The bold, the bad and the beautiful

‘And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness. Reach out your hand to heal, and grant that wonders and miracles may be performed through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.’

When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God’s message with boldness. (verses 29-31)

Read Acts 4: 23-31

There is a bad side to boldness. This is when people are pushy and egotistical and try to dominate others. It is a symptom of their selfishness and makes them ugly human beings to encounter. This sort of boldness leads to destructive friction and meaningless conflict. No good can come from it.

But there is also a beautiful kind of boldness. It’s shown when people’s hearts are inspired by great visions, altruistic dreams, divine revelations. It’s not natural for people to espouse good causes, especially when it’s dangerous to do so. One of the most difficult callings for a Christian is to pronounce God’s words to a hostile audience. Yet, in the history of the church, some of the most powerful witnesses to the gospel have been given with beautiful, bold serenity in the face of fierce persecution. It is the power of God’s Spirit that permeates those who can preach like that.

Lord, so fill me with the power of your Spirit that I shake mountains and hearts to the glory of your name. Amen.

by Richard Hauser, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

Visit the Daily Devotion archives page.