Thank You, Father, for the strength and stamina to accomplish so much outside today. Each day is a gift. May I use them in ways pleasing to You. Amen.
Acts 20:16-24 (<<click here to read the passage)
I love it when two facets of my life intersect! What makes it joyful is the fact that it is not just happenstance, but instead it is providence. It’s a God thing!
It didn’t come together in my mind last night when I initially read through these verses, though I was drawn to two verses in particular. When I read them again this evening, it clicked!
Here they are.
I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. v20
But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. v24 NLT
So, do you think that Paul was brave…or courageous? And that is where the other facet comes in!
We’ve been taking a close look at several Biblical heroes over the past few weeks at church. This past Sunday we examined Joshua, a person of great faith. The sermon began by distinguishing between our concepts of bravery and courage
I discovered a simple definition on the BetterUp blog. It said,
Courage is exercising a conscious choice — one motivated by virtuous emotions like compassion, concern, or love. In contrast, exercising bravery is more often done without as much thought. Bravery comes with not just confidence but often a lack of fear. This is different from courage, where the action is taken in spite of fear.
The word courage shows up five times in the first eighteen verses of the book of Joshua. It comes from the Latin word for ‘core’ meaning heart. Courage literally means strength of the heart.
The BetterUp blog also quoted motivational speaker Steve Maraboli,
“To embark on the journey towards your goals and dreams requires bravery. To remain on that path requires courage…”
So…back to Paul.
He shrank back and made it very clear by saying, “my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.” And what work was he compelled to complete above all else? …the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
God’s words for Joshua are for us as well.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV
Don’t strive to be brave – take courage and tell others the Good News!
July 12th, 2022, Tues, 8:12 pm
