October 5, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Have No Fear

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
Matthew 10:28

Much of what we are willing to do or be for God seems to be dependent on what people may think or what they might do to us if we take a firm stand. Ridicule or persecution are strong deterrents to being the man or woman that God wants you to be. We must be bold in our determination to live totally committed to the Lord.

Seeking to know God better, John Chrysostom became a hermit in the mountains near Antioch in A.D. 373. Although his time of isolation was cut short by illness, he learned that with God at his side, he could stand alone against anyone or anything. That lesson served Chrysostom well. IN A.D. 398 he was appointed patriarch of Constantinople, where his zeal for reform antagonized the Empress Eudoxia, who had him exiled. Allowed to return after a short time, Chrysostom again infuriated Eudoxia, who sent him away again. How did Chrysostom respond to such persecution? With these words: "What can I fear? Will it be death? But you know that Christ is my life, and that I shall gain by death. Will it be exile? But the earth and all its fullness are the Lord's. Poverty I do not fear; riches I do not sigh for; and from death I do not shrink."

Prayer: Ask God to give you a boldness to stand for Him, whatever the cost.

"We fear men so much because we fear God so little."
~William Gurnall