someone willing to stir things up for the right reasons.
Once upon a time I was an editorial writer and columnist who caused controversy on an almost daily basis. I even managed to stir folks up when I decided to write a light column on liking hot weather. The calls and letters seemed to never end. So when did I become afraid of the opinion’s of other people?
I find myself pleading with God to let my life be peaceful. I don’t want controversies. I don’t want to deal with the heated anger or emotions of other people. I’m tired of rejection and putdowns. I just want to glide through my days, doing what I can, where I can, but without a great deal of emotion and hurt involved.
That’s not what God has planned for me. I know it. I’ve always known it. I’ve just tried to deny it because I reached a point where I was so battered and bruised that I simply couldn’t deal with the pain anymore. Then it became habit. Now I am a person trying to be someone I was never meant to be.
How do I get back to being the person God created me to be? I find courage in Paul. And in these words that Jesus spoke to him. I don’t need to be afraid because while I am weak, God is strong. When I am fragile, Jesus is my protector. I’ll be okay.
God made me to be bold and forthright. He called me to speak loudly and stir up the emotions of people who prefer to just get along and go along. The kind of people who are like the person I have become. Or, maybe more accurately, the person I used to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment