Day 7: Bold and Unashamed (Philippians 1)

 

Day 7 (We start fresh with a new epistle - PHILIPPIANS) 

(My Reflections on Ephesians: DAY 1/ DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5 / DAY 6)

Worship Song: Give Thanks by Steffany Gretzinger and The More I Seek You by Kari Jobe

Reading: Philippians 1 

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. - Philippians 1:20

Philippians is known to be an Epistle of Joy. I am actually very excited that I would be writing about it in the next four days. Chapter 1 starts tenderly as Paul expresses his sincere love for them. He goes, "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ." (vv 4-5)

It is important to note that Paul writes this, and a few other epistles from prison. But his joy is uncontainable knowing that through his ministry, even from prison, the Good News is being preached. "For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God's message without fear." (vv 13-14)

This is just one of the many reasons why I admire Paul. To feel joy because the Gospel is being preached? Wow. That's #TrueLove for God. 

You see, I wasn't always this way - bold about the Gospel. In fact, I still feel that I am not bold enough. I told a good friend of mine that every time I release a blog post here, I get anxious. I would do it, I would write it, I would post it, I would promote it, I would even go as far as send it to people. Then I would start becoming anxious. 

I don't know why. It could be holy fear, and sometimes it could also be worldly fear. 

What would they say? Will they think that I am being self-righteous? Worse, what if they feel that I am not living out what I am writing about?

This is why I'm glad that I was able to study Ephesians. When you know who you are in Christ - more importantly, when you know how extravagantly loved you are by Him, it is easier to be braver and bolder in standing up for Him. 

The other day, we were doing a video devo shoot wherein the question was "What did the sacrifice of Christ do for you and what are you willing to offer as a sacrifice of praise in response to that?" (This devo will come out on the Youthnited CEC PH Page on January 26, 2022!) One of the answers stood out to me simply because it is also one of the things that I am trying to work on myself in my Christian walk. 

She said that the sacrifice of Jesus was *PUBLIC.* His suffering was public, His humiliation was public, His physical pain was public. That was the price Jesus paid in order for us to be released. And if the Son of God, our savior Jesus Christ, would do such a public act of love for us ~ unworthy, selfish, undeserving sinners ~ then why are we sometimes timid in expressing our faith and love for Him? Perhaps we should work on that and not be ashamed to publicly express our love and share our faith.

This year, I want to be Bold and Unashamed for Jesus. I still have to work on it, but this daily devotion exercise is definitely helping me overcome any timidity there is in my system. I admit that it is so much easier to do this now that I live here in Kalibo, surrounded by my church community. 

But my prayer is that this boldness would not be dictated by external forces, but by how much I love God. My dad loved God so much. He was so bold in preaching His word and was always ready and excited for any chance and opportunity to share Jesus to others. One time, my dad, mom, and I were lining up to watch a movie in a mall. We were walking towards the theatre to give our ticket when we heard a little commotion. A guy in crutches suddenly fell on the floor. I think at some point the mall's medic arrived with a wheelchair - I don't remember the details. What I do remember is that when it was our turn to give our movie tickets so that we can go inside, dad was no longer with us. We were looking for him because we were already holding up the line. Finally, he returned and when I asked him where he went, he said he went to the man who fell and asked him if he could pray for him. So he did. In the mall. While we were supposed to be lining up to catch a movie. 

Bold and unashamed. 

I don't need to look far to find inspiration. When he died, I prayed that I would develop a heart like his - and I feel my heart slowly transforming since then. I still have a long way to go to be like him, and I know that this will still be tested. But I will remember that Jesus loves me publicly.

Of course, if that love is not enough motivation for you, then perhaps this scripture would be a good sobering reminder for us all:

"If anyone is ashamed of Me and My message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in His glory and in the glory of the Father and the Holy angels." - Luke 9:26

I end this by sharing a quote I heard Patriarch Craig Bates say during our Forward at Forty Convocation in 2019. 

My faith is personal, but it's not private. Share your faith! It's not a toothbrush!

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for loving us publicly. We pray that You will give us the boldness to share Your Gospel wherever we go. Thank You for helping us recognize when you place us in situations wherein we have the opportunity to share Jesus. Guide our actions, guide our hearts, guide our mouths, that they will see Christ in us. Help us grow in our love for You. Give us a divine revelation of Who You are and an understanding of Your heart as we grow in our walk with You. May we remember this and know this deep in our hearts so that when we encounter persecutions for sharing the Gospel, we will find it a privilege to suffer for Christ. We love you, Lord. Help us love You more. Amen.