To Minister Boldly

But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus.... (Romans 15:15-16)

For many others this may not raise anything out of the ordinary. But for me putting these words together into the same sentence raises memories that have potential tension. For most of the people that were religiously bold in my background were not usually the same ones who were known for the grace in their lives. There are certainly many people that like to brag about their boldness in standing up for God and for the truth, but the effects on people's hearts that results from their words and actions are not reflective of the grace that I see in the life of Jesus.

It certainly would make sense that if a person were to claim that they were a minister of Jesus Christ then they should reflect much of the same spirit that surrounded Jesus in His relationships with others while living here among us. And to be able to treat people with the kindness, patience and compassion that Jesus had on a daily basis requires that a person be filled with God's grace as Jesus was. It would be impossible to have that kind of endurance and unconditional love without supernatural grace filling the life and soul and spirit of any individual.

But how does boldness fit into this picture? Even having to ask the question makes me suspect that much of the boldness that I have encountered in the past is likely of the counterfeit version rather than what Paul must have been referring to here. So what I would like to know and even have much more of myself is the right kind of boldness that is not a counterfeit and that is full of grace given to me from God. If God wants me to be a minister of His grace (I am not talking about minister in the sense of religion commonly thought of with that word) I rather suspect that I will need a great deal more boldness than I currently have to overcome my timidity. And it will not be a boldness that will be offensive to sensitive hearts and damaged souls but will be a boldness to take the initiative to speak out in protection of others, to approach people with compassion when it is not comfortable, to not be afraid or intimidated by what others may think of me.

I read a blog post from a Christian lady a couple days ago that brought me under severe conviction about this very thing. She wrote about some amazing things that her little daughter has done through recent years in her childlike faith and her desire to introduce other people to Jesus. I was becoming ashamed of my own fear and inhibitions as I read about this but it intensified exponentially when she finished the post by sharing that in the last few months her daughter has quit doing those things because of the influence and example of her own parent's inhibitions. I highly recommend reading this story for yourselves to get the full impact of it.

I think this story is a classic example of the true kind of boldness that is needed by all true Christians who want to be real and live life in the way Jesus wants us to enjoy it. But this can only happen within a fully resting relationship with Jesus and a connection with His heart that requires the trusting spirit of a little child. Jesus stated this quite clearly Himself when He told His disciples that unless they became like little children they could not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (see Matt. 18:2)

I want Jesus to mature me into the kind of faith seen in this little girl's amazing example. I am ashamed of having so many fears and inhibitions that prohibit me from being kind or sharing sympathy with hurting people just because I am afraid of what other people might assume about me. I want to come to the place where the only thing important in my life is God's opinion about me and His value for me. I want to live with my reputation resting totally in His hands without trying to manage it myself. But I am not there yet. I even feel resistant to praying with others. God still has a great deal of work to do in my heart. But He is doing it and I choose to cooperate with His ministry to me. For as I receive His ministry to my own heart I will also learn how to more effectively minister to other people's hearts.

I want enjoy the freedom to boldly remind others of God's grace, His goodness, His passionate love for them and His unconditional forgiveness despite what religion has claimed. I want to do it with much more than just typed words on a screen – I want to have my whole being involved in this ministry. I want my facial expressions, my tone of voice, my body language and even my words to be reflective of the incredible grace that is the real qualification for any true minister of Christ Jesus. This is my prayer.

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