How Bold Will We Be?

Scripture – Acts 4:27-31: ²⁷Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. ²⁹Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Reflection: – Following Peter and John’s release, the church prayed together. The essence of their prayer was that God would “enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” They did not pray for deliverance from persecution or for their own safety. They prayed for the courage to remain faithful.

A lot of life in our North American culture is geared toward being comfortable – toward avoiding or relieving pain. (Just watch the commercials on TV.) So people work to buy things to be comfortable.

In the face of that, Jesus calls us to give up our lives. Peter and John had been arrested for preaching and healing in the name of Jesus. They were let go with little problem this time. At the same time, they knew that would not last. So they prayed for boldness to keep speaking faithfully, no matter what the cost. And God answered that prayer.

Do I have such courage? Do you? How does our desire for comfort impact our discipleship?