Living Boldly in the Modern World

To live boldly has always been a desire of mine, and as a Christian, I have often equated that with street evangelism or taking the gospel to some unreached, cannibalistic people group.  But my thoughts on Christian boldness have changed expanded over the past few weeks.

I’ve come to realize that boldness can take many forms.  Living boldly could mean that your life comes to resemble one of the great Christian missionaries like John Paton, David Brainerd, or Jim Elliot.  Maybe the Lord would have you to move into a crime-infested neighborhood to minister to the local gangs or some remote village where the people have been hostile towards the gospel.  That would be a glorious life, forcing one to constantly trust in the sovereign might of God.  But that is not the only bold life.

Boldness may also take the form of a woman who decides to be a stay-at-home mom.  In light of the popularity of feminism in our society, a mother’s decision to spend her career caring for her children and home is no easy thing.  Women, in our time, are expected to make their own careers, no longer tied to the menial task of being a housewife, and any woman who chooses to remain at home is doing her gender a grave disservice.  Therefore, I say again, the decision to stay home caring for children and home is one that is much-maligned.  This is boldness.

Boldness is seen in the businessman who will not deceive customers to greedily squeeze every last cent out of their pockets, regardless of how much pressure corporate headquarters is placing on him.

It is the high school student who refuses to waver in his or her commitment  to the Lord when the glorified objects of MTV, sex and alcohol, are at their fingertips.

It is the athlete who uses their skills and resources as a platform for the gospel of Jesus Christ, or it’s an athlete who gives up a sport because it has become an idol in his or her life.

This is boldness.

Boldness can take many forms, but the thread that unites all forms is a deep reliance upon God, a reliance for provision, strength, fulfillment, pleasure, love, satisfaction, forgiveness, and a list that could go on and on.  Simply put, we are living boldly when we are trusting in the gospel to define our lives rather than the prevailing cultural mindset.

I don’t know exactly what living boldly will mean for my life in twenty years, and I’m sure I won’t do it perfectly.  But right now, it’s taking the form of me trying to faithfully minister to a small Southern Baptist church, preparing for marriage, and beginning to work on my Master’s degree.  Again, let me say that I’m nowhere close to perfection, but by the grace of God, I’m being conformed more to the image of Christ.

So what form will it take in your life?  Wherever you find yourself and whatever you may be doing, do it boldly to the glory of God.