"Being Brave"-- Boldness!

BOLDNESS

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

As we start our look at being brave this week, the first characteristic that we will discuss is boldness.

Are you a “send it back” or an “it’s fine” kind of person? You know, when you are a restaurant, and they make a mistake with your meal (send out beans instead of rice, or salmon instead of chicken) are you someone who politely asks for a correction, or are you someone who just takes the meal placed in front of you, for fear of hurting someone’s feelings, or causing complications?

 I can think of a couple of friends who I’ve had over the years who are brazenly bold. They say what they want, do what they want, and have loud personalities that bleed over in to their dress, their speech, and their actions. I always find these people to be entertaining, and I love having a friend who you know will just make any outing more entertaining. I also enjoy taking these people to dinner with me, because they are the ones who will speak up FOR me, who will make sure I get my rice instead of beans, because I’m unwilling to do so.

I am NOT that bold person. If I’m going to be honest, I really like being a people-pleaser. I like to do whatever I can to make others happy, to not ruffle feathers, and to go-with-the-flow and get along. While everyone enjoys being the center of attention occasionally, it is not my go-to. And the thought of needing REAL, important, boldness, the thought of a situation where I am going to have stand and speak against something, and contradict a popularly-held opinion (even if I’m only having to convince one other person), is not something that fills with me with joy. However, there are times in our lives, and maybe even more so in our Christian lives, where voicing your opinion is necessary, and where that boldness is required.

While the restaurant scene isn’t normally that important, we can all think of situations that we have faced that are. Maybe you see an injustice being done, or you feel like a decision that is being made is not of God, or you see some pitfalls that can be avoided by doing things in a different way. In Being Brave, Kelly Johnson reminds us, “Saying no, asking for what we need, or expressing difficult opinions or feelings make us vulnerable.” While this vulnerability can be difficult to face, we have to remember that God has lovingly given each of us a mind, a spirit of discernment, and a voice—all of which He expects us to use. You may be the one who feels a catch in their spirit, or who is able to see a problem about to occur, and you may be the one that God wants to use to help avoid a problem, or to right a wrong.

 While speaking-up and being bold is scary, we can remember that we are not alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid of them and don’t be frightened, because the Lord your God will go with you. He will not leave you or forget you.” If you feel like God is calling you to speak, or to stand, you can be confident that He will be with you along the way. And, as Johnson says, “Prayerfully and thoughtfully choosing to speak up in times of conflict is brave.”

Discussion Questions:

• -          In what situation or relationship do you currently have the most difficulty speaking the truth in love?
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• -          Which is harder for you? Speaking your truth? Or speaking it with love?
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• -          What helps you to hear God’s voice more clearly in times of conflict? How does knowing God is with you help you to be brave and speak up, even when it is uncomfortable?