Born to Be Brave by Kirk Cameron

Author:Kirk Cameron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Post Hill Press
Published: 2024-08-14T17:08:08+00:00

Chapter 6

The Inside-Out Strategy

A man cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city.

He cannot govern a city if he cannot govern a family. He cannot govern a family if he cannot even govern himself. And he cannot govern himself unless his passions are subject to reason.

—Hugo Grotius

Once we have a vision of victory before us, we’re ready to translate that vision into reality. Now is the time to choose our targets and attack! Decide where your passions lie and where you have the opportunity to change policy or culture, and take your first steps. No more delay or preparation. Get moving and act now.

Wait, wait! I’m only fooling you.

I’m going to be getting to the “act now” stuff in the next chapter, but the practicalities of living out our God-given bravery start in another place entirely—not out there, but in here. Before we can heavenize earth, our hearts must be heavenized.

It’s always been a temptation to focus more on what people do than on who they are. That’s the outside-in perspective. Jesus was clear about the primacy of the heart. “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). That’s inside out.

The twice-born brave dare to look in the mirror. They stare into the eyes of the serpent of sin with the seven heads of pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth, and they crush it through personal repentance. God will put them in charge of greater things later, but first they have to be faithful in small things.

If we want to challenge a culture gone astray, we need to first look at the condition of our own hearts. Trust me, as counterintuitive as it may seem, and despite the risk of possibly stalling our momentum, we cannot skip this stage if we want our courage to produce the right kind of change in the right way.

To start, if we look at our hearts, do we even see a love for God in there at all?

Are You a CHRINO?

If there is any group that certain Republicans are more down on than liberal Democrats, it’s got to be those they call RINOs—Republicans In Name Only, taken to mean “traitors to the conservative cause.” Likewise, Democrats have their DINOs. I’m much less concerned about these apparent imposters than I am about CHRINOs—Christians In Name Only.

Some people think they are Christians if they call themselves Christian and align with a certain politician, platform, or party—or even watch a certain news channel. After all, they get angry at all the right stuff. They’ve got to be Christians!

Not so fast.

Jesus knew what was in the hearts of men and women. He also knew the future. Looking ahead to Judgment Day, He said something sobering…and frankly troubling. “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did

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