"Being Brave- Empowered!"
“Being Brave is Being Empowered by the Holy Spirit!”
Have you ever been in one of those situations where you have
NO IDEA where the words that just came out of your mouth came from? I can think
of so many times in my life where I’ve answered a question, or delivered a
message on the spot that I could not have come-up with on my own, no matter how
long I was given. I can think of more times, though, where my words sounded
like a bumbling mess to me, but somehow, despite my efforts, someone still got
something out of it.
Just this week in Bible Study at the RTC, we had one student
ask if I could pray with her to follow Christ, and two others ask if they could
be baptized. That was not what the focus of our lesson was, nor was Bible study
this week extremely focused or calm. I was in the front, talking about
communion and miracles, but these students heard something else. They heard God
speaking love to their hearts, and calling them to Himself, and in the end, my
words were of little consequence.
In our study this week, author Kelly Johnson reminds us:
“We are not stumbling through our days alone….An inspired
word of comfort to a hurting friend, a reminder of a phone call of encouragement
we wanted to make, the answer to a seemingly overwhelming problem with which we
have been struggling—all evidence of the kindness and compassion of our Abba
Father meeting us in our moment of need. “
There are also times that God wants to use us when words
aren’t even necessary. There are difficult times in which we are left wondering
what we can say to our friend who has just experienced loss, or who is waiting
on test results, or who is left reeling from some hard news. But, think back to
when you have been the one in need of that encouragement. You probably don’t
remember the words that were said to you near as much as you remember the faces
of those who surrounded you, and the hugs of encouragement from those who
reached out. In these times of trouble, sometimes God will use you to give a
word of wisdom, but at other times, He will simply use your presence to be a
ministry. The important part is that we don’t shy away because we are afraid we
don’t know what to say. Trust that God will give you the needed words, or trust
that your presence is enough.
When Christ ascended back to Heaven, He promised His
followers that the Holy Spirit would come, and would be with us. God has chosen
us to be His ministers. He wants us to deliver His words, to serve as His hands
and feet, and to come alongside those who are in need of a touch from Him. Are
you willing to serve? Walk in the confidence of knowing that you are chosen by
Christ, and be brave and empowered to use the words that He gives you!
** This is our LAST week of our “Being Brave” study! I hope
that you guys have enjoyed it, and that you feel a little more Bold, Resilient,
Authentic, Vulnerable, Engaged, and Empowered as you walk with Christ!
Discussion Questions:
- - Have you ever experienced a time when you felt the
Holy Spirit gave you the words you needed?
- - Does the idea that the Holy Spirit is with you
and wants to empower you make you braver?
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