"Peter along with the Eleven stood..." Acts 2:14a
As I sit and stare at this verse I can't help but wonder what it must have felt like in that moment. Thousands of people surrounding you right on the heels of this incredible move of God, and they are looking to you to bring them clarity and understanding. More than that, God is looking to you to bring them the Message of Christ. It is here in this moment that Peter did what most of us probably wouldn't do, he stood up. Not metaphorically or even spiritually, but physically. Peter actually took a legitimate physical step. He put his body on the line and dared his mouth and brain to follow.
Peter had to have some conflicting emotions here I think. Nervous, excited, heart racing, wondering if people would recognize him. I wonder if his past failure in denying Christ rang through his head at all? Maybe his personal encounter with Jesus after the resurrection filled his head. Perhaps he heard Jesus telling him to "feed his sheep". Regardless, Peter was the unlikeliest of heroes in this moment, but he was the one that God raised up.
You too may see yourself as the unlikeliest of heroes in the life of your friends, school, and family, but you are the one that God has raised up for this moment. Sometimes all it takes is a moment where you physically just stand and dare your mouth to follow. Be noticed, stand out, put yourself out there and dare the rest of you to follow.
Your challenge today is to do just that, physically stand out today. Dare your mouth and brain to follow, but physically stand up and be accounted for. Be the person God has called you to be today.
Here's your group question: What do you think is harder, physically standing up for Christ and taking that first step, or sharing Christ verbally?
I think it’s all difficult, but put into practice, it becomes easier along the way (sometimes more than others).
ReplyDeleteI feel led to share about a guy I went to High School with. One day after school in my junior year, I needed a ride home from school. One of my classmates, Jeff, offered me a ride. I knew Jeff was a Jesus freak (everyone discussed this when he wasn’t around). Although I was nervous about being preached to, I agreed to let him drive me home. We made it all the way to my driveway with no Jesus lectures (remember, I wasn’t saved then, and Jeff knew it).
Right as I was about to get out of the car, Jeff said, “Anna, can I tell you a story?” I said, “Sure.” Jeff proceeded to paint a story for me. It wasn’t a “Jesus loves you, let’s go dance in the field story”. It was a Hell/Fire; you’re going to spend an eternity in Hell if you don’t come to Jesus story. Sadly, I told him no, and went inside my house.
Jeff obeyed the Holy Spirit that day. I was lost, and he was trying to help me. Even though I didn’t say the sinner’s prayer with him that day, God allowed him to plant a seed.
I have never forgotten the boldness it must have taken him that day.
I will let you know, I got in touch with Jeff just a few months before Christmas last year (that’s right, I hunted him down on Facebook!). I wrote him a long email and thanked him for his courage that day. I let him know that I have come to know The Christ. This is what he wrote me back:
“Anna,
I can't tell you how much that message meant to me. I've been going through some tough times where my own faith has been really tested, but hearing that from you goes a long way towards restoring it. God works in amazing and mysterious ways. Thank you for making my week and God bless.”
BE BOLD YOU GUYS!
Anna
I think that verbally sharing about Christ and your thought and beliefs is a lot harder than phisically taking that first step . I think it's hard because once you stand up you can sit right back down and not cause to much attention to yourself. By verbally speaking your grabing someone's attention and their full focus is on you and everything you say someone can have a rebuttal that you are going to have to be able to defend. And I think that's what scares us the most about shareing Jesus because we're not sure what others will think or say. Or if we will be able to convince them. But like what Anna said sometimes it not about convincing them right then and there it's about planting seeds that god will later use to open up the eyes of others .
ReplyDeleteI agree, Katie. It's easy to physically stand up to someone, compared to listening to the Holy Spirit and actually saying what God wants us to say. And, in all honesty, it's the spiritual steps that count.
ReplyDelete