Philippians 1:20 - Leaving the land of Maybe

"According to my anxious longing and hope, that in nothing will i be put to shame but rather in all boldness as always even now Christ will be enlarged in my body, either through life or through death."

-apokaradokia.  Literally, ‘away the head to stretch.’  A watching with the head outstretched.  Looking and waiting for something greatly desired or anticipated.  Also used in Romans 8.20.  This was what Paul desired with every fiber of his being.  It permeated his every thought and motive and word and deed.  What was it?

-That Christ will be enlarged in my body, whether by life or by death.  No matter what happens.  Regardless of what circumstances in which I may find myself.  In my body - in my life, in everything about me, in all that I do and say, my words and actions and thoughts, my non-verbals - all things all the time making Christ bigger.  He can’t personally get any greater or better, but He can be increasingly recognized as such.  With that in mind we are to be declaring and showing off His magnificent greatness in such a way that others will apprehend it (cf John 3.30).

-In all boldness always.  Am I bold for Christ?  Always?  All boldness?  To not be bold for Christ to Paul means shame.  It would either look like being ashamed of the Gospel in this life (cf Romans 1.16), and/or it means shame in the presence of Christ on the day of His return for having not been bold for the Lord (cf Luke 9.26, 1John 2.28).  But boldness is for speaking.  It doesn't take boldness to serve someone, to give them a drink of water in Jesus' Name.  But it takes boldness to tell them why you are doing it.  It is finding that Spirit-led, Spirit-empowered middle ground between being timid and pushy.  It is breaking the ice and not backing down, but neither is it beating people over the head.  And boldness lives in the same neighborhood as courage, because when you speak up about Jesus, it is liable to cost you.  It might not.  But you maybe will be rejected.  You maybe will be mistreated and maligned and persecuted.  Just like Paul.  But Paul didn't want to live in the land of maybe.  The theme of boldly and unashamedly and joyfully proclaiming Christ as well as accepting suffering for the sake of Jesus runs through the entire NT (1Peter 4.16, 2Timothy 1.12, 2Timothy 1.8, Acts 5.41), with Jesus of course being our Supreme Example (Hebrews 12.2).  May God give us the grace to leave the land of maybe and speak out boldly for Jesus.