Lead by example, even if you stumble

The ultimate apologetic—that is to say, the ultimate lifter of doubt—is the believer acting in faith in an interactive life with God. That’s it. People need to see individuals living in daily interaction with the kingdom of the heavens: praying and saying. If we want to really attack doubt, what we have to attack is our own hesitancy to step up. And don’t respond to that by saying, “But I am afraid I will be made a fool!” The biggest fools are those who do nothing, because they are afraid they will be seen as fools. And of course, that just testifies to their faith. The disciples were willing at least to be fools, weren’t they? They got out there on a limb, sawed it off, and hit the ground, and they didn’t even have to try to memorize that lesson. They knew it without memorizing it. That is what life does. Pain is a great teacher.

From The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus. Copyright © 2015 by Dallas Willard. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.