A first grade teacher seated her
students in a circle. She asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up.
One by one, each child got up and announced, “I’d like to be a nurse like
my mother,” or “I want to be a banker like my father,” or
“I want to be a teacher like you, Miss Smith.”
The last child to speak was the
most shy and timid little boy in the class. He said, “When I get big, I’m
going to be a lion tamer in the circus. I’m going to face those animals with my
whip and chair and make them leap through hoops of fire and obey all of my
commands.” Seeing the disbelieving looks on the faces of his classmates
that he could ever act so boldly or bravely, he was quick to reassure them,
“Well, of course, I’ll have my mother with me.”
We are sometimes shy and timid
about standing up for Christ in the midst of an immoral society. We keep quiet
when we ought to speak up. We cower when we ought to take a stand. Where do we
get the inner strength to be bold and brave? Only through the assurance that we
have Christ by our side.
“I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13).
With that knowledge, take courage
today to do something for God that you’ve been hesitant to do.
Have a great day!
Alan Smith