It certainly wasn't because of his eloquence of speech and ability to move the masses that made him so courageous. He said, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power" (1Cor. 2:4)

Paul understood that his conversion was a testimony to the power of God at work in him. God had changed Paul and he never got over that. He knew that only a supernatural work of God in the hearts of others is what produces genuine conversion. Therefore, he was very careful to make sure that his message came in the power of God rather than the power of human ability.

Paul's courage seemed to be rooted in a personal and intimate knowledge of God's power. He could never get over his experience on the road to Damascus. There, he had encountered the resurrected Christ. That experience would thrust him into the world. It would make Him willing to die for Jesus. That experience would set a fire burning in his bones that would cause Paul to be a history maker and a world shaker.

Often I hear Christians who grew up in Christian families say, "I don't have a dynamic testimony like Paul. I just can't share my faith with the same enthusiasm and courage that others have." My response to such reasoning is, "You just haven't understood what a dynamic testimony is. The power of a testimony for Christ is not in how bad we've been, but rather in how great God is. It's not how many laws we've broken, how many drugs we've taken, or if we've murdered someone. It took Christ's death, burial, and resurrection to save us just as it did Paul. It took the same power and grace of God to forgive a nine year old child as it did to forgive a hater of Christians.

It's not the drama of the conversion that made Paul bold. It was the "power of God unto salvation" that made him courageous. That's also what makes you and I courageous. I tell people everywhere in the world that I preach, "Today is a real miracle day. It's a miracle because I stand here. I wasn't seeking God, but He was seeking me. And one day, He got my attention and changed me. It's a miracle because on a natural level, I wouldn't be here. It's because of God's grace and power that I stand here today."

You don't have to be ashamed. You can be bold and courageous because it took the same power of God to save and forgive you that it did the Apostle Paul. You do have a dynamic testimony if you truly know Christ. That testimony is about what God has done rather than what you've done. It's His power, His love, and His forgiveness that makes us courageous. You can say with as much conviction as Paul said, "I am not ashamed."