NOW! Living Bold – Entry 12: Act

Your actions are speaking so loudly, I can’t hear what you’re saying! I can’t help but shake my head when I hear someone spouting off how faithful they are and how much they love God, but everything they do only reflects the world and themselves.

I spend quite a bit of time watching people and taking notes. I’m not always the one talking in a crowd… in fact, I usually let other people have the floor. But I can tell you that I listen closely. In all of my experiences to this point in my life, there’s one thing that I can count on time and time again. If you spend your day trying to tell people how much you believe something… I guarantee that you don’t believe it. I will often stop the person and ask… who are trying to convince… me or yourself?

If you wag your finger at people at scream that your innocent… you’re guilty. When you become defensive and begin throwing darts at your accusers… you’re guilty. Why would an innocent person feel the need to accuse, defend, and fight back?

I have more respect for someone who will look me in the eye, challenge me, and confess that they don’t like me, my ways, my actions, and that I disgust them. At least we know where we stand and we both have convictions we believe in. I will afford no respect to anyone that hides behind a fake smile and pretend that everything is wonderful… only to backbite and pick people to death.

Our actions tell others who we are. Our entire body of work is an indicator of the place where our faith resides. The early Church (meaning the one that was built after Christ ascended to heaven) was built by men of action.

The action was in telling others about Christ Jesus. The action was telling the story. The action was doing regardless of the risk of death and persecution. There is a perfect model for how we can Live Bold. In the ministry of Christ on earth, He left us a picture of how we not only prepare ourselves for our faith, but how we act it out.

The question I asked myself when I read about the founders of the Church… was … how did they do it? What did they do? How did they act? If you remember, these men were students of Christ and they walked with Him and watched everything He did. The model that Christ left behind is how these men picked right up and continued the effort to tell others about God’s grace, love, mercy, and hope.

The book of ACTS in the Bible is the story of how these men went from being followers to leaders. It tells us how they pushed forward. It tells us how they were the Torch for God. It tells us how they Pushed against evil. My favorite verse in the book of Acts is the perfect summation of how we are to live our lives. The order is perfect, the actions are perfect, and the results are perfect. These men were emulating Christ and how He taught them to live… not by what He said… but how He lived among us. I wear a black wrist band that has the words inscribed: “Live Bold. Acts 4:31″. It reminds me everyday that there is an order to faith.

ACTS 4:31 – “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

Here’s your bible lesson and your call to action. This is how you model your group of men. In this one verse, we have the picture of a group of men meeting. They had picked an intentional place to gather together to fortify one another for the task ahead.

What were they doing? Praying. Prayer is our connection to God and the conduit for the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom, courage, and strength. When we gather together for the purpose of Christ… God promises to be in our midst.

What happened after they prayed together? The ground shook. God was with them and they were vibrating with purpose and focus.

What did God provide? The Holy Spirit filled them and they were compelled to go talk about God and Christ in a BOLD way.

What is the order of things or what is the model for us to look at?

1. Get together and build a brotherhood. Find some authentic brothers that you know will have your back no matter what.

2. Pray. Don’t just hang out… have a purpose and a focus. I’m not suggesting that you bow your heads together for an hour… but put yourself into good company with men you trust and with people who are authentic. We don’t have time to put up with phony chatterboxes. Prayer is an authentic condition of your heart when you talk to God… Prayer is not a bowed head, clasped hands, and King James English.

3. Confirm each other’s faith and their strength in Christ. Allow God’s spirit to fill the air and each other. Praise the good… chastise the bad. Hold each other accountable to purge out evil from our life and our thoughts. Take that refreshing spirit, stand up straight, and push against the evil of the day.

4. Stand up for God’s word and your brothers and sisters of faith. God doesn’t need a defense system… but your family, friends, and community sure does. Speaking and acting your faith means that you are willing to shut down the crap that pulls your family away from truth. Be a man… do something about the injustices. Stand up for the defenseless… and go to battle with those who push around the weaker vessels.

This my friends… is Living Bold.

Your challenge is to get off your hands. Pull together and Act out your faith. Where would we be today if the disciples of Christ had just sat around and talked about faith with each other and not acted out their faith? Where will your children, your friends, your family be if we don’t push hard and act out our faith?

Is God not deserving of our best? Do you think God wants us to sit around talking about what we’re going to do… and nothing happens? Read the Story… God is action.

Faith is active. Faith is 99% more than going to church on Sunday. If you’re talking… take a look at what you’re doing. If you can’t see it… ask someone to tell you frankly… what they see you doing.

Are you with me? Can we do this? Are you going to leave me hanging out here on my own? I need some help. It has to start somewhere. You’ve been called.

Now. Go grab a brother or two or three. Meet. Get to know each other… pray. Stand up and do something about the things that God has shown you that need attention. It will be different for each of us. We are all called for certain tasks.

Do this. Your life will be changed. Your contentment will soar. Your blessings will be too numerous to count. And you will be called… good… faithful… servant.

It takes guts. Go do it.

><>

(You are reading the blog series by Live Bold. This is a living, unedited book being written in the wide open. Follow along. If you’re getting here late, go back to the archives under the LB NOW category and start reading. Each entry is numbered in sequence. Comments are welcome and some will end up in the final published book. May God’s hand be in all we do here at Live Bold.)

About

Welcome, and thanks for dragging yourself over to Live|Bold! My name is Greg Arnold and I am pumped to see you here. This interactive online community is here to point every man toward the cross. Whether you have been a follower of Christ for ages, or you are just stumbling into this strange new world of faith, we have something of value to offer you. This online e-zine is a cross between a blog, a social network, a resource center, and a pulpit. My hope is to inspire you to live your faith on the outside and be a real man for God. We need you in the fight.