Creative Boldness

“The things that have always been important: to be a good man, to try to live my life the way God would have me, to turn it over to Him that His will might be worked in my life, to do my work without looking back, to give it all I’ve got, and to take pride in my work as an honest performer.” ~ Johnny Cash

The man in black could also be known as the man without pretense. If ever a man lived out the human struggle before the eyes of the world, it was Johnny Cash. The short bio on Cash might read: From drug addict at death’s door to infamous music icon, the one thing that can be said about Johnny’s life is he was nothing if he wasn’t authentic. Johnny Cash is a true example of our next creative quality:

6. Creative people are humble and proud at the same time.

When you are able to say things like “and to take pride in my work as an honest performer,” you are exhibiting quality number six. Honesty requires a deep humility. Listen, we can think we are being honest and be completely deceived. If our honesty has any hint of self-serving, self-preservation, or self-mutilation, I’m not sure it can be called honesty. The very definition of the word means free from fraud or deception. The only place we are free from fraud and deception is when we are in agreement with Father God. There is a scripture that impacts me in a profound way every time I read it: “21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out by God.” John 3:21.

Notice it doesn’t say whoever does what is right, but rather what is true. I have had to grapple with this word over the years. We are taught as Christians to do what is “right.” The problem is who, other than Jesus, defines what is right? Most of us have tried to live up to a moral code we were taught as truth only to find that it left us empty on the inside. We tried to be outwardly holy only to find that our internal struggles were heightened. We tried to do what was right – but we didn’t do what was true. And because of that, pride crept in, and with it, deception. The only way that we could find freedom from this religious approach to Christianity was to allow Holy Spirit to get us to that place of utter truth in our soul. We had to come into agreement with God through complete honesty of our need of him and his decrees over our lives.

We get that when it comes to our need of repentance. However, the same is true in knowing who we are in Christ. There are times that our attempts at humility may seem right – but may not be true. What do I mean by that? We were not transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light to simply wait for Jesus to come get us. We were changed and then given a specific purpose to fulfill in the advancement of the Kingdom. But, for many of us, we have been taught that if we step out into that purpose, it’s pride. So instead of bold obedience, we listen to the voices of fear. Johnny Cash’s Kingdom assignment was as an evangelist – no matter his medium. Sometimes he hit the mark; sometimes he didn’t. There was one thing that got in his way – himself. Hey, Creative soul, your biggest obstacle is not the critical voice that comes from those around you who do not understand you. Your biggest obstacle is knowing who you are in Christ and having the boldness to walk it out. Let me help you today…

Boldly pursuing your purpose, when you are truly listening the heart of God, is not pride. It’s the truest form of humility. It’s allowing Father to define you so that you can fulfill your part in the Great Commission. It’s taking hold of that assignment and seeing it all the way through in order that God would receive glory from your redemption. And then hearing these seven little words that I want to hear spoken over my life, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”