Acts of Courage

I was recently listening to a message by Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, and something he said caught my attention.  Maybe you've heard something similar:

"When God speaks, often times His voice will call for an act of courage on our part."

I began thinking of the calls that God has placed on my me throughout my life...Follower of Christ, husband, father, pastor, missionary, friend, mentor, leader, and most recently the calling of grandfather (sorry, I couldn't resist bragging).

Then I went back and listed the courage that was needed at specific times under each one of those callings.

Frankly, I was amazed!  I found that I was much more brave than I thought!  At least in some things.  But I also was just as surprised to see how cowardly I was in others!  Regardless,  I now understand that in each calling there have been necessary acts of courage required.

I don't think there has been as much courage required of me in my life as there has been in the last couple of years.  You see, my life is experiencing a deeper burden for this world, for people who don't take their walk with Christ seriously, for those who are displaced and hurting because of other men's misdeeds and self-centered decision-making.  But with that burden, I'm realizing that it takes an unbelievable amount of courage to face those realities and do something about them.  Courage from me and courage from us as followers of Christ!

   

I'm not talking about riding out on a white horse and solving all of these issues; I'm talking about sacrificially doing SOMETHING in the name of Christ!

In Psalm 72:12-14 it says:
"He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.  He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them.  He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him."

How does God do these things?  You guessed it...he called YOU!  He called ME!  He called US to be Bridges of Life and Hope!  

God cares for the needy, the afflicted, and the weak because they are precious to him.  If God feels so strongly about these needy ones, and loves them so deeply, how can you and I ignore their plight, or the call?  If God has called us to be used as the "rescue" and "help" and those who "redeem" the lives that are precious to Him, then undoubtedly, many acts of courage are going to be necessary.

I guess it's time to evaluate...
How well are we doing with our calling?                                      

How courageous
are we?














Give us the courage necessary Lord to do your calling!
A Humble (Yet willing to be courageous) Servant!

Greg