Astonishing Courage

As we’ve journeyed through this week, we’ve taken steps together towards this moment: a day where each of us commits to practicing astonishing courage. As we pray, eager to see God show up and work in and through us, I can’t help but think about the story of Ananias in Acts 9. 

Starting in Acts 9:1-2, we see a man named Saul, and right away, we get a glimpse into his state of mind. The verse reads,

“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

Saul does not sound like a nice guy. If you were one of the early Christians, he was definitely one of the people you wanted to stay far away from. In fact, it would be seemingly foolish for any of the early followers of Jesus to go out of their way to interact with Saul. But look at what God tells Ananias to do in Acts 9:11-12:

“And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”

Imagine getting that assignment. It would be like God telling you, “Hey, do you know that co-worker in your office that everyone avoids because they’re always in a bad mood? Go talk to them.” Or “You know that bully in your high school? Go sit with them at lunch.” You’d likely do the same thing Ananias did in Acts 9:13, responding with a version of, “Are you sure, God? You know who that is, right?

But God is undeterred, telling Ananias again to go. And right then, Ananias has a choice. A big one. Does he, in courage, obey God and step out in faith, even though there are risks, unknowns, and doubts in the picture? Or does he shrink back from what he knows God is calling him to do?

If you read on, you know how the story goes. Ananias is courageous and obeys, going to Saul and welcoming him with God’s kindness and healing. And what happens as a result of Ananias’ courage? Saul becomes Paul and goes on to change the course of Christianity across the world.

Now, we’re not saying that there will be a world-changing, Paul-revealing response to every one of our acts of courage today. But God will move in accordance with all of His children who take a step of courageous faith. He will show up. He will provide, sustain, heal, redeem, restore, and keep every one of us who choose to trust Him and act courageously. And who knows, maybe this one astonishing action today will have ripples throughout your neighborhood, school, or family for generations to come?

Take a Step of Astonishing Courage

We don't know what courage looks like for you. Maybe inviting that person in your small group that you don’t see eye-to-eye with or that neighbor who is hypercritical to hang out seems daunting. Or, maybe talking to a neighbor about Jesus is easy, but forgiving your dad or apologizing to your friend seems impossible. We want to invite you to challenge your comfort for the sake of the gospel. Would God show up and help us be astonishingly courageous today, as only He can?

God, you take what little we can offer and you multiply it, turning it for good in ways we cannot even fathom. Take this one action of courage, and use it to build your kingdom and glorify your Name.