In review of Acts 4:29 this morning I read where the Apostles say, “Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness.” (GNT)
Boldness is not reckless impulsiveness. Boldness requires courage to press on through my fears and do what I know is right. Like the disciples, I can be more bold by praying with others for the power of the Holy Spirit to give me courage, to look for opportunities to talk about Christ, to realize that rejection, social discomfort, and embarrassment are not necessarily persecution, and to start where I am by being bolder in small ways.
Everyone has fears. In fact, right now is a very fearful time for us all. Too often, though, I let them rule my life and stop me from taking a stand for what I know God wants me to do.
Like Daniel standing in the lion’s den, I face people and situations that threaten to destroy me and my witness for Christ. But the choice is mine.
Will I succumb to my fears, or will I stand up for God in spite of them?
To overcome fear that’s dragging me down, I need to clearly understand the benefits of choosing to stand up for what God wants.
Most importantly, I need to see that doing what God wants me to do is a clear victory over the fear in my life, because fear grows. Every time I give in to a fear, it becomes more intense.
Fear grows every time I refuse to do what God wants me to do. Eventually, I’ll feel cornered. And when fear grows, my life shrinks.
So what should I do? I follow the lead of early Christians. We’re certainly not the first generation of Christians to face fear. Early believers faced all kinds of persecution. The book of Acts shows us how they stood up to this fear. As Peter and John proclaimed Jesus boldly in Acts 4, they came up against fierce opposition.
So they prayed, “Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness” (Acts 4:29 GNT).
The answer to my fear isn’t to give in to it. It’s to move forward boldly despite it. Stand up to the fear. Fear doesn’t respond to logic, so my only chance to get rid of the fear is to trust God and face the fear.
Never, ever forget this: God won’t part the Jordan River in front of me until you take your first step (see how God did this for Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2:8). I take a step of faith, and then God shows me the path. That won’t happen if you stand wrapped up in your fear.
Take a step in faith today, and watch fear crumble in the process as God guides your steps.
In summary, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow me, your servant, to speak your message with all boldness. Now boldness is not reckless impulsiveness. It requires courage to press on through my fears and do what I know is right. I can be more bold by praying for the power of the Holy Spirit to give me courage, to look for opportunities to talk about Christ, to realize that rejection, social discomfort, and embarrassment are not necessarily persecution, and to start where I am by being bolder in small ways. Right now is a very fearful time for all of us. Too often, though, I let fear rule my life and stop me from taking a stand for what I know God wants me to do.To overcome fear, I need to clearly understand the benefits of choosing to stand up for what God wants. For doing what God wants me to do is a clear victory over the fear in my life, because fear grows. Fear grows every time I refuse to do what God wants me to do. And when fear grows, my life shrinks. The answer to my fear isn’t to give in to it. It’s to move forward boldly despite it. Stand up to the fear. Fear doesn’t respond to logic, so my only chance to get rid of the fear is to trust God and face the fear. God won’t part the Jordan River in front of me until you take your first step. Take a step of faith, and then God will show me the path.
Today’s devotion is an encouragement for me as I face a new situation with my work and my team. I pray Father for boldness that I lead my team through this, having faith in you and doing what I know is the right thing to do. Send your Holy Spirit to remind me of being bold and to use what happens as a way to show others who you are. I want to choose to trust and stand up for you, not give into fear. I will take the first step and then allow you to lead me. Father I also pray today for wisdom and guidance in how I handle things today, my work tasks, my leadership and my interactions with others. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, Amen.
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