Brother, Can You Spare Some Courage?
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Straight to the Cross
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Five Steps to Spiritual Victory!
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COLUMN: Heavenly Connections
Brother, Can You Spare Some Courage?
by Tim Hall
You would think that the Apostle Paul would be in
complete control. After all of the trials and
difficulties he had suffered, he surely would have
a handle on fear and doubts by now. But this great
servant of God still needed strength at times.
Where could he get it?
By the last chapter of Acts, Paul had been through
so much. He had often been beaten, imprisoned,
rejected by his own kinsmen, and had just survived
a shipwreck from a fearful storm. Ahead of him,
however, was a date with the Emperor, Caesar
Augustus. A visit with the Roman ruler was not a
pleasant appointment. The Caesars guarded their
power with cold and ruthless means, and theirs
were not normally sympathetic ears.
The skyline of Rome was in sight when Luke
provided us with these details: "And from there,
when the brethren heard about us, they came to
meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When
Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage"
(Acts 28:15, NKJV).
Brethren coming together - is that such a big
deal? It is when you are involved in a struggle,
as Paul on this occasion was. And, in case you
hadn't checked lately, struggles are still a part
of life. Like the storm that wrecked Paul's ship,
trials blow into our lives without warning. We may
feel as if we are cast overboard, straining just
to keep our heads above water. How we need courage
in such situations! But where can it be found?
Our text shows that courage can come from people.
We find courage, just as Paul did, by being with
others who believe as we do, who have weathered
crises in their lives, who compassionately reach
out to help us. It's important that brethren keep
up their habit of coming together.
The writer of Hebrews understood this principle
and urged Christians to regularly practice it. In
pressing his readers to endure, he wrote, "And let
us consider one another in order to stir up love
and good works, not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves, as is the manner of some, but exhorting
one another, and so much the more as you see the
Day approaching" (Heb. 10:24,25). He didn't order
church attendance for the sake of big numbers; he
exhorted brethren to practice active fellowship as
a matter of survival!
Often when I attend worship and Bible study
assemblies, my life is going well. I am joyful and
confident, able to offer courage to others who are
there. Occasionally, though, I stand on the other
side of the transaction. Instead of being in a
position to give encouragement, I am the one who
needs it. What better place to find the strength
needed than with people who draw their strength
from the Lord?
Philo, a Jewish philosopher who was a contemporary
of the apostles, once wrote: "Be kind, for
everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." That
is a good reason to make assembling with the
saints a high priority. Often we can help others
just by being present; sometimes we're the ones
who will be helped.
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