[Acts Inspiration For Transformation Series] The Unstoppable Force Of The Gospelናሙና

God’s Love Gives us Courage

Pastor Nico LaHood

All through these devotionals, we have become familiarized with the days of the early church. I am sure it has been challenging to see yourself in the picture, because many of us do not face the violent persecution Paul experienced, but we certainly encounter other pressures. Sometimes these are merely inconveniences, but that does not mean that our answer and attitude should be different from the ones we have seen Paul adopting. 

The fuel that empowered Paul’s unstoppable engine was God’s love. At this point in the book of Acts, we can see that Paul has served God for nearly 20 years, traveled across thousands of miles, and survived stonings, beatings, arrests, and imprisonment. But not only that. He was so committed to preaching the gospel and the truth about the gospel that he often met opposition from Jewish religious leaders. 

Paul is in the middle of his third and last missionary journey. It is believed that in these last days, he wrote the well-known verses of Romans where he speaks about God’s love for us. It is his experience of God’s love all through his life which gave Paul the determination to finish the mission to which he was called. He already knew that he was going to suffer in Jerusalem, and his friends desperately begged him not to go, but his willingness to suffer shows us that he was a man of courage and conviction. He was never bullied into being quiet about Jesus, because he was convinced that his pain was far outweighed by the joy, love, and the eternal inheritance he had in Jesus. 

Respond

When you follow Jesus, you should know that at a certain point you will encounter social, financial, and even physical inconvenience. Do you make decisions based on the fear of others? Do you speak the truth as Paul did, however inconvenient? Allow the love of God to fuel your heart and mind. The understanding of his love will give you determination, courage, and even the willingness to suffer. Only the love of God in Jesus allows us to make sacrifices and consider them worth it.