Written by Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), a Baptist minister, activist, and prominent civil rights leader. This is an excerpt from his work “Stride Toward Freedom.”
I got out of bed and began to walk the floor. Finally, I went to the kitchen and heated a pot of coffee. I was ready to give up. With my cup of coffee sitting untouched before me I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture without appearing a coward. In this state of exhaustion, when my courage had all but gone, I decided to take my problem to God. With my head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud. The words I spoke to God that midnight are still vivid in my memory. “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left, I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.” At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I never experienced Him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet inner assurance of an inner voice saying, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.” Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.
To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. [Colossians 1:29]
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