Brash or Bold?...

I live deep in the heart of Texas (and am a Proud Texan!), and for four days, we've been frozen in one of the worst ice and snow events in many years. It has been in the teen's since Monday night (I am writing on Thursday) with just enough ice on the ground to bring nearly half of Texas to a grinding halt. Schools have been closed, and we've experienced rolling blackouts due to excessive energy needs across the state. Where we live, this is a rarity! My dogs really don't like this weather! Neither Lily, our Bichon, or Sis, our Rat Terrier, want to go out and do their business! You would think they are the most meek and mild little dogs in the world - until the Schwann man rings the doorbell. Then they morph into these dastardly beasts who bark and snarl like they are going to have the guy for lunch! Their brashness always amazes me, and frankly, wears me out! The only way I could get them to go outside this morning was to let them out through the garage. For some reason, an opening to the front yard spells freedom. They got so excited and start jumping and barking. I guess they didn't realize it is as cold in the front as it is in the back! So I opened the garage door and off they went, racing with each other to see who could get to the grass first. Only our driveway is still a solid sheet of ice, and when their little paws hit it, they both went sliding down the drive and into the street! That made me laugh!

However, there is another side to our dogs. For example, when I am kicked back in my recliner and Lily is laying across my lap, her bark becomes a growl, and she is one serious pooch who is filled with the "don't mess with my Momma!" mentality! If another dog even thinks about sniffing my feet, Lily strikes the "at attention" pose and really will try to take down even the biggest of dogs - like Rambo, our daughter's blue heeler. Her boldness to go against this dog who weighs probably five times her weight amazes me! BTW - I think she is more interested in protecting her territory than her master!

After reading the last chapters of Luke and the first few chapters of Acts, I started thinking about the difference between brash faith and bold faith. When you look those two words up, you find them both described as "confidence." But digging deeper into the nuisances of the words, you'll find a subtle but important difference.

Brash/brashness is the appearance of confidence. Cocky and reckless are its synonyms. (Dictionary.com)

Bold/boldness is confidence. Courageous and resolute are its synonyms. (dictionary.com)

It was Peter who recklessly cut off the ear of one the soldiers who arrested Jesus, and it was that same Peter who cowardly denied even knowing Him three times before He was murdered. Peter was a hot-head whose appearance of boldness was dimmed by his fear. Before he experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit, Peter's "faith" was iffy - at best. Obviously, there was something about Jesus that captivated him and caused him to alter his life and follow Him for three years. But his relationship with Jesus was not deep enough to alter his character.

That all changed with his Pentecost experience. When the Holy Spirit filled that upper room and filled those 120 people, it literally altered personalities! Peter went from the cocky, reckless young man who would fade when the pressure was on, to a courageous Apostle who perfomed supernatural works and resolutely proclaimed that there is no other name by which one might be saved but Jesus. He became a powerful preacher whose fearless faith allowed him to stand before thousands of people as well as the same officials who had crucified the Christ. Just as Jesus had said, Peter became the rock upon which the Christian church was founded.

Peter was transformed from brash to bold - by the power of the Holy Spirit working in his life. That kind of boldness requires courage to press on through our fears and do what we know is right. How can we get that kind of boldness? - the courage to proclaim the name of Jesus without backing down - no matter what...

The answer? Do what the disciples did:

1. pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to give you courage. Read the first four chapters of Acts and count how many times and how much time they devoted themselves to prayer!
2. look for opportunities in your family, social relationships and work circles to talk about Christ - and do it! When Peter and John were ordered by the officials to not talk about Jesus anymore, they said whether it is right in the eyes of the government or not, we can not NOT talk about Jesus (my paraphrase!).
3. realize that rejection, social discomfort, and embarrassment are probably going to come your way. Scripture tells us that Satan is the Prince of this world - and he HATES Jesus. It's not going to be easy to be a bold believer. and
4. start where you are by being bolder in small ways. The more you practice telling others about your Jesus, the more natural it becomes.

If you want to be a Brash christian with a little bite - don't worry about it. Most of us are already there! But if you want to be a Bold christian with a big impact for the Lord, roll up your sleeves, get down on your knees, and pray for the Holy Spirit to alter your character.