Legacy Leadership: Wisdom Of The Apostle PaulSample

Boldness Amid Opposition

The gospel came to the Thessalonians, not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. This work was a joint venture led by the Holy Spirit. Despite these divine resources, Paul and his team encountered tremendous opposition that required them to be bold.

They learned an important lesson about the rugged reality of leading in any context: opposition and resistance come with the territory of leadership. Why is that?

Legacy leaders are change agents who are not content to maintain the status quo – even when things are going well. But being a change agent comes with a price. Whenever we try to change anything – a personal habit, a team norm, an organizational culture, or to implement a new strategy – there will always be resistance. Sometimes this resistance is quiet and subtle. At other times it is more blatant and overt. As leaders we should expect this – it’s part of the job - and dealing with it requires boldness.

What comes to mind when you think about being bold? In the original language of the New Testament the word translated as boldness refers to the confidence and courage to act in the face of fear. Boldness is not the absence of fear; rather, it is a commitment to act in spite of fear.

Paul and his team had plenty of opportunities to practice this! Before coming to Thessalonica, Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned (Acts 16:19-24, 37). They were arrogantly mistreated, slandered with fabricated accusations, and illegally punished despite their Roman citizenship.  When they arrived in Thessalonica they were physically intimidated and falsely accused of civil treason. In spite of this reception, they demonstrated courageous persistence by continuing to boldly proclaim the message of the gospel.

When faced with such intense opposition many of us would turn and run, or simply give up on the mission. The tenacity demonstrated by Paul and his team is not natural, and Paul attributes his ability to persevere to God. He knew that he was not competent in his own strength to carry out the leadership role he had been called to.

Paul’s resilience came from God who had made him adequate (2 Corinthians 3:4-6). He was merely a clay pot that had been entrusted to carry the treasure of the gospel. This was by God’s design so that it would be clear that the surpassing greatness of Paul’s strength came from God (2 Corinthians 4:7). The indwelling presence of the Spirit allowed him to be “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9).

Paul never took this boldness for granted. He was content with his human frailties, because when he was weak the Spirit worked in him and made him stronger (2 Corinthians 12:10). He knew he was not adequate for the work, but through the Holy Spirit, the Lord had made him not only adequate, but empowered him with boldness, courage, and endurance. 

Reflect and Act on these questions:

• On a scale of 1 (timid and uncertain) to 5 (bold, confident, and courageous), how would you describe yourself?
• What forms of opposition do you encounter in your leadership role?
• Are you bolder in some situations than others? What intimidates you when you aren’t as bold as you think you should be?
• The kind of boldness Paul and his team had cannot be manufactured in our own strength. Ask God to give you the boldness, courage, and confidence you need to lead where he has placed you.