Tag: courage

52 Reasons to Love the Church

#6- Examples of Courage

By Kathy Pollard

This past Sunday, a man rolled his wheelchair-bound mother into the auditorium of our church building. As she passed by our pew, I leaned over to tell my young friend Collins that the sweet lady in the wheelchair recently got baptized. Collins said, “Was it hard for her to get in the water?” I answered, “Yes, it was.” It was actually very difficult for her. A couple of nights earlier I watched her slowly make her way up a few stairs to the changing room, flanked by her son and daughter-in-law. Halfway up, they had to give her an inhaler and let her rest. Several of us watched a little later as she came up out of the baptistry water, happy, but hanging on to Neal’s arm and gasping for breath. Her conviction led her to get in the water. Her bravery moved the rest of us to tears.

I’ve seen many other baptisms where it was ‘hard for them to get in the water’ but it had nothing to do with physical limitations. I knew a very vocal atheist who surprised everyone when he embraced and obeyed the Truth. I met a young couple who obeyed the gospel knowing their family wouldn’t approve. (They were actually disowned by their family.) I’ve seen individuals put on Christ only after painfully acknowledging that what they’d always been taught was wrong. I’ve seen people willing to get baptized knowing full well they were going to have to significantly change their worldly lifestyle. You can’t help but be moved by such examples of humility and faith!

These memorable moments have been happening since the very beginning of the church. Can you imagine what Paul must’ve felt as he went from “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” to becoming one of them (Acts 9)?

Every single baptism is special, but I’m especially thankful for those who were willing to overcome obstacles. Perhaps your own conversion story involved something that made it hard to get in the water. If so, I hope you realize that, in addition to making the very best decision of your life, you also inspired others by your courage!

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

Revive Me #46–Live Victoriously

Revive Me, Week 46–A Year of Growing Stronger in the Lord

Live Victoriously

Have you picked up any anxious vibes lately?  We went to lunch with some friends a couple of days ago and as soon as the waitress greeted us she launched into her fears about our nation.  I’ve heard other conversations swirling around me involving words like unsafe, need protection, and division.  The fear is palpable.

Fear, doubt, insecurity, anxiety, mistrust, timidity, alarm, dread…surely these are the devil’s tools.  How will we react to them?  Will we freeze up or faith up?  Will we cry out or carry on?  Will we shudder or shoulder?  God’s people are armed with His strength.  That should make us view things differently:

  • “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).
  • “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
  • “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10).
  • “Salvation belongs to the Lord.  Your blessing be upon Your people!” (Psa. 3:8).
  • “Stand firm in the Lord, my beloved” (Phil. 4:1).
  • “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord” (Prov. 21:31).
  • “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).

Courage!  Inspiration!  Power!  Victory!  These belong to us because we belong to God.  Oh, how the world needs to see that in us.  We are not of this world (Col. 3:1,2).  Our hope rests in Christ Jesus (1 Pet. 1:3).  Our peace cannot be taken away (John 14:27).  So let us smile more, teach more, love more, and shine more.  We can do it (Phil. 4:13)!

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;  We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Rom. 8:31-39)

Suggestions for the Week:

  1.  Choose a verse about power or victory to memorize.
  2.  Have a song in your heart (like “Victory in Jesus” or “Faith is the Victory”).
  3.  Don’t be driven by fear.  Pray for confidence in Christ to saturate your thinking.  This should affect your choices, temptations, speech, demeanor, and relationships.

Read it.  Memorize it.  Live it.

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image credit: sparkpeople.com