Insane Courage

Awhile back, Shaina and I watched the movie WE BOUGHT A ZOO.

It is a decent movie, but there is one line that stuck with me and then came to my mind this morning in studying God's Word.



20 seconds of insane courage.

Now, this is in the context of asking a girl out and buying a zoo on a whim...but where it hit me today was our determination to obey the prompting of God's Spirit or to Avoid, Delay and Deny (spiritual A.D.D.)

Acts 9...Saul has been imprisoning and even allowing the killing of Christians for being part of 'the Way'. And then he gets struck blind on the road to Damascus. I've heard a good number of messages and read a good number of books about that moment on the road to Damascus...but I had never stopped to really think about the man God called to go to Saul.

A dude named Ananias.

God prompts Ananias to go and meet up with Saul and lay his hands on him to pray healing over him.

Ananias is like, "Lord, I don't know if your omniscience overlooked this...but that guy has a pretty vicious track record of crushing guys like me who follow Jesus. You sure its a good idea to show up unannounced and put my hands on him?"

"Yep."

20 seconds of insane courage. Ananias goes. Very much risking his life in obedience to the leading of God.

And in that 20 seconds of insane courage, you often find the greatest rewards and thrills of your life. Not only does Ananias get to lay hands on Saul...he prays and miraculously scales fall off Saul's eyes and he can see again. Not only that, but Ananias gets to impart the Holy Spirit upon Saul's life. Not only that, but Ananias gets to baptize Saul. Not only that, but Ananias commissions Saul (Paul) to be a WITNESS TO THE WORLD (Acts 22:12-15).

Ananias doesn't get mentioned anywhere else in Scripture but in correlation to the conversion of Paul. But this one act of insane, courageous obedience brought faith to the Gentiles (me!) brought us the most books of the Bible penned by one author and brought the gospel to the nations

It is likely too lofty a goal to think that we can have continual audacious and bold faith like that. But the moments that will define your existence...the moments that people will talk about for years to come...The moments that shape eternity are found where you muster 20 seconds of insane courage in response to the leading of God.

May you be bold and courageous enough to make the move on the thing you know God is leading you toward...no matter the risk or cost.