“He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!’ And God granted him his request.”
1 Chronicles 4:10 (NLT)
Bold Life
“Go big or go home,” is a favorite saying in our culture today. Buy the flashiest car or the fanciest house, anything that shows our success to the world. If we don’t live life large, then we are not living our best life. The world calls us to be bold in our pursuit of riches. But does living for the world lead to happiness and contentment?
Owning stuff appears to lead to happiness when you watch the wealthy. But, often, those same rich people regret many things as they lay on their deathbeds. Few wish they had more money or more stuff. Even Christians experience regret as they prepare to go home. One nurse revealed the top five regrets in Christian life:
- A wish to be myself instead of trying to blend in with the crowd.
- Had not allowed fear dictating my decisions.
- Made my Faith a bigger priority.
- Had been a better spouse, parent, or friend.
- They wish they hadn’t wasted so much time on things that did not make an eternal difference.
A bold pursuit of worldly things does not lead to the ending many expect. So don’t get to the end of life before discovering the joy that comes from living a bold life for Christ.
Bold Faith
Jabez wanted to live a bold life too, but he wanted his life to be bold for God. He prayed the most daring prayer found in the Bible. The amazing part is that God granted these things to Jabez because his heart was in the right place. Although we know little more about the man, we know God honored his wish.
Bible Verses to Help Our Bold Faith
So what can we do to live out a bold faith? We can start by offering the same prayer as Jabez. Then we can work to stop any future regrets from forming. Let’s look at some ways to do this:
- Live the life God called us to live. We don’t need to blend in because we have a higher purpose. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 (NLT).
- Fear is addressed throughout the Old and New Testament. We to turn to God for help with all our decisions. “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NLT).
- To be bold, we must make our faith a priority. We might let our weaknesses stop us from trying new things, but God is the source of our strength. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV).
- God calls us to base all our relationships on love. And Christ set the example for the way to let our love shine through. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 (NIV).
- We live in the world, but we should live with our eyes fixed on our final destination: heaven. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV).
Making Our Faith Bold
I want a bold faith like Jabez. My purpose is not a selfish one. I want to expand my territory and win others for Christ. The way I now envision the worldly saying is, “Go big for God and go home to heaven.”
Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the example of living a life with boldness for you. Thank you for showing us the example of praying with boldness. Please help me follow hard after you and ignore the call of the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Reflect
What can you do differently to be bold for Christ?
Amen! May we live boldly for God’s kingdom Ms. Yvonne. Thank you so much for this inspiring post.
Thanks dear JD. I pray you are always bold in your faith
“Go big for God!” Oh, yes, Yvonne, that’s what we need to do. Thank you for this encouraging message that shows us ways we can become more bold in our faith. What a difference we can make if we aren’t afriad to share the love of Jessus with others and step out boldly in faith to share the Good News with everyone we can. Thank you.
Thanks Katherine. The more we do it, the more we are able to do too. Blessings
Amen! Always move forward with unwavering faith in the Lord!
Amen. How wonderful. May we all keep the faith. Blessings
Live. No fear. Bold. Love. Focus on treasure in heaven. Wonderful message. Yvonne God bless!
Thanks so much Nancy. We must chase hard after God in everything we do. Blessings
I appreciate your 5th point, Yvonne. I’m nearing retirement and have been thinking about retirement homes. Sometimes my eyes are not fixed on Heaven and what I can do here on earth. Thank you for your encouragement. My treasures are in Heaven.
Amen. We have our treasures in heaven and when will enjoy them some day. Thanks Stephen. Blessings
Love this. I want to always live in a big and bold way for God! I want to do all I can to help all people come to Him.
Amen Jessica. I think we should all have that same goal. Blessings
Great thoughts on the different ways to show bold faith!
Thank you Debbie. Blessings
We can live a bold life sharing the message of God. When we are worried or uncertain how or if we should share, we can go to God and ask for His guidance. 🙂
Very true Melissa. God will always guide us. Thanks and blessings
Excellent encouragement, Yvonne. Thank you!
Thanks so much Annie. Blessings
Yvonne, very clever and powerful post. I love your new take on the saying to go big or go home. 🙂 I, too, pray for bold faith like Jabez and for the Lord to expand my borders of influence for Him.
Thanks Karen. It is time for all of us to pray for bold faith. Blessings