Don’t Hold Back, Be Bold in the Spirit!

Fear presents itself in many ways — fear of rejection, opposition, suffering, and failure, to name a few. And let’s be honest. Just because I am a pastor doesn’t mean I am any different from anyone else. I have the same desire to be liked, to fit in with everyone else. And I am not immune to the temptation to fear.

With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can experience the same courage that God gave to the early believers, who were threatened by the very authorities who had arranged the crucifixion of Jesus. Upon their release from jail, they gathered with other believers in a prayer meeting (always a good idea when faced with an assault on our faith). “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31, emphasis added). Praise God! They felt the heat, but through a time of prayer, they experienced a fresh infilling of the Spirit and a new boldness.

Other than going through the emotional suffering of rejection or opposition, there isn’t a lot of deep suffering for Christ in North America. At least not the kind of suffering faced by the early church. But it is a different story in other parts of the world. Take, for instance, China.

The communist regime tried to wipe out Christianity in China; in fact, they often tried to erase any mention of God. But a church movement has been growing miraculously for many decades in China, and despite the threats and danger, there are now tens of millions of strong, vibrant Christians there.

Do you feel prompted to do something for God? I encourage you follow his leading, even if it means leaving your comfort zone and stepping out into uncharted waters. Share a Bible passage with someone on the phone, start a prayer ministry, witness to a co-worker. Don’t hold back because of fear of failure. Be bold in the Spirit!

Jim Cymbala began the Brooklyn Tabernacle with less than twenty members in a small, rundown building in a difficult part of the city. A native of Brooklyn, he is a longtime friend of both David and Gary Wilkerson.