On December 1st, 1955, a young black woman refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to make room for white bus riders. The woman's name was Rosa Parks and her famous act of civil disobedience became an emblem for the Civil Rights Movement. Although history will remember Parks for her braveness in the face of vociferous racism and systemic segregation, history would be wrong to think that Parks' actions were flippant or whimsical.
For over ten years, Parks had been a leading member of the local NAACP chapter. She had also been involved with many demonstrations and community events that pursued the end of segregation in schools and in public. In fact, Parks had been studying other bus boycotts, even being arrested in Baton Rouge, Louisiana a year earlier. Truly, Rosa Parks had dedicated and prepared for her momentous and historic act of bravery.
Rosa Parks had prepared for years to be brave in the face of her opposition, and when the time came for her to seize the moment and act, she did. Parks is a great example of courage in the face of adversity, but her preparation is also a key to her protest's efficacy. Similarly, Christians face an adverse and oppositional world. How we prepare for the those times that require bravery can ensure that our acts of courage for Christ will not be in vain but will have their maximum effect.
The point is intentionality for purpose. Training and preparation for Christianity means prayer, counsel, Bible Study, fellowship, and service. This is the training regiment that will prepare us for maximum Kingdom effect. Let us then look to the examples from history, like Rosa Parks, who stood for the right things in the face of certain opposition, but did so after study and preparation.
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