Uncommon Courage

If ever there was a message we need in today’s culture, it’s this: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent” (Acts 18:9b ). In a world full of ideas and beliefs that go against God’s Word, God wants us to have a uncommon courage and stand up for what we know is true and right. Everyone else is speaking up and telling us their worldview every day. Why shouldn’t we stand up for what we believe?

To stand courageously, we have to know what God says is the truth and what the world believes. This is called a worldview — what you base your beliefs on. Every person uses a different filter through which they see and understand the world. We may all be looking at the same event, but we will see it differently because of our conflicting worldviews.

Our worldview includes how we see God, ourselves, others, the past, present, and future, money, time, good and evil. It influences everything in our life. Every time we make a decision, we access the worldview database in our mind and decide that, because we believe this, this is what we’re going to do. Your worldview influences every choice we make.

Here’s the problem: We are profoundly influenced by the worldviews of others. Every time we have a conversation, a worldview is being communicated. We are influenced by the worldviews of our parents, friends, an advertisement, or the internet. Nothing is fair and balanced, because everyone has a worldview. It is absolutely crucial, then, that you base your worldview on God’s Word, which is the only truth.

In a national survey, 62 percent of Americans claimed they are “deeply spiritual.” When asked how that spirituality affects their decision making, 31 percent said they make moral choices based on “what feels right and comfortable,” 18 percent on “whatever is best for me,” 14 percent on “whatever causes the least conflict with others,” and only 16 percent on “what God’s Word says.”

What does that mean? It means most Christians have a non-Christian worldview. You may be a Christian and headed for Heaven, but you can also have a non-Christian worldview because you’ve based it on what you’ve learned from the world and not from the Word.

Why is it important to stand up and speak the truth? Matthew 10:32 says, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others(worldview), I will disown before my Father in heaven.

God is telling us to make a stand for his truth. Taking that kind of stand requires an uncommon courage that is only available through the knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. My challenge for us is to have Uncommon Courage for our belief in Jesus Christ today.

In His Grip......Pastor Matt Meadows