Will, do you want to LIVE and SPEAK more boldly for Jesus Christ? I do. So, how badly DO WE WANT IT? Do we want it enough to “ask, seek, and knock” UNTIL God answers us leading us to take risks that challenge our timidity? Or, if we’re honest, would we rather just keep wishing we were bolder — admiring bold people, being inspired by biographies about bold people, talking with our friends and small group members about our struggles with fear of man — all the while staying where we feel safe and relatively comfortable and letting fear go unchallenged?
Here’s the thing Will, “…the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that we DO NOT DO the things that we wish.” (Galatians 5:17) But in this battle Will, there’s no stalemate. One side always has influence over the other. So, like Joshua says, “…choose for yourselves THIS DAY whom you will serve…” (Joshua 24:15) This is Paul’s response, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall NOT FULFILL the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) We must make up our minds to do as Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, and having done all, to stand. STAND therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to QUENCH ALL the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is THE WORD OF GOD; PRAYING ALWAYS with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” (Ephesians 6:13-18)
-Bill Stockham