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bigmike

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Hebrews 10:35 (NIV)
Your worldview is the filter you use to see and understand life. As a Christian, you may notice that a lot of people around you see things differently. Not everyone will share your beliefs—and some might even push back.
So how do you find the courage to stand strong when that happens? You do two things:
First, accept God’s Word as your authority. It’s the only source of truth! To be a woman or man of courage, you need to build your life on the Rock that never changes, not on popular opinion.
Hebrews 6:18 says, “God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us” (NLT).
You will build your life on one of two things: the world’s opinion or God’s Word. When you build your life on God’s Word, you won’t waste your time worrying about what other people think. I say things all the time that are unpopular. Why? Because I fear displeasing God more than I fear someone’s rejection.
If you don’t know what you believe, a great place to start is by exploring the Bible and getting to know it for yourself. Your local church is a great resource and can give you the tools you need to grow closer to God through his Word.
Second, spend time with Jesus. The more time you spend with Jesus, the more confident you’ll be to stand up to any opinions that contradict God’s Word. Spending time with Jesus fills you with courage to stand for the truth even when it’s hard.
This was true for Jesus’ followers in the Bible: “The leaders saw that Peter and John were not afraid to speak, and they understood that these men had no special training or education. So they were amazed. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 NCV).
The reward of standing courageously for the truth will last forever! It might be unpopular and is rarely easy, but when you accept God’s Word as your authority and spend time with Jesus, you’ll develop an uncommon courage you never thought possible.
Here’s a prayer you can pray today: “God, I want to be a person of courage. I want to live to please you and not other people. I want to build my life on a biblical worldview and stand courageously for my faith. I make these two commitments today: First, I accept your Word as my authority and the foundation for my life. Second, I want to spend time with you every day and get to know you personally. I want to be so full of joy and courage that people say, ‘That person’s been with Jesus.’ I ask you to help me to be fearless for the truth. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
Talk It Over
What do you need to give up so that you can spend more time getting to know Jesus?
How do you know when the world’s opinion matters more to you than God’s opinion?
What would it look like in your daily life to be “so full of joy and courage that people say, ‘That person’s been with Jesus’?”

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