Jesus, in His days as a man on the earth, was bold as a lion. He wasn’t timid, fearful, faint-hearted or cowardly. He walked with boldness. He spoke with boldness. He was full of courage because He knew that His Father was with Him. He was not too timid to speak the truth. He did not keep quiet when He saw things been done wrongly. He did not allow cowardice to stop Him from doing the right thing or silence Him from speaking out against the errors and injustices of His day.
When He got to the temple at Jerusalem and saw the people buying and selling, He didn't ignore it out of fear of what the merchants would do to Him, instead He moved with boldness and the bible records, “And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!’” (John 2:14-16). And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves’ ” (Matt 21:13). He stood up courageously and zealously for righteousness and cleansed the temple.
In addition, He never shied away from telling the Pharisees and scribes the truth to their face. The bible records, “Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”(Mark 7:1-8).
You see, boldness is required to do the work of the Lord because the world system will always be at loggerheads with the ways of God. That's why the apostles prayed for boldness after they were released from prison and threatened for preaching about Jesus as Luke records in the book of Acts of the Apostles. “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29-31). In the same vein, in the Old Testament we see God instructing Joshua to be courageous in taking the territories that God had promised to the nation of Israel. “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh 1:9). It is absolutely impossible to do exploits for God without courage and boldness.
Again, friends, let us examine ourselves. Are you too timid to do the things that God is laying on your heart to do? Are you so cowardly that you can't speak out against the error and injustice around you? Are you so faint-hearted that you can’t take a stand for God and lift up the banner of righteousness in your school, workplace or community?
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear but of power…. (2 Timothy 1:7a).
Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be bold like you! Amen
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