And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” (Acts 18:9–10 ESV)
Mowing the ditch is scary. The steep incline, slippery slope, always-thick grass, hidden trash, and my fear of even low heights combine to make that chore a dangerous activity. (Or so it seems to me…) But I’ve learned how to endure in safety. Rather than stop at every hiccup I just keep going. Rather than redirect at every bump, I just keep going. Rather than despair at every heart-wrenching moment of near slippage, I just keep going.
But this concept is only helpful if I am doing the right thing to start with.
If I am going too fast, ‘keep going’ makes things worse. If I am approaching the slope at too steep an angle, ‘keep going’ makes things worse. If I am teetering, ‘keep going’ makes things worse.
Paul was facing more danger than my ditch. He had just made the decision to focus his work on the gospel to the Gentiles. The Jews were not only making his life difficult, they were threatening to end that life. The Corinthians were splintering into rival factions. Paul had already suffered for the gospel and foresaw that more suffering was on the map. And Paul was preaching a new old gospel. His intellectual ability was challenged by how to present the God’s Word to God’s people. How did the entire Old Testament connect to Jesus? What was the church supposed to look like now? That teaching-millstone was constantly terrifying.
So Jesus comforts Paul. Jesus says, ‘keep going.’
Paul had been preaching the gospel in the way Jesus wanted Paul to preach the gospel. While we don’t have any recordings of Paul’s pulpit in Corinth, we do have Paul’s writings. Half of the New Testament is the record of what Paul was doing right… and saying right… or teaching right.
He ‘kept going.’
Despite what our civilization seems to say, the ‘new’ is not always best. When new dangers are encountered, don’t assume new solutions are necessary. Sometimes, often, maybe usually… we need to ‘keep going.’
But only if our ‘going’ is the right going. Only if our ‘going’ is God’s Way. Only if our ‘going’ is the simple/deep, true/True, Grace-centered, trust-based, wisdom of God. Found in His Word. Found through His Spirit. Found in Jesus.
Every fear can be faced by looking to Jesus. Every fear can be challenged by Jesus’ Name. Every fear can be overcome by the cross and the empty tomb. You’ve come this far by Him… keep going.
Don’t fear, keep going.