The Stabilizer of Boldness is Awareness of Opposition

By Gary Adyniec

“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” Acts 4:29–30 (NKJV)

Are you afraid of telling people about Jesus because of what they will say or do? You’re not alone! Every believer has encountered this, even the apostles! 

As simply as I can put this, our fear is not from God. We know this because 1 John 4:18 (NIV) tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." So, where does it come from? Satan! You see, our enemy doesn’t what us going out and speaking the truth of God and sharing the gospel with others, so he seeks to make us afraid. But depending on how we see it, the opposition of the enemy can either hinder us or propel us forward. 

As a teenager, David used the opposition placed before him—opposition that made grown men, warriors, and kings cower in fear—and faced it with boldness to slay the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1–51). In the Book of Daniel, as government policies and laws sought to remove God from the lives of people by outlawing prayer to anyone except governing authority, the Medo-Persian king, Daniel went home, opened his window, and bowed down in prayer. Did he experience any fear? Maybe, probably. But his faith was stronger than his fear. Because of his boldness, he was thrown into a den of lions, but the Lord protected him and he eventually came out unharmed (Daniel 6). 

What we do with opposition has a lot to do with our attitude as we look at the opposition. Three men were facing a fiery furnace of death if they didn’t bow to the gold image King Nebuchadnezzar set up. But look at their boldness and faith: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:16–18 NKJV). They weren’t concerned about their lives. Instead, they boldly spoke about their God and left the outcome in His hands. 

In the same way, we can walk with that boldness! How? Just look at today’s verse. We find boldness, strength, and peace as we walk in the truth, live godly lives, and preach the gospel in the face of hostility through prayer and by the power of the Spirit in the mighty name of Jesus!

Pause: Consider the fact that there is opposition everywhere—in business, in law, in politics, and even in your workplace or school. It doesn’t stop everybody. Some people use it to move ahead, and those that do usually come out on top. How do you handle opposition?

Practice: Remember . . . you know God. So, speak and leave the outcome in His hands.

Pray: Holy God, I am Your servant, give me boldness to speak Your Word regardless of the opposition and the outcome. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen.