Central Truth

As we are armed with God's wisdom, we are to be bold in love and humility.

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Reflections

I wouldn’t necessarily call myself “bold,” but rather a slowly recovering people pleaser. This is an area of my life that the Lord is working on continuously. I grew up thinking conflict and confrontation were bad. There have been times in my life when I followed the crowd or stayed silent when I should have spoken truth. Neither have I been proud of my actions nor have I been able to see the reward of God working through me in those situations. Galatians 1:10 reminds me of the person I want to be. I want to focus on pleasing God rather than pleasing man so that my life can glorify Him alone.  

We are called to live a life of authenticity, speaking the truth in love, so that we can mature in Christ. (Ephesians 4:15, 25) As I grow in relationships and in Christ, I am put in situations in which I have to love others well by holding them accountable. I usually fear what that person will think of me or that I will cause a break in the relationship. But God wants me to trust Him in this, to speak in humility with His love, and to allow Him to work in my life, as well as the lives of others. He wants to be glorified, and He will be if I am bold while armed with His wisdom.  

In this passage Herod did not take a stand for what was right and killed an innocent man. He knew that John was righteous (Mark 6:20), but Herod did not have the courage to acknowledge his sin or to stand firm against a young girl’s request and the witnesses at the dinner. Unfortunately for Herod, getting rid of the guy who confronted him did not relieve the weight of sin in his own life.

On the other hand, John spoke the truth regardless of possible consequences, even death. John represents an image of strength, humility, and submission to Christ. May we also be bold with both our actions and words as we fix our eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

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Discussion Questions

1. Why does God want us to hold each other accountable? (Ephesians 4:15, 25; Hebrews 4:10; Micah 6:8)

2. What is your greatest fear in speaking truth into another person’s life? (Joshua 1:9)

3. When was the last time you were bold enough to share your faith with someone? (John 17:18; Matthew 5:14)

FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What does it mean to be a people pleaser?

2. Was Herod a God pleaser or a people pleaser?

3. How do you love others and be a God pleaser?

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