Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Peter was being criticized by his closest friends because of actions they didn’t understand. Taking a stand for what you know to be right can be very scary and risky. We think in terms of what it may cost us, but maybe we should begin to train our minds to see what it will gain us. Perspective changes everything. If we follow the thread of Peter’s example in Acts 10, we see that he had everything to lose by entering the home of a Gentile and preaching the gospel. It was against the rules of the Jewish culture and religious system. However, Peter had unwavering confidence in what God had told him; therefore, the cost wasn’t a factor. He had complete confidence that whatever the outcome of going against culture would be, it would be worth it. He trusted that Jesus had a plan far greater than what he could see. He was right!
The only way to achieve the level of confidence that is required to stand for what is right in the face of criticism is to know what God has said to us. We have to know His Word! We have to develop a relationship with him, just like we would with any other person, by spending time with Him. Think of the person you are closest to in life. How did you get so close to them? Can you finish their sentences? Can you look at their face and know what they are thinking? Can you sense their mood just by being in their presence? We know how to read those closest to us because of the amount of time we have spent with them. We have had conversations with them. We have spent our lives learning how they react and respond to things by simply being with them. It’s no different with God. If we diligently spend time with Him, we will never have to question what He thinks about something, how He would react, or what He would say. We would already KNOW because of the time invested in that relationship.
I love how Peter mentions in verse 15 that as he began to speak, he remembered what God had said. That’s how it works! If we are daily pursuing a relationship with Him, we can always be confident that as we follow His lead, He will be faithful to remind us of the truths along the way. At the perfect moment in time, He will remind you of something you read, something He said to you, or something you saw. The pieces will fall together in your mind, and you will be in awe knowing you just experienced God. No one can take that away from you, and it will be worth any risk or fear involved to take a stand when you know it's the right thing to do. We should strive to perfect our confidence in Him, and if we do, I believe our response will be the same as Peter’s when he said, “Who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.