Looking for boldness

Mike Bonem Feb. 25, 2020

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things that hold me back. 

We are serving in an era when bold leadership is clearly needed, but I’ve concluded that “go-for-broke” boldness is a rare commodity. 

Since Paul told Timothy that “God did not give us a Spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power and love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7), where is there evidence of that Spirit in my ministry (and in yours)?

One of our mantras as parents is, “If you know the right thing to do, then do it.” But am I passing the “do the right thing” test in my ministry? 

I am not talking about obvious ethical boundaries, such as propriety in relationships or appropriate financial dealings. Instead, I am asking about the important, direction-setting decisions that will drive or influence the church’s future. 

In most leadership roles, it takes extra time and energy to do the right thing. Not only that, but many of us serve in churches that don’t seem to appreciate (or even want) boldness from us. Instead, they prefer the status quo.

At the end of the day, it’s the internal—not external—factors that are the biggest impediment to my boldness. I could make a long and convincing list of the things that keep me from acting boldly. 

However, what I need to do is to ignore the spirit of timidity (it’s not from God) and listen to the Spirit of power that’s calling me forward.

Photo source: istock 

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Mike Bonem is an author, consultant, speaker, church leader, businessperson, husband and father. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a breadth of experience in ministry and business, including 11 years as an executive pastor, consulting with Fortune 100 companies, and leading a start-up business. This article was first published on MikeBonem.com. Used with permission. Learn More »

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