To be a disciple of Christ means that we study Him, follow Him, and imitate Him.  In studying His ministry, there are three attributes that stand out.  Jesus was bold, mission-minded and faithful to Biblical teachings.  These are attributes that His followers should imitate. 

• Bold.  According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, bold is an adjective meaning not afraid of danger or difficult situations.  Jesus was bold in dealing with difficult people and difficult circumstances.  The people of God should walk through life with boldness.  We can face whatever comes our way with courage because God is with us.  Is there room for more boldness in your life?  Talk to God about why you are afraid.  Many times we are afraid of what could be and not what is.  Often, our “could be” never becomes a reality.  Explore ways that you can demonstrate the boldness of Jesus in your life.  (see Joshua 1:5-9)
• Mission-minded.  Early in His life, Jesus established that His priority was to do the work of the Father (Luke 2:49).  Stephen Covey said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”  The church exists to demonstrate the love of God and help win souls for Christ.  The only way a church can be mission-minded is if the people who make up the church are mission minded.  The mission of reaching the lost and strengthening the saved must become a personal goal in your life.  What are ways that you can integrate the mission of the church into your everyday life?  What can you do to move from knowing the mission to living the mission?
• Faithful to Biblical Teachings.  To truly be a disciple of Christ, there must be a commitment to the words of Jesus (John 8:31-32).  In order to be faithful to God’s word, we must value the word, learn the word and live by the word.  Which is your area of strength?  Where is there opportunity for growth?  What is your strategy for personal growth with the word? 

This week, look for opportunities to be bold, demonstrate your commitment to the mission, and spend more time in learning and applying God’s word.

The mindset of “When the going gets tough, I get gone” is pervasive in our marriages, family relationships, congregations, and places of employment.  As our society continues to grow short with longsuffering, God continues to call His people to bear with one another (Ephesians 4:1-3). 

In Ephesians 4, Christians are instructed to walk worthy of our calling.  Paul exhorts us to see to it that our Christian experience, the Christian life we live, weighs as much as the profession of Christianity which we make. Don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk. 
Bearing with one another in love part of what it means to walk worthy.  Bearing with one another means making allowance for the faults and failures of others, or differing personalities, abilities, and temperaments.  It is not a question of maintaining a façade of courtesy while inwardly seething with resentment. It is showing genuine love to those who irritate, disturb, or embarrass us.

Bearing with one another is the practical expression of patience. When we bear with one another’s weaknesses and failures in the midst of tensions and conflicts, we show a lifestyle that is consistent with our divine calling.

The largest part of this work for unity does not happen between you and me.  It occurs within each one of us.  Patience, forbearance, and forgiveness are not automatic actions that follow conversion to Christ.  They are deliberate acts of the will when we yield our will to the Holy Spirit.

And don’t think that you are the only one who has to bear with others.  Others have to bear with you.  Our individual attitudes help to determine the ease or difficulty in which people are able to bear with us.  How easy is it for others to bear with you? 

​As you go throughout this year, there will be opportunities for you to practice bearing with others.  Don’t be so quick to cut people off.  Remember that God bears with you, so you should imitate Him and bear with others.  You will not be able to bear with others without forgiving others. How are we to forgive?  Just as the Lord forgave us (Colossians 3:13).