Two Things You Need for Uncommon Courage
By Rick Warren
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Hebrews 10:35 (NIV)
Your worldview is the filter through which you see the world. As a Christian, you’ll find that many people around you have a different worldview from yours. They may be disapproving of or even oppose your Christian worldview. So, when you’re faced with such criticism, how do you live with uncommon courage? You need to do two things:
You need to accept God’s Word as your authority. It’s the only source of truth. To be a man or woman of courage, you need to build your life on the rock that never changes—not on popular opinion.
Hebrews 6:18 says, “God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us” (NLT).
You will build your life on either world opinion or God’s Word. I say things all the time that are unpopular. Why? Because I fear displeasing God more than I do someone’s rejection.
If you don’t know what you believe, you need to figure it out by getting to know the Bible. Your local church is a great resource and can help you find the material you need to grow more familiar with God’s Word.
You need to spend time with Jesus. The more time you spend with Jesus, the less intimidated you’ll be by the opinions of others, and the more courage you’ll have to take a stand. This was true for Jesus’ followers in the Bible: “The leaders saw that Peter and John were not afraid to speak, and they understood that these men had no special training or education. So they were amazed. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 NCV).
Standing courageously for an unpopular opinion isn’t easy, but the rewards of standing courageously for the truth will last forever. Hebrews 10:35 says, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded” (NIV).
Talk It Over
If you want to have uncommon courage, pray this today:
“God, I want to be a person of courage. I want to live to please you and not other people. I want to build my life on a biblical worldview and stand courageously for my faith. I make these two commitments today: First, I accept your Word as my authority. It’s a strong foundation for my life. Second, Lord, I want to spend time with you every day. I want to get to know you personally. I want to be so full of joy and courage that people say, ‘That person’s been with Jesus.’ I ask you to help me to be fearless for the truth. In your name I pray. Amen.”
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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