Brave for Today

Keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (CEV)

Does it ever seem like the Bible and Christians are out of touch? Do you feel like the “rules” are too harsh or don’t make sense in today’s world, and you’re the only one trying to follow them?

Well, imagine a city with only a few Christians in it. Everyone else worshipped gods that required them to make crazy sacrifices, and everyone was making up their own rules. That was the city of Corinth. A man named Paul lived there, teaching people about Jesus.

When Paul left, he wrote a letter back to the Christians in Corinth. He told them to be sexually pure, to not be arrogant, to not worship idols. He told them to be brave and strong in their faith. He knew this meant standing on their own against the sinful culture—strong, brave, and firm, like a Soldier.

Paul could say these things because he practiced them. When he wrote this letter, he had been teaching about Jesus for decades. It was a dangerous choice. Because of it, he had been beaten, jailed, left for dead. Still, he believed bringing people to Jesus was worth it.

You, too, may run into hard things when you stand for Jesus. You might have to be firm alone, go against your culture, even be cancelled out by others. But like Paul and the Corinthian Christians, you will find Jesus is worth it. So be brave in his power!

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

Break it down. What do each of these phrases from the verse mean to you for your life? Ask the Lord what he wants you to do about each one. Ask him to help you be brave as you encounter difficult situations in your life.

• Keep alert.
• Be firm in your faith.
• Stay brave and strong.

INSPIRATION

“Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.”

–Francis Chan, American author and speaker

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help you expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Psalm 37:23–24

Mark 13:13

Ephesians 6:10