How To Operate Under Threats

Acts 4:29
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

We all face threats. Threats to our lives. Threats to our livelihood. Threats to our relationships. Threats to our reputation. Threats to our future plans. Threats even to our eternal life. We need to know how to operate under threats.

We are threatened by satan and satanic forces. We are threatened by circumstances such as the national economy and political instability. We are threatened by disease-causing organisms such as coronavirus that causes COVID-19 sickness. We are threatened by friends turned foes. We are threatened by family and friends. We can’t avoid threats but we can learn how to operate under threats!

Many threats are not real, it’s just a figment of a guilty mind. Many threats are not as serious as our minds project. Many more people underestimate serious threats. A few people get the threats right. To help a threatened person, accept their perception of the threat first. Whatever the case all of us have a history of threats, or remote threats, and or active threats. We all of us, therefore, need to learn how to operate under threats!

The feeling of being threatened can affect productivity. It affects confidence. It re-channels efforts to self-preservation. It reduces risk-taking ventures and therefore life becomes boring with fewer or no inventions. That feeling of being threatened needs to be addressed whether the threat is real or imagined. How to operate under threats.

You can’t explore the world if you feel threatened. Life cannot be lived to the fullest if you are threatened. Life loses its worth when one is overwhelmed with feelings of being threatened. When a person is living under constant threat at work or home, we call that environment toxic. A toxic environment poisons the person and slowly kills their psyche, and eventually physically. It’s better to run away from a toxic environment than die a slow but sure death. Therefore threats are no good for no one. How to operate under threats!

In the chapter of our passage today, Apostles are threatened by religious leaders. Yes, religious leaders can create a toxic environment. Some religious places are toxic. Apostles were being persecuted by people whose core business is to champion the will of God. Apostles were warned and threatened to stop the preaching of the gospel.

Acts 4:21
After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.

How did the Apostles respond to these threats?

Acts 4:18-19
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!

First, They made their position clearly. They identified the irreducible minimum. They made up their mind.

Threats come so that we change our minds and be in sync with the tormentor. If the matter of contention is not faith-related and you can compromise without affecting faith in God it is ok to compromise. But if the demand is made is that you compromise your faith in God, make up your mind. Apostles decided that they will never stop preaching simply because religious leaders said it. The command to preach came from God and the orders not to preach came from human beings. Apostles made up their minds to listen to God. How to operate under threats!

When under threats, make up your mind and act without regret. Daniel 3:16-18 tells us of three Hebrew men threatened with a burning furnace. The three made up their mind and told the king to stop wasting time convincing them. They made up their minds. You can’t deal with threats if you have not made up your mind. Make up your mind if you are to properly deal with a threat.

Domestic violence has become a serious matter in our media reports and we need to address it. People are killing or getting killed in marriage. We can’t keep quiet. If you feel threatened in your marriage you must act early and fast. Only you can tell how serious the threats are. If there are threats to your life and they are repeated, take them seriously. Address the problem and if it doesn’t work, run for your life. If you stay for the sake of children, children may die or grow without parents. In a fight, your spouse and yourself may kill each other, or one ends in a grave and another in prison. Where is the wisdom of staying for children’s sake? It’s better to run for life and care for children than foolishly stay and never be there for the children. Make up your mind and act while it’s still early.

Acts 4:23
On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

Secondly, the Apostles reported the threats to their people. Reporting is for accountability and also stress releasing. Report threats to those who care and even government officials. Also, release the tension caused by the threats by discussing them with those who care. Do not keep any threat to yourself. Do what politicians do, they announce to everyone and their fans in particular that their life is in danger. In case you get killed your confession to close people will make it easy to track killers. Do not keep it to yourself. How to operate under threats!

In our text, today is the third way of dealing with threats. Pray about it. Our text today is a prayer to God asking Him to address the threats the Apostles were facing. The prayer is long but we picked this portion for our consideration. The prayer was very specific, we are under threat dear God, enable us to operate under these threats. Your prayer must be clear simple and specific. Do not beat around the bush, tell God the threat. This is how to operate under threats!

There is good news in Acts 4:31. The good news is that God answered the prayer. God empowered them to operate under threats. You can never operate under threats without power from God. Without power from God, the threats and consequently the toxic environment will kill you or trigger diseases that will eventually kill you. Without God, you will face the threat alone. It is better to face any and all threats with God, never alone. This is how to operate under threats!

Psalm 23:4 reads, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Whatever threat you are facing face it with God. If you must run away, run away with God. Apostles had to run from persecution in Jerusalem. Many times it’s wise to run, but do not run alone. Live under threats with God. Operate under threats with God. This is how to operate under threats!

Whatever threats we are facing real or imagined, may God’s presence be assured, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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