“Do you know the key to staring down fear? It’s staring at the potential return. Your willingness to risk is always based on the potential reward. . . . We are scared of risk, but I think what we need to be scared of is regret.”- Kyle Idleman
Kyle Idleman concludes Chapter 3 of One At a Time with the biblical account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40). As Pastor Idleman notes, God sent Philip from Jerusalem to a desert road in Gaza. Because of one man – the Ethiopian eunuch. God went to incredible lengths to reach one person.
Thus, like Philip, to experience God’s will for our lives, we must listen for God’s voice. Next, we need to obey His voice. Hence, as we follow God we walk into an amazing story that God is writing and wants us to be part of. In addition, Kyle exhorts:
“God’s going to put you in close proximity to people who are far from him and give you divine appointments to share Jesus with them. To show up for them, you won’t be able to stay where you are.”
And God has stories like Philip’s planned for you. But to step into those stories, you must get out of the house. At times, your gut instinct will be to run, but Jesus tells you to run toward.
Finally, on a hot day in South Central Los Angeles, a sweet, elderly lady got lost. She wandered down a back alley notorious for gang activity. She’d arrived in LA on a church mission trip. Then she saw him. Although the lady didn’t know it, the tattooed man grew up in a street gang. And he’d just gotten out of prison that very day.
However, the elderly lady ‘ran’ toward him. She took the man to the Dream Center, a Christian ministry. There he experienced unconditional love and surrendered his life to Jesus. Above all, Alfred Lomas started bringing food to rival gangs, once his sworn enemies. Most significantly, he brokered a truce between the three main gangs in the area. And it started with a little food and a whole lot of love.
Today’s question: What Scriptures most help you in staring down fear? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The antidote to indifference”
