Do Good. Be Brave.
Over the past few weeks at Riverside where I am blessed beyond measure to preach each week, we’ve been talking about this simple idea of what it means to “Do Good & Be Brave” in this world as followers of Jesus.
It seems to me that if we believe what we say we believe, as a people who put all their hope, trust & faith in Jesus Christ who died, was buried in a borrowed tomb, raised from death to life three days later, walked the planet for 40 more days, was then seen by more than 500 people, & after that was seen ascending to Heaven where we believe we reigns as the King of Heaven & the King of our lives… if we believe all that then we have nothing to fear.
Yet, we live much of our lives afraid, don’t we?
How can we be brave?
So the questions remain… How can we be brave in a world where comfort is king & fear reigns in our hearts?
How do we as believers in Jesus live differently in a time when the dominant them of fear & anxiety runs in the background of our lives with a constant hum.
I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers. We’ve been looking at the story of Moses to find some help & encouragement as we wrestle with what it means for us to do good & be brave today. If you would like, you can watch these messages here or listen to the podcast here.
While we might not have all the answers, here are a few ideas about how we might, as followers of Jesus…
Do Good. Be Brave.
1 :: Do what you know you ought to do the first time.
I believe that most of the time, the problem isn’t that we don’t know what to do. We just don’t want to do it.
We see that person & we know what we should do. We hear the conversation & we know what we should say. We know when we should help. We know “what Jesus would do!”
For whatever reason, we just don’t want to do it. But what if we could cultivate a habit of obedience? Of doing what we know is the right thing to do in the moment every time? Don’t put it off. Don’t say you’ll do it next time.
What if we practiced the habit of just doing what we know is right?
2 :: Say, “I’m sorry” often.
Too often we resist saying the simple words, “I’m sorry.” Someone with a degree in psychology could probably explain this to us. I don’t know why we’re so resistant to apologizing.
Those two words carry a lot of power.
Parents, it’s ok to apologize to your kids & tell them you made a mistake. It let’s them know you’re human. And it let’s them know your humble.
Husbands, it’s ok to say your sorry to your wives. And wives, those are powerful words to speak to your husband as well.
Elders, it’s ok to say, “I’m sorry,” to the members of your church if & when you’ve made a mistake.
And church members, it’s ok to say, “I’m sorry,” to each other, to your ministers & to your elders.
Truth is, these simple words spoken in humility could bring about a lot of healing in a lot of families, a lot of relationships, a lot of churches.
But it takes courage to say them. Do you have that kind of courage?
3 :: Step out of your comfort zone in faith for God.
You can’t actually be brave unless you put yourself in an uncomfortable situation. So here’s another idea… What if you actually did something you wouldn’t have done before in faith for God?
Chances are, there’s probably an opportunity you’ve been putting off. A chance to help someone, or do something, or volunteer in some way, but fear has kept you from saying, “Yes.”
But if you want to live a life of faith in God, then it might mean you stepping out in faith for God.
So what could you do in faith for God that you wouldn’t have done before because of your fear? Whatever that thing is, do it. See what happens.
My guess, the God who called you will equip you to do whatever it is He is calling you to do.
4 :: Share your faith with a friend.
Maybe one of the most courageous things you can do is share your faith with a friend. I was remninded this week of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21:
…God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
It takes courage to share your faith with someone. And you can only share that faith if you’ve been living a faithful life that gives you the credibility to share it. But we can do this. And the world needs more than ever to hear us speak about the wonderful love of Christ for all!
5 :: Trust God more than anything else.
Ask yourself where you find the most security right now… then look for a way to give part of that up or give part of that away so that you have to trust God more than you trust that thing.
Maybe for you it’s financial. Look for a way to trust God in your finances. Consider faithful & generous giving to the local church that reflects the heart of our generous God.
Maybe for you it’s a relationship. Maybe you’ve elevated a relationship with someone above your relationship with Christ. Consider putting your security in your relationship with Christ & getting that relationship right before pursuing the safety & comfort you experience in any other relationship.
Maybe for you it’s yourself. Maybe you don’t feel like you need anything or anyone. You can handle whatever comes your way. And that’s probably true, until it isn’t. Consider trusting God now more than you trust yourself & see what happens. You do this through obedience, through living life His way instead of your way. I’ve always thought that the Giver of life probably has the best ideas about how to live this life. And it’s been my experience that those who live life His way, despite their circumstances, are some of the happiest & most amazing people I’ve ever known. It’s interesting what happens when we live life according to the Red Letters (the words of Jesus in the gospels).
It’s different for everyone, & that’s ok. Here’s the challenge for all of us though, find a way to Do Good & Be Brave today in the world around you by sharing the love of Christ.
The love of Christ has the power to change the world, but only if those who know Christ will have the courage to do good & be brave in this world for Him!
