Gentle Boldness

As we develop a World View that is founded on God being the ultimate authority for our life, purpose, reality, humanity and ethic, how do we relate and communicate with a world and culture that is so contradictory to what we believe? We have to hold fast to the truth that we know, but not lose that connection with our "neighbor," who desperately needs to hear the gospel! Even though we grasp the truth, do we sound like a banging gong to them (1 Cor 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.) because we have no love or gentleness in our speech? How can we lovingly be the salt & light to those around us in our families, communities, work, school, and even our church? Our current culture simply cancels those with differing views rather than engage in a dialog for the sake of understanding. The idea of gentle boldness will help us avoid that pitfall.

From 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Nate challenged us to be an imitator of Paul and have a "Gentle Boldness" as we interact with the world. The words themselves seem to be at odds with each other or at a minimum, create a tension. As believers we tend to lean to one side or the other, rather than trying to hold firm to them both in a mutual balancing. If we lean towards the boldness side, our truth tends to come across as harsh or not caring. And if we lean towards the gentle side, we risk becoming weak and may water down the truth. We need to have a firm grip on truth and boldness in one hand while having just as firm a grip on gentleness and love in the other. That careful balancing can be demonstrated in how we relate to those people of different opinions, religions, politics or worldviews and can spur us on to better learn how to love our neighbor as ourselves! Jesus modeled gentle boldness with the woman at the well in John 4.

As human beings we are plagued with the tendency to follow the pendulum principle. (We swing from extreme or side to the other when we try to correct what we believe is off.) Depending on which way you swing, ask the Holy Spirit to show you when you are being too gentle about the truth and need more boldness. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you when you are overly bold and wielding the truth like weapon and need to be more loving and gentle with the truth.
Ephesians 4:15 "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,"
Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

Jesus taught that we can actually hold two opposites in tension and bring the best of both sides into one balancing middle when he said, “ Matt. 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.