Courage to Stand Up & Speak Up
by Mike Killebrew
I love adventure. My favorite books to read for fun are historical adventures; I especially enjoy them if there is a survival story woven in. Books such as Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer or Endurance, the story of Earnest Shackleton. All of these are some of my favorites, written about real events or people in history and I find them absolutely fascinating to read.
If you are familiar with the story of Endurance you will know it is an incredible story of courage, survival, leadership, and perseverance through adversity because of a shipwreck in the Weddell Sea. Endurance was a three-masted barquentine in which Sir Ernest Shackleton and a crew of 27 men set out on an expedition to cross the Antarctic continent. They encountered some extreme weather and had to abandon the boat, setting up camp on large ice floes. They floated northward eventually landing on uninhabited Elephant Island. Facing their situation with courage and tenacity, they all survived. Amazingly, I just learned that this shipwreck was discovered this morning, as I write this! They found it just 4 miles from where expedition captain Frank Worley reported they abandoned it 107 years earlier, a historical discovery to go with an incredible story of survival and courage.
While reading about the Endurance shipwreck being found, I can’t help but think of the story found in Acts chapter 27 as Paul is being taken, as prisoner, to Rome to stand trial before Caesar. It is a story of epic adventure, and it doesn’t get any more historical adventure-based than this story. The storm was severe. The waves were crashing against the boat with such force that they had to reinforce the boat with ropes. The wind from the hurricane force Northeaster pummeled them so much they threw cargo and tackle overboard. The storm went on for 14 days not seeing the sun or stars during that period. No doubt they were disoriented. They were so consumed with the storm and being tossed about with seasickness they didn’t even eat. They had given up all hope of being saved. And then, in the middle of this storm and as all hope was lost, Paul stood up and spoke up. He then goes on, as a prisoner, to lead this group of men in the middle of this storm to survival and 276 people all survived. What an awesome story! The prisoner leads a group of men through a storm and shipwreck. Let’s not forget he has a snakebite once they are safely on shore trying to warm up around a fire to fight off hypothermia. An epic story of survival and courage, for sure!
There is so much to learn from this storm and shipwreck from Paul as we think about leading in our churches. Our churches need courageous leadership right now, just as Paul was in the middle of a storm, we can easily draw some parallels to the American church being in the middle of a storm. Churches are closing at a record number, we are still feeling the effects of COVID closures, our back doors are spinning as people in this consumer driven culture are busy “church shopping.” The pipeline of ministry leaders is dwindling. Some of our institutions to train leaders are hurting. We are anxious about world events; families are broken, and our culture is walking away from Jesus. I could go on, but there is no need. We all feel it.
Perhaps you are experiencing a storm. It could be for any variety of reasons, maybe because of the burden of leadership in your church, maybe personally or family related. There is much need for us to stand up and speak up. There is much need for courage!
Let’s look again at how Paul responded during his literal storm and shipwreck.
Compassion
After standing up and speaking up the first thing we see Paul express is a word of encouragement for the situation. He said, “men you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss.” Some might say this is him saying, “told you so,” and it probably was. I also think he was empathizing with them about the situation. He’s in it with them at this point. He continues by urging his fellow travelers to have courage. He speaks encouragement to the situation; he calls them to a better place during the storm. As we think about leading through our storms, let’s not forget to start with some compassion.
Trust in God
Paul, a second time, shares in verse 25 “keep up your courage men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” Paul is explicitly trusting in God. He heard from the Lord and was courageously leading the men on that ship. What is it that you are hearing from God? What do you need to explicitly trust him with, that will give you courage? Are you letting your faith and trust in God give you the courage for the leadership moment you are facing?
Example
Paul recognizes a need to pause and eat some food. They had been so consumed with the storm that there was a need for some basic physical needs to be met. Paul points it out and urges them to eat. After saying this, he leads by example. He takes some food, gives thanks, and eats. The result, verse 36, was that “they were encouraged and ate some food themselves.” Leading by example is one of the most courageous things we can do. Every leader needs to ask this simple question, what example am I setting? What is it that I am leading others to? Paul states it best in 1 Cor 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
Just as Paul urged the men on his boat to have courage, I’d like to encourage you to read this story again in Acts 27. I’d also urge you to think through the storms in your own life and urge you to stand up and speak up with compassion, trusting the Lord and leading the way courageously by setting the Christlike example.
