Guts

I want to be more like Paul; the Apostle Paul that is. He had conviction. He had passion. He had guts!

In reading Acts 21 I am again reminded as to why Paul is my greatest hero. Despite the warnings of many, in Acts 21 we see Paul returning home to Jerusalem after his long missionary journey. Beacause of the radical message he was preaching, and the unrest that it was causing among the Jews, there were many that strongly discouraged his return to Jerusalem.

• 21:4 "...Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem."

• 21:10-11 "...a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, 'The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

• 21:12 "When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem."

I love Paul's response in the face of all this warning.

"Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." (21:13)

Guess what he did? He went! He took the risk, went, and was protected and used. God protected him from the angered crowds and in fact gave him opportunity to minister to them.

Paul had guts! I want to be a risk taker like that. It is my prayer that I might also have the guts of Paul, to be willing to live out the Gospel of Chirst no matter what the consequenses may be.