I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. – Philippians 1:20

Today's Scripture Reading (May 26, 2024):  Philippians 1

I don't know. There are probably many people around who are overflowing with courage. I just don't happen to be one of them. I wish I could tell you that there are two paths that we can follow in life: one for the natural-born hero and one for the rest of us. But it just doesn't work that way.

Maybe the good news for most of us is that the Bible is not about a bunch of superheroes; It is about people like us who struggle to be courageous. If you don't believe me, look at the leading characters of the story the Bible tells. Adam and Eve hid, Abraham lied, Moses ran away, David deceived, Esther was uncertain, Elijah contemplated suicide, John the Baptist doubted, Peter denied, and Judas betrayed. And we are just getting started with the people whose stories are found within the pages of the Story of God.

If you want to find examples of courage, maybe pick up a comic book. There are many examples of courage there. Personally, I am a fan of Spiderman. The primary moral in the legend of Spiderman is that those with great power also have great responsibility. The words were spoken by Peter Parker's, aka Spiderman, uncle as he lay dying in Peter's arms. Later, as Spiderman chased down the one who had killed his uncle, he found out it was the same man who had robbed a box office earlier. Peter had decided not to stop him because it "really wasn't his problem or his job." Besides, he felt that the one being robbed had robbed him of what he deserved.

As he faced down the murderer in a warehouse, he realized his own villainy. If he had only done what he should have done earlier, his Uncle Ben would still be alive. The story sets the background for everything else that Spiderman would do. But that's just a silly comic book story.

However, as you read this, I want you to know that you are a person of great power. You hold the keys of heaven and hell in your hands. I hope you have used the keys for yourself, unlocked the door of heaven, and had your name written into the Book of Life. You see, the key is not in what you have done but in a decision that you have made. God requires us to repent, to turn around, and ask for forgiveness. The miracle of the Gospel is that if we do that, Jesus comes and lives in us. He changes us.

We don't have to get cleaned up, and we don't have to do the changing; we just have to be willing to let God work in us. Maybe it is more comfortable for us to think that we have earned our way in, that the life that we lead is what opens the door to heaven, but it's not. It is nothing more than me asking and accepting Jesus. You have that power.

But it also goes beyond that decision. The Bible tells us that with great power comes great responsibility. For the Christian believer, the responsibility is to share the power. A couple of decades ago, I met with a parent of one of the teens and one thing led to another until she stood up, exasperated, and said, "Am I my brother's keeper? That's in the Bible, you know." I think she was surprised when I told her that I knew it was in the Bible, and the answer was actually yes, I am my brother's keeper. That is the point of the story of Cain and Abel. Cain asked God that question regarding his brother Abel, and God responded in the affirmative.

There is an old song sung by "Casting Crowns" that asks a question a critical question in the chorus.

If we are the body

Why aren't His arms reaching

Why aren't His hands healing

Why aren't His words teaching

      If we are the body

      Why aren't His feet going

      Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

Why? Could it be because we are scared? So, Paul writes to the people at Philippi;

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed (or maybe scared) but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20).

We sometimes talk about the power of God coming on us, but it could just as easily be the courage of God that needs to be given to us. We are called to be a people marked by God's courage, people with the power to change lives.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Philippians 2