Stirred to Action: A Tribute to Charlie Kirk
“And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.” Judges 13:25
“Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.” Acts 17:16-17
In these verses, we see the Holy Spirit at work—not as a gentle whisper, but as a stirring force that moves God’s people from observation to action. Samson’s early life hints at this divine stirring, a subtle beginning that calls for response. Paul’s experience in Athens takes it further: his spirit is provoked, ignited by the idolatry surrounding him. He doesn’t retreat in disgust or complacency; he steps into the synagogues and marketplaces, engaging Jews, devout seekers, and everyday passersby with the truth of the gospel. Athens was a hub of philosophy and false gods, yet Paul saw it as a mission field ripe for reasoning about the one true God.
Consider Charlie Kirk, a Christian young man, who was tragically assassinated just days ago. Like Paul in Athens, Charlie’s spirit was deeply stirred by the spiritual darkness he witnessed—not ancient idols of stone, but the modern idols of relativism, corrupt ideologies, and echo chambers that blind people to God’s truth. As founder of Turning Point USA, he felt provoked by the lostness on college campuses and universities, where liberal professors and social media algorithms feed young minds with philosophies that deny absolute truth. Issues like transgenderism, rooted in feelings and desires rather than God’s unchanging standards of right and wrong, were leading countless youth into deception, far from the gospel that sets free.
Charlie didn’t sit idly by. Much like Paul reasoning in the synagogue and marketplace, he courageously entered the lion’s den of secular academia. He debated atheists, engaged LGBTQ+ individuals, and challenged anyone ensnared by darkness, always pointing to the light of Scripture and the gospel’s power to forgive sins and transform lives. You don’t have to agree with every political stance he held to admire his conviction. He was a man of deep faith, unwilling to be complacent. He obeyed what he truly believed: that souls were perishing without Christ. In a world drowning in relativism, Charlie acted boldly, persuading others to turn from Satan’s power to God’s forgiveness. His life echoes Paul’s: stirred, provoked, and sent into the fray.
Yet Charlie’s story also reminds us of our own failures. How often has the Spirit stirred us, only for us to quench that fire through sins of omission—like Samson, who let complacency erode his strength? We’ve seen the idols around us: the apathy toward the lost, the blind eyes to sin’s gravity, the glory of God dimmed by our silence.
As Alan Redpath wisely noted, “Recognition of need must be followed by earnest, persistent waiting upon God until the overwhelming sense of world need becomes a specific burden in my soul for one particular piece of work which God would have me do.” Charlie Kirk knew the Lord, was deeply stirred in His spirit, and stepped out with courage to do his part. We must do the same.
It’s been said that everything we truly believe, we obey—everything else is just religious talk. Today, examine your heart. Have you grown apathetic about the lostness of the world? Confess the complacency that has kept you from preaching the gospel, from opening blind eyes and turning people from darkness to light. Sins of omission are real sins—they grieve the Spirit who longs to stir you. Ask God to provoke your spirit as He did Paul’s and Charlie’s. Wait on Him persistently: seek His heart until a specific burden emerges for the “one particular piece of work” He’s calling you to. It might be a conversation with a deceived friend, a bold stand on campus, or sharing the gospel in your marketplace—wherever the lost gather. Pray for the courage and boldness to proclaim truth to those perishing. Obey the stirring; let it lead you from talk to transformative action.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Spirit, who opens our eyes to the needs around us—the lost souls blinded by sin, the gravity of deception, and the unmatched glory of Your truth. Forgive our apathy and the complacency that has silenced us from fulfilling Your call to go and preach. Stir our hearts anew, provoke our spirits for the specific work You’ve prepared for each of us today. Burden us deeply, empower us boldly, and grant us the conviction to step into the darkness with the light of the gospel, turning hearts from Satan’s power to Your forgiveness and freedom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.” Acts 17:16-17
In these verses, we see the Holy Spirit at work—not as a gentle whisper, but as a stirring force that moves God’s people from observation to action. Samson’s early life hints at this divine stirring, a subtle beginning that calls for response. Paul’s experience in Athens takes it further: his spirit is provoked, ignited by the idolatry surrounding him. He doesn’t retreat in disgust or complacency; he steps into the synagogues and marketplaces, engaging Jews, devout seekers, and everyday passersby with the truth of the gospel. Athens was a hub of philosophy and false gods, yet Paul saw it as a mission field ripe for reasoning about the one true God.
Consider Charlie Kirk, a Christian young man, who was tragically assassinated just days ago. Like Paul in Athens, Charlie’s spirit was deeply stirred by the spiritual darkness he witnessed—not ancient idols of stone, but the modern idols of relativism, corrupt ideologies, and echo chambers that blind people to God’s truth. As founder of Turning Point USA, he felt provoked by the lostness on college campuses and universities, where liberal professors and social media algorithms feed young minds with philosophies that deny absolute truth. Issues like transgenderism, rooted in feelings and desires rather than God’s unchanging standards of right and wrong, were leading countless youth into deception, far from the gospel that sets free.
Charlie didn’t sit idly by. Much like Paul reasoning in the synagogue and marketplace, he courageously entered the lion’s den of secular academia. He debated atheists, engaged LGBTQ+ individuals, and challenged anyone ensnared by darkness, always pointing to the light of Scripture and the gospel’s power to forgive sins and transform lives. You don’t have to agree with every political stance he held to admire his conviction. He was a man of deep faith, unwilling to be complacent. He obeyed what he truly believed: that souls were perishing without Christ. In a world drowning in relativism, Charlie acted boldly, persuading others to turn from Satan’s power to God’s forgiveness. His life echoes Paul’s: stirred, provoked, and sent into the fray.
Yet Charlie’s story also reminds us of our own failures. How often has the Spirit stirred us, only for us to quench that fire through sins of omission—like Samson, who let complacency erode his strength? We’ve seen the idols around us: the apathy toward the lost, the blind eyes to sin’s gravity, the glory of God dimmed by our silence.
As Alan Redpath wisely noted, “Recognition of need must be followed by earnest, persistent waiting upon God until the overwhelming sense of world need becomes a specific burden in my soul for one particular piece of work which God would have me do.” Charlie Kirk knew the Lord, was deeply stirred in His spirit, and stepped out with courage to do his part. We must do the same.
It’s been said that everything we truly believe, we obey—everything else is just religious talk. Today, examine your heart. Have you grown apathetic about the lostness of the world? Confess the complacency that has kept you from preaching the gospel, from opening blind eyes and turning people from darkness to light. Sins of omission are real sins—they grieve the Spirit who longs to stir you. Ask God to provoke your spirit as He did Paul’s and Charlie’s. Wait on Him persistently: seek His heart until a specific burden emerges for the “one particular piece of work” He’s calling you to. It might be a conversation with a deceived friend, a bold stand on campus, or sharing the gospel in your marketplace—wherever the lost gather. Pray for the courage and boldness to proclaim truth to those perishing. Obey the stirring; let it lead you from talk to transformative action.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Spirit, who opens our eyes to the needs around us—the lost souls blinded by sin, the gravity of deception, and the unmatched glory of Your truth. Forgive our apathy and the complacency that has silenced us from fulfilling Your call to go and preach. Stir our hearts anew, provoke our spirits for the specific work You’ve prepared for each of us today. Burden us deeply, empower us boldly, and grant us the conviction to step into the darkness with the light of the gospel, turning hearts from Satan’s power to Your forgiveness and freedom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.