Proverbs 28:1
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
Two pictures are painted in the verse above. The first picture is of one running after they have committed an act and the other picture is of one standing during the act. One reveals cowardice while the other reveals boldness. What makes the difference is what they have done or are doing. The wicked flee, but the righteous stand in their boldness.
Your subsequent reactions always reveal whether you are right or wrong. Parents can oftentimes discern whether their children are right by their reaction to being caught. When a child is doing right, they don’t care if their parent catches them because they have nothing to hide. On the other hand, when a child is caught doing wrong, the frightened look tells the parent everything they need to know. The goal of the Christian life is to be as bold as a lion. You must decide whether you are going to live a life of wickedness or a life of righteousness. Each life produces different results. Let me show you four different results of each life.
First, doing right gives one a good conscience, whereas wickedness causes one’s conscience to be worried they will be caught. If you want to live a stress free life, then you need to avoid living a life of wickedness. Sinful living always produces a guilty conscience whereas righteous living never gives regrets. If you are going to be as bold as a lion when you are older, then you must live the life of righteousness which result in no regrets. When you do right, you will never be ashamed of any question because there is no question that you can readily explain your actions.
Second, doing right makes you proud of what you have done, whereas wickedness cause you to live a life of shame. The difference between the two are obvious. When you are doing right, you have nothing to hide. You can always tell who is doing wrong by who is hiding something. If someone doesn’t want to show you something, then they are hiding their sin. The righteous have nothing to hide, and that is what makes them proud of living right.
Third, doing right breeds confidence whereas doing wrong results in cowardice. The lion is confident in what it can do because it knows its own strength. If you want to live a life of confidence, then let me encourage you to do right. When you work hard on the job, you will have the confidence to look your boss in the eyes. When you do right concerning the Scriptures, then you will be confident in your lifestyle. Righteous living takes the research away because you know what you are doing right. My friend, follow what the Scriptures teach and you will always have the confidence that you are doing right.
Fourth, doing right gives boldness to stand against the enemy, but wickedness always causes one to hide or run after the act. You are going to fight battles in the Christian life, and the only thing that will keep you standing is living right. When you allow sin in your life, you will run in the day of battle. It is so important to live right, because living right gives you the boldness to stand no matter what.
Are you as bold as a lion? Let me encourage you to live right. Living right will give you the boldness you need as a Christian to always stand and never retreat.