The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions. Prov 28:1 (NLT)
This verse paints a picture in my mind of two groups of people. One group sit back in confidence. They are awake, aware, watching, and listening. They own their space fearlessly and relax into their identity. The other group are just a bunch of crazy people, running around with their hands in the air and babbling mumbo-jumbo while looking for a place to hide. Haha!
When I compare this picture to the dualistic way we view the lost and found, it doesn’t make any sense. I know a lot of “godless” people who seem to have it all together – they live lion-like, even to the point of being roaringly fierce. And on the flip side, I know some people of faith (I may or may not be talking about myself) who seem to live like they're ping-ponging in a pinball machine, out of control and looking anything but bold and confident.
What does it mean to be Godly?
The dictionary says, “Conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; pious. Coming from God; divine.” Other Biblical translations use the word “Righteous,” which means, “just and lawful.”
In the Passion Translation, Romans 3:21-24 says, “But now, independently of the law, the righteousness of God is tangible and brought to light through Jesus, the Anointed One. This is the righteousness that the Scriptures prophesied would come. It is God’s righteousness made visible through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And now all who believe in him receive that gift. For there is really no difference between us, for we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God. Yet through his powerful declaration of acquittal, God freely gives away his righteousness. His gift of love and favor now cascades over us, all because Jesus, the Anointed One, has liberated us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin.”
Liberation extends to every human being on the planet. Some are awake and aware to this liberation, others have no idea of the bondage they are in. I find this scenario isn’t exclusive to whether or not you call yourself a Christian. In my own life, in certain situations, I have not lived like I have received this beautiful gift of righteousness. It manifests first in my attitudes and beliefs and then out through my actions (life like that pinball machine). I have lived in fear. I have lived with anxiety. I have thrown hate upon myself and others. I have run from responsibility and challenge like a crazy person, instead of facing it with the boldness of a righteous lion. At any given moment, I could be a lion or a could be the prey.
Godliness, righteousness, is a gift. It’s not something we earn or acquire or achieve, but something we live ourselves into every day by grace. Until one day, when faced with any number of circumstances and decisions, we don’t run in panic or tremble with terror, but we stand bold and secure. Knowing fully who we are and whose we are. Boldness is not arrogance or brute strength, it is the courage to humbly show up with our lives and be fully aware and present. It is the strength to unwrap every day this wonderful and underserved gift given to us by God through Christ and take hold of it.
One of the definitions for Godly is “Coming from God; divine.” Not being perfect, not performing better than anyone else, not memorising the entire biblical text, not having the greatest understanding or eloquence when it comes to proclaiming who Christ is… It is the simple awareness of your origin and true home: You come from God, to him you will return, and to him you are now with. The Divine collision of holiness and humanity.
It’s in this space and no other, that we can stand as bold as a lion through our lives, not ready to attack, but full of confident assurance of who we are and where we belong.
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