Gospel- Centered Boldness
2 Timothy 1:7
“For God does not give us a Spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and a sound mind.”
I am currently in the busy town of Chicago, visiting my brother, a guy my mom and I actually met on a mission trip, who does not have a family and kind of just became part of ours. Anyways, before this trip, I prayed and prayed for spiritual growth to occur while here, in a big way. And I saw that prayer come to life in action by the power of the Spirit.
Has the Lord ever exposed something to you. Something, you know you need to change but you are so comfortable in whatever you’re doing that you don’t really want to change it?
He definitely has for me.
I have been sitting comfy in my fears. Over the past year, God has been pressing my heart and mind with this word: BOLDNESS. Defined as “the ability to take risks, confidently and courageously”. The opposite of this, is the word fear. Fear is defined as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat.” Over the span of this past year, my Father has been showing me fear I’ve had. Especially a fear in new social situations or regarding the sharing of Him and His Word. Not in the sense that I don’t share Him at all, but I am not bold in my sharing. I am not centering the conversation or my heart on the gospel, but rather being centered on the fear that I might do something wrong or offend someone or be, myself, hurt.
The gospel was not the center or soul of the conversation, as it so often should be. I was afraid of some belief within myself that if I did not say the right thing, there would be pain through guilt or mockery. I was looking for man’s approval, not God’s. I sometimes even feared that if I brought God up at all, in certain conversations, that I’d be shunned or threatened because it had happened before.
But in this busy city of Chicago, God has constantly shown me there is nothing to fear. Not pain, or persecution, or man. God alone is who I should fear. I have seen a boldness here in the body of Christ that is nothing but the word: FREEDOM.
I have been able to be part of advocating for life in front of abortion clinics, street evangelism, staying in a random family’s home who knows my brother and so obviously, fervently and generously, loves the Lord. I’ve been able to see friendships between almost every culture out there, huge bold steps taken to better the community and share the love of Christ in business and in starting a new school. I’ve seen and been part of ridicule, mockery, and straight up rejection of God. But I have also seen love, joy, and people accepting and crying out to God their Father, who were once lost, all because of God’s children’s steadfast, faithful, boldness.
See, at the end of the day, we have to remember our hope. Remember that, without the belief in Jesus and the forgiveness of the cross, everyone is hell bound. That horrible truth is our drive. It’s why God has given us the great commission! Remembering both of these things diminishes fear. The fears of man, or momentary, light affliction. It rather instills in you a fear of God and a constant, bold, light of hope as you are transforming mind, thoughts and then action to the gospel. I found that fixing my thoughts on the gospel truth, when fearful thoughts from Satan and his demons want to sneak in and destroy, gives me boldness to fight the fears and win! The gospel alone is enough!
Of course, along the way, God sprinkled in extra encouragements through my brother and even his community, none knowing this was on my heart! (That’s the power of the Spirit for you). These all aided in my acting in boldness in new ways, but the gospel is the center. And the Father orchestrated all these things to grow me.
Our Father is so good at patiently guiding our hearts closer to His.
I am still definitely growing In boldness. I am nowhere near Paul, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and even further from Jesus, but my heart is the Lords and as my heart is continually being transformed, I will constantly remember to renew my mind in the gospel to ensure a constant growth in Holy Spirit driven boldness.
I pray that this encourages you to continue walking with a soft heart and opening your eyes to where the Lord is slowly, patiently asking you to grow.