There are a lot of traits one might wish upon Jesus Followers. Holiness,
selflessness, humility…but I find that most of them embody such traits.

So if there is one trait that I would wish upon people of faith, it would be a trait that many do not already have or aspire to; a trait strikingly absent.

Christians need to become more aggressive.

If your mind instantly leaps to someone who starts fights or quarrels, that’s not where I’m going.

I mean aggressive in the best sense of the word. I’m talking about the aggressive Webster’s defines as “ready or willing to take issue and engage in direct action; full of enterprise and initiative; bold and active; pushing.” You could even insert the word assertive as a synonym for aggressive.

When I think of aggressive believers, I think of, James Emery White, founding pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC,  who describes aggressive Christians as:

• “make it happen” people
• people who don’t immediately take “no” for “no,”
• catalysts for change,
• those who take charge in the heat of battle,
• upsetters of the status quo,
• backbone,
• righteous anger,
• creators of action,
• courage,
• someone who is “hungry,”
• top-of-the-line, competitive athletes for the Kingdom of God.

This assertive aggressiveness can quickly become negative if we forget to remain humble. This may seem like a contradiction, but acting with confidence and determination should never mean assuming we are better or more important than others. Instead, it means being bold and self-assured in Christ but still open and honest about our mistakes and shortcomings. It means admitting when we’re wrong and recognizing those around us – even those who aren’t easy to work with – also have great purpose and worth.

May that kind of aggression mark us all.