New Year of Boldness
Rounding the curve
Have you ever been there … in my shoes?
Have you ever been sure of a path and excited to find out where it leads but at the same time terrified of what lies around each bend?
That’s where I find myself at the outset of this New Year.
God used last year to make His call for my life abundantly clear. And I did gingerly move in that direction. But now it is time to be more forceful in my steps, to actually round the next curve.
2011 was for understanding His calling. 2012 is a year for more purposeful action, to be bold for Christ.
The problem is if left to my own preferences, I would travel a much different path to arrive at the destination. It would be one where I can remain hidden, out of sight, in the background. I do want to help others, to share what God has tempered me to understand; but one-on-one is good, face-to-face is fine (one face to one face, please), even small groups I can handle.
However, my Divine Travel Guide seems to be directing me to reach out to the masses. Something I am definitely not comfortable with.
You see, I am confident in my own mind but not in other peoples’. In other words, I know my abilities and understand my personality and heart but stew that others don’t. What if they misconceive my intentions or my writings? How will I hold up to being targeted for words taken out of context? Will I curl up into a little ball of quivering good intentions when I hear criticism?
How can I be an effective spokesperson for the Lord? I agonize over every word, over every punctuation mark and style issue. I worry about what I do and wonder about what I don’t. I should know better. The Lord has taught me much through the entanglements of my life, to obey (Choosing Obedience Over the Fat of the Ram), to trust (Not My Will), to lay my burdens on Him (Lay Them Down—Again). He has repeatedly shown me His faithfulness, giving me no reason to doubt Him.
While considering the year that lie before me, I read the words of the Apostle Paul:
“But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict” (1 Thessalonians 2:2, ESV).
That short phrase, “boldness in our God,” jumped out at me. I am not doing this alone. On my own strength I am doomed, but in God, I can do it all. He will embolden me.
Therefore, this year I am going to put those past lessons into action. I will obey, trust, and surrender.
This year, I am going to exchange fear for boldness in my Savior and step around those corners in confidence. I’m sure it will be the adventure of a lifetime!
“Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should” (Ephesians 6:19-20, HCSB).
I have discovered my word for how I want to live this year: with Boldness. As you digest last year’s journey, is there a word or theme you feel drawn to meditate on this year? I would love for you to share it here or join me at Faith Barista’s Thursday Jam.
By His Grace,
Julie
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Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.
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What a great word for the New Year!
Thanks, Carol. Blessings on your day.
We’re on a similar track. I chose “venture” because I need to be more bold. I don’t see anything in the near future though where God is calling me specifically to be bold, so I will just keep my eyes open in the day, and look for small ways to be more outspoken for him and to have courage to live faithfully.
I’ll look forward to what God will do with your boldness this year!
Oh, venture is so powerful, Lisa. Being bold and venturous in day-to-day living is often the hardest. It is too easy to go through each day minding our own business and, in our busyness, forgetting to proclaim the One who is our all. So nice to share this New Year with you!
That’s a great word for the new year, Julie! I just figured out mine this morning: Gratitude. There are many roads to happiness but all must at some point merge with gratefulness along the journey. Seeing the world through the lens of gratitude and grace, that is my hope for 2012.
I actually played around with grabbing onto gratitude or joy, Fawn. Intentionally being grateful daily is changing my life. But at this stage in my life, God is definitely calling me to step out of my comfort zone, so Boldness it is. May grace and gratitude fill your year!
When it is time, you will venture boldly out into the public. Maybe. There are many ways to serve the Lord.
Am new here but will explore your blog’s many feature. Blessings 🙂
Yes, it’s all about stepping to God’s cadence. Thanks for stopping by, Jeanne. It is a joy to “meet” you.
Julie, I couldn’t help but giggle about reading your one word of “boldness” — I say this because you are being “bold” by posting this in the faith jam! We’re shooting out of the gate together with our One Words and being bold about it. Where it leads us, we don’t know, but we are going! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your heart in this new direction, friend! Blessings!
Love the opportunity–and the faith jam, Bonnie!
[…] will be the fourth year I choose One Word to focus on through the year. In 2012, it was boldness as I was a fledgling inspirational […]