When we think of the word "bold" some qualities that will come to mind are: bright, fearless, striking. We might not ordinarily describe ourselves as any of these. But in truth, if we're for Christ, then we'll have moments when we are all of these things.
We'll be bright because we let his love shine through us by acting like him; fearless because we step out in faith; and striking because we're set apart from conforming to this world's standards and norms.
The specific ways that boldness manifests will differ from person to person. For a Christian living under an oppressive government that seeks to deny them their freedom to practise their faith, their refusal to deny Christ, despite the danger doing so poses, would be categorised as a fearless act. For a Christian living in a society where religious liberty is a fundamental right, boldness may take the form of speaking about their belief in Jesus to someone who they don't know, despite their own fears.
The Bible is full of stories where characters have acted boldly because of their love for and faith in the Lord, and we can always look to them for inspiration.
Our words and our actions are the two main vehicles for our boldness. Let's look a little bit closer at how we can use them as we act as ambassadors for Christ.
With our words
Does your mouth confess that you love Christ? Do you proclaim your love for Him even without being prompted?
Fear can hold us back from speaking about our faith. But we're encouraged to speak fearlessly about our love for Christ and God's kingdom (Acts 28:31, Ephesians 6:19-20, Acts 4:29-31).
You can stand for Christ by plucking up the courage to share with someone the impact that he's had on your life. Maybe someone has asked you if you're a Christian and you replied "yes" but not expanded on how you gave your heart to Jesus. Next time this happens, you can use this opportunity to do just that.
Through our actions
Yesterday my friend and I were trying to find our way to a restaurant. We both had maps up on our phones and our faces were puzzled as we tried to work out which way to go. Suddenly a woman who was walking past us with a stream of other commuters stopped and asked us if we were lost and needed some help. We were both genuinely surprised by her kindness. Living in a busy city like London it's rare to witness commuters notice each other are in need, let alone offer their assistance unprompted.
Stories of people helping one another during troubled times shouldn't shock us, but they do. You might not readily think of extending kindness to someone as being a bold action, but it is. Extending kindness is an attention-grabbing act, and we can use it to direct people to Jesus.
Next time you're around others, why not demonstrate your boldness by being the helpful stranger that notices someone who's lost and confused and provides them with directions?
