Sitting in the church pew in India, I found myself in tears as I watched our squad leader, Zach, pick up the guitar and sing in front of the entire congregation. Up until this point, I didn’t even know Zach could sing or play guitar, yet there he was with complete joy on his face.
Before he started playing, he said a simple but powerful statement that will forever be ingrained in my mind. “Like a father, He likes to see His children step up and try.”
As he started playing, I was moved to tears. It wasn’t a performance. It wasn’t to impress anyone. It was just between him and God. I felt like I got to witness an extremely intimate moment between Zach and God. It was absolutely beautiful.
He showed so much vulnerability and boldness, and I realized that is what God wants from me. To be completely bold for Him. Zach has inspired me to simply step out in faith and just try – not worrying about what I sound like or look like, because the only one I am worshiping is God alone.
The next day around sunset, Racquel and I were sitting on top of the roof watching the incredible lightning storm above us. The sky was a beautiful combination of black, grey, orange, blue, and white. It seemed as though the heavens were opening up. As we were looking up at this incredible masterpiece in the sky, I kept envisioning Jesus coming out of the clouds and walking down to earth.
In this moment, my perspective about the way I live my life changed.
What would it look like if I lived each day as if Jesus were to come back in that moment? What would I want to be doing when he returns? What would I not want to be doing?
The reality is that Jesus could return at any moment, so why are we living as if this weren’t the reality? We live in the mindset that he won’t come back until later on, but when exactly is later?
In Luke 12:37-40, Jesus says:
“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds then awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Because we do not know the day or time, what all the more reason to give every ounce of our time and energy for Him. Obviously we will not be perfect at it, but as long as we are striving to always seek Him and believe in Him, that’s all he wants.
As these thoughts are swirling in my mind on top of the roof, I asked myself the question, “If there is no time to waste, why do I still struggle to be bold for the sake of the gospel?”
So I decided to walk over to Zach, who was standing in the middle of the roof, to tell him how moved I was when he sang at church. As we talked, I felt led by God to ask Zach to pray boldness over me. Before he started praying, we looked up at the sky and saw flashes of lightning surrounding us in every direction. We both laughed; I guess it is pretty bold to ask for boldness in the midst of a lightning storm right?
Since that night, I have been striving to be bolder in my faith. It doesn’t look perfect, but I want to say “yes” to opportunities to further the kingdom of God. Whether that looks like leading devotionals for 100+ students, teaching students about passages of scripture, helping them learn memory verses, or picking up my guitar and singing worship songs – I want to just step up and try.
Ultimately, this boldness and courage does not come from me, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit working within me. Leading the way. Guiding my steps. And equipping me with the words to say.
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:7
