This year, our church has been focusing on the theme: Bold. Jesus calls us to be bold witnesses for him (Matthew 28:18-19), he calls us to pray bold prayers (Mark 11:23-25), and he calls us to live bold lives (Matthew 5:13-16). The goal of living boldly is so that other people will embrace Jesus Christ as Savior and King.
What Living Boldly Looks Like
Living boldly does not mean being a jerk. It means lovingly proclaiming the good news of Jesus to whoever will listen. It means doing good deeds for those who may not even deserve it. It means caring for those who are hurting. It means patiently building relationships with those who might completely disagree with your beliefs. It means showing respect for others even if they don’t show your respect. At times, speaking God’s truth may not be appealing to others. It may seem offensive to say that Jesus is the only way. My prayer is that, no matter what, we would be so gracious in our speech and conduct that even if others are offended by our message, they are still amazed by the way the gospel has changed our lives (1 Peter 2:12).
Living Boldly is for Everyone
Living boldly may sound like a lofty goal that is only for the “spiritual elites.” That is not true. Living boldly is simply living the normal Christian life. It means honoring your employer by doing your best at work. It means showing respect and kindness to your coworkers. It means caring for your young children by being a reflection of Christ for them. It means helping out a neighbor who needs a hand with a house project. It means listening to children say their memory verses each week at AWANA. It means praying for our elected officials regardless of party affiliations.
It means going up to that person in church that you don’t know and introducing yourself. It means inviting a fellow church member to your home for a meal. It means consistently gathering for corporate worship on Sundays even when you are tired or weary. It means prioritizing reading God’s Word and prayer. It means forgiving that person that has wounded you even when everything in you wants to stay bitter.
I could keep going. But, the point isn’t to create a list. The point is that these things are not beyond the reach of any of us. Will they be hard? Yes. Will it cost us to live like this? Absolutely. But, this is what it looks like to follow Jesus. It means giving up building our little kingdoms and seeking first his kingdom.
The good news is that, if you are a Christian, you have resurrection power within you to live like this (Ephesians 1:19-20). Jesus empowers us to live boldly. He wants to every one of us to draw people into his family. Even in our struggles and failures, God is still at work (Romans 8:28).
Are you letting Christ live his life through you? Are you living boldly?
