Hidden to whole: Remembering who we are

Territorial Whole-Life Discipleship Officer Captain Michael Hutchings talks to Ivan Radford about not letting insecurity or conformity conceal our God-given boldness. 

How would you describe boldness?

Boldness is a posture, born out of security in our identity in Christ. As a Christian, you have to trust in who Jesus says he is, who he says you are and live in that truth. It’s saying, ‘I’m a disciple of Jesus and what I think, say and do is a result of that, rather than how I feel on any given morning.’ 

It can be hard to remember we’re children of God, can’t it? The world is very good at telling us we’re not good enough.

Yes, it can – but God walks with us into life. Joshua 1:9 says, ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ 

How can people stay rooted in that?

The daily spiritual disciplines of prayer and reading God’s word. For many Christians, including myself, that can be a challenge. Colossians 2:7 talks about being rooted and built up in Jesus. Ephesians 3:17–19 talks about being rooted and grounded in love. That all sounds great, but it’s not easy on our own. So, as well as remembering who we are and whose we are, another key element is being in community.

How does community help strengthen our security?

Who we are when we’re together shapes us when we’re apart – if we don’t gather, we don’t scatter well. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the Church as a body, with no part more significant than another. We can sometimes create our own hierarchies, but we have the same God, which puts us all on level ground. When we gather as a genuine community, we’re encouraged, equipped, empowered and enthused. That means we can all walk out with the same posture of boldness.

How do we stay secure as a collective?

By being united in purpose and spirit. We’ve got to navigate through life together in harmony and unity so that, when storms hit us, we’ve got half a chance. We become a more authentic community by being vulnerable with each other and allowing the Holy Spirit to move and shine in our lives. 

Romans 12:2 talks about being transformed as the opposite of conforming to the world. How hard is it not to conform? 

It’s not our default to live in the way of Jesus. Paul isn’t saying be transformed as a one-off, but as an ongoing process: stop allowing yourself to conform and continue to let yourself be transformed. That can be one step forward, two steps back some days. I heard a quote on The Arable Podcast: we are only ever learning, practising and becoming. That’s such a powerful definition of discipleship: we’re always becoming. The reality is that sometimes we learn by our mistakes. 

It’s easy to let failure throw us off-guard, isn’t it?

That’s when it comes back to who Jesus is. He’s not surprised when we mess up, because he knows our favourite sins and default patterns. But like a loving parent, he says: ‘I’m not going to give up on you.’ And that love can give us the security and confidence to walk out into the world. Discipleship isn’t about retreating from the world. It’s saying, ‘I'm not afraid to work out my discipleship in my context, where the values are different, but I’m not going to default to them.’

Is there an example of that kind of boldness in the Bible?

Daniel, because he made a conscious choice to live distinctively. Daniel 1:8 says that ‘Daniel resolved’. He didn’t remove himself from the situation but stood boldly in it. I think there are clear parallels for Christians today, whose calling is to live for Christ, with their feet firmly in the world, refusing to be conformed and continuing to allow themselves to be transformed by God. 

And as boldness is revealed in us, it becomes visible to others too.

People can see the impact that God has on your life and the changing way you perceive yourself. The London Institute of Contemporary Christianity has devised the 6M framework, six ways in which Christians can live fruitfully on their front lines, without feeling unnecessarily anxious, burdened or inadequate: modelling Godly character, making good work, ministering grace and love, moulding culture, being a mouthpiece for truth and justice, and being a messenger of the gospel. When people look to Christianity, they want to see the difference Jesus makes. Where do your hope and confidence come from? When others ask you about it, 1 Peter 3:15 says be ready to give an answer.