Breaking Bones

I found myself to be totally reliant on my mother. 

Acts 14:1-7

Reference: where they continued to preach the gospel. (Acts 14:7 NIV)

Explore: When I was 13 I broke my finger playing mixed netball. In my first year of secondary school I found myself to be totally reliant on my mother.

Because I only had the use of one hand, my mum helped me dress, do my hair, butter my toast… There was very little that I didn’t need help with.

This experience totally turned me off playing netball. Although I was never going to play at a professional level, it was my favourite sport.

With such a strong fear that I would break another bone, I didn’t play netball again for 5 years.

Application: Our past experiences influence how we act in the present. Due to my negative netball experience I stopped myself from allowing that to happen to me again.

Fortunately, for the life of the church, the early disciples of Christ did not shape their actions on the bad experiences from their past. Paul and Barnabas had their lives threatened in one place.

Instead of shutting their mouths so they were never threatened again, they just moved onto the next place, but continued to speak boldly for Christ. The word of Jesus would never have spread if the disciples were held back with fear from their precious experiences.

It’s the same in our world. If we fear that we’ll fail, maybe like we’ve failed before, then we will never move forward. May we take courage and motivation from Paul and Barnabas, who did not let fear from past experiences hold them back.

Prayer: Lord, You did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline. Help us Jesus to move beyond the bad experiences of our past and embrace the challenges of the future with confidence. Amen.

What is an experience from your past that is holding you back?

Acts, bones, evangelism, fear, future, past, reliant