Boldness is what I desire

Written by Mike Verkaik

As I present this final blog post from our Kingdom Encounter, I am listening to a playlist the group created of the songs that were especially impactful to them during this trip. One song in particular stood out to me as I began to write. The song is Thank God I’m Free by Elevation Rhythm. The chorus contains these lyrics:

Where are those chains that once held me?

I’m free, I’m free

I’m free, I’m free

My sin is gone, how can it be?

I’m free, I’m free

I’m free, I’m free

And look at what the Lord has done

I’m never going back to the way I was

I’ll sing, I’ll dance ’cause I believe

I’m free, I’m free

Thank God, I’m free

Those lyrics truly defined the longing in the hearts of the students who came on this Kingdom Encounter. Beneath their seemingly put-together lives in Western Michigan were hidden fears. Like all of us, over time those secret fears had slowly wrapped crippling chains around their hearts, convincing them that acceptance by others was more valuable than listening and being obedient to God. Without realizing it, they had allowed the voices around them to become louder than God’s voice, causing them to lose sight of their true identity as beloved and accepted children of their Abba Father.

From my own life and experience, I know how easy it is to walk down this path. The world constantly shouts at us through images, social media, and the illusion of perfection that others seem to have achieved. Little by little, those messages wrap chains around our God-given uniqueness and individuality, whispering the lie that we must conform in order to belong. That is why it was so uplifting and refreshing to watch the Holy Spirit gently strip away those fears and worries, replacing them with vulnerability, boldness, and freedom.

Listen to Hudson’s testimony:

As the trip is ending, I’m reflecting a lot at how much I was able to hear the Lord speak to me and work in me for the first time. My theme on this trip very quickly became Boldness. The first day we were here, one of my prayer partners wrote me a letter that was all about how he prayed I would step out of my comfort zone, embrace the uncomfortableness and be bold in my faith. At that time on the first day reading those words were encouraging but being bold in my faith was not something I was good at and very rarely did.

Then, the first day at the care center we taught the kids a lesson in class about being bold and strong in Christ and not being ashamed of the word of God. Although we were teaching it to the kids, it also stuck with me as well. Then later that day at the Overflow church prayer service a man had a vision of me and told me how I’ve always had my head down, not praying out loud because I was embarrassed, and not wanting to talk about God. And when I heard someone telling me that from a person I had never met, and ALL of it was completely true, it was very very cool to encounter God speaking through someone else to speak to me for the first time. 

As the trip went on, Boldness just kept coming up and I could tell God wanted me to grow in that area of my life that I was very very bad at. I quickly got comfortable with sharing more about my faith, praying out loud and just stepping into the uncomfortableness by dancing with people I had never met at a church service. As I let go of being uncomfortable I was able to experience so much more of the joy of the Lord and was just able to allow God to take over and not care what others think of me.

Hudson’s journey is, in many ways, our journey. It is a journey of growing in trust, and through that trust, discovering the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. Like Hudson, we are invited to let go of comfort and control we so often cling to and surrender to find joy, peace, confidence and FREEDOM.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.     Ephesians 3:20-21