Passages Devotional: Fear or Courage?
“I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.”1 Corinthians 2:3
Fear is a normal response in witnessing. This is because we are taking a risk. Even Paul experienced fear. The risks he experienced were far greater than those we typically face. His last stops before Corinth, the city in today’s passage, included Philippi, where he was thrown in jail (Acts 16:16-24), Thessalonica, where he was almost arrested (Acts 17:1-9), Berea, where a riot occurred (Acts 17:10-14), and Athens, where he had a very mixed reception (Acts 17:32). No wonder he was scared when he showed up in Corinth.
Yet his fears did not keep him from sharing Christ. He knew that nothing was more important than providing everyone, including the Corinthians, the opportunity to hear and understand the gospel, even if they might reject it and him. It was worth it.
How about you? What do you fear? Ask God to fill you with His Spirit and the boldness you need to be an effective witness to those who need to hear the gospel.
Thought
A spiritual rescue can be a risky endeavor.
Take a Step
Courage involves both an attitude and actions. Ask God to give you the courage to initiate a spiritual conversation with one of the individuals on your prayer list.
Bonus
READ: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 >>
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.← Previous
Day 1: Courage to Speak
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Day 3: Common Ground
