Some Thoughts of Today Will Be Bold – This One’s Both Bold and Raw

Some Thoughts of Today Will Be Bold – This One’s Both Bold and Raw

Recently, I’ve been finishing up a Christian-based financial training course. I’ve appreciated the practical tools, the insights, the scripture woven into the material—it’s challenged me to think differently and act intentionally when it comes to stewardship, generosity, and building Kingdom legacy. But there was something at the end of the course that stuck with me in a way I didn’t expect—not because it confirmed my thoughts, but because it challenged them. Deeply.

The leader—someone who carries a significant influence in the Christian financial world—offered this final word of advice:

“Be careful what you read. Only read good Christian books.”

It sounded wise on the surface. Safe. Disciplined. Guarded. But the more I sat with it, the more I felt a small stir inside me that turned into a slow-burning fire. Who decides what is good? What qualifies a Christian book as acceptable? Is there a holy checklist somewhere I missed? And more importantly—who decides who is allowed to speak?

I couldn’t let it go. And that usually means one thing: God’s trying to get my attention.

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John Maxwell and the Case of the Single Buyer

One of my greatest mentors in leadership—John Maxwell—tells a story that I’ll never forget. The first time I heard him share it in person, I remember laughing with the crowd, but I also remember the lump in my throat. He said:

“When I wrote my first book, my mom was the only person who bought it.”

Let that sink in.

John Maxwell—whose books are now sold in every corner of the world, whose teachings are translated into dozens of languages, who has trained presidents and pastors alike—started out with one fan. One buyer. One believer in his voice.

His mom.

What if someone had told her that his book wasn’t good enough? What if some well-meaning expert in Christian thought had advised her to “only read good Christian books,” and her son’s little paperback didn’t make the cut?

What if he listened to that?

There’d be no 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. No Developing the Leader Within You. No millions of leaders, both Christian and secular, equipped with biblical principles cleverly disguised as leadership law.

I don’t believe in throwing out discernment, but I also don’t believe in building fences around the Kingdom.

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Christian Training Wheels

Every great movement starts with a first step. Every book starts with a blank page. And every Christian starts with training wheels.

The Apostle Paul didn’t start with a seminary diploma—he started with blindness, followed by three days of silence, followed by a complete upheaval of everything he thought he knew.

Moses didn’t begin as a deliverer—he began as a runaway murderer with a stuttering tongue and a staff in his hand.

Even Jesus, fully God and fully man, grew in wisdom and stature. (Luke 2:52)

And yet, somewhere along the way, we create categories: the seasoned and the amateur. The theologically approved and the “needs work.” The “safe” author and the passionate one still trying to find his voice.

But what if those raw voices are exactly what the Kingdom needs?

What if the Spirit moves through the stammering writer? The self-published dreamer? The misfit who’s not trying to go viral but trying to be faithful?

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Biblical Roots: Old and New Testament

Let’s go to the Book. Because opinions are opinions—but the Word is truth.

In the Old Testament, we find the prophet Samuel as a young boy hearing the voice of God for the first time. He didn’t recognize it at first—he thought it was Eli calling him. Three times he ran to his mentor until Eli realized what was happening. Then came the most beautiful, simple, raw response:

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)

Samuel was a child. He hadn’t written scrolls. He wasn’t yet qualified. But God spoke to him. And when Samuel opened his mouth, not a single word he said fell to the ground. (1 Samuel 3:19)

Now jump forward to the New Testament.

Jesus called fishermen. Tax collectors. Zealots. Women with no education and men with no influence. His first-century disciples wouldn’t have been allowed in the modern pulpits of most churches today.

And yet, we quote their words. We hang our faith on their letters. We live by their witness.

Peter, the fisherman who chopped off a soldier’s ear, stood up on Pentecost and delivered a sermon that brought 3,000 souls into the Kingdom (Acts 2).

Was it polished? Probably not. But it was powerful. It was Spirit-filled. And that’s the standard that matters.

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Who Are We to Decide?

So let me return to the bold question: Who are we to decide what’s good Christian material?

If it leads someone to Christ—how can we say it wasn’t good?

If it challenges a heart, strengthens a soul, convicts a spirit, or invites someone to forgiveness—how can we disqualify it?

Now, I know some will say, “But what about false doctrine?” Absolutely. We are told to test everything and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). But “test everything” is not the same as “don’t read anything.” Discernment isn’t fear—it’s wisdom.

We’re so quick to toss labels—orthodox, progressive, conservative, charismatic, reformed, evangelical—as though the Kingdom fits in a neat little box.

But the Gospel is not a brand. It’s a burning, beating, breaking, bleeding love story.

And sometimes, the rawest voices tell it the best.

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Three Points to Be Mindful of as a Christian

Let’s not just rant. Let’s act. Here are three things to stay mindful of as we navigate what we read, what we write, and what we say.

1. The Power of the Spoken Word

God created the world with words.

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)

He didn’t build it with his hands or mold it with his breath—He spoke it into being.

That’s the same voice that gave you life. That’s the same breath that fills your lungs. The words you say, the words you read, the words you share—they hold power.

Be careful not to weaponize your words against another brother or sister trying to step into their calling.

Your words can crush, or they can call forth courage. Choose wisely.

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2. The Spirit Confirms What the Spirit Writes

If you feel the Holy Spirit stirring as you read something—don’t let someone else’s theological opinion override the voice of God in your soul.

Yes, test everything. But also trust the One who leads you.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

Not everyone will understand your journey. Not everyone is meant to approve it. But if you’re walking with God, stay the course.

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3. Every Voice Matters in the Kingdom

There is no junior Holy Spirit. There is no “beginner” class of anointing.

When the disciples tried to stop someone else from casting out demons in Jesus’ name because “he’s not one of us,” Jesus corrected them fast:

“Do not stop him… for whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:39-40)

The Kingdom isn’t a country club. It’s a movement. A mission. A mosaic of every kind of soul willing to say “Yes” to God.

If someone writes from that place of surrender, cheer them on. Buy the book. Leave a review. Tell them what it meant to you. You might be the only voice of support they hear for years.

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Final Thoughts: The Babe and the Builder

If you’ve made it this far, let me tell you plainly: You are not too small. You are not too raw. You are not too unqualified to write something that changes someone’s life.

If the Spirit is in it, it is enough.

And for those of us who are further along the path—be the hand that steadies the training wheels, not the voice that says, “Come back when you’re better.”

Because better doesn’t happen in silence. Growth doesn’t happen in shame. The fire of faith is fanned by encouragement, not extinguished by elitism.

So to the next writer out there—just getting started, feeling nervous, wondering if anyone will care: I hope your mom buys your first book. I hope someone believes in your voice. And I hope you don’t wait until someone calls your writing good before you decide it’s worth sharing.

If it’s birthed in obedience, wrapped in love, and anchored in truth—it’s already more than good.

It’s God-glorifying.

And that’s what matters most.