Are you afraid to be bold?

I love when we feature young women in our Be Bold, Girl series.  God is raising up a generation of women who are passionate about him and impacting their world for Christ.  I’m pleased to welcome Sarah of simplysarah.blogspot.com today.  

“Do not be afraid.”

How often in scripture have I heard this phrase? And how often have I prompted others to listen to this beautiful advice, to go after what they desire, while at the same time shrinking back from my own aspirations in fear?

Fear of failure.

Fear of rejection.

Perhaps even fear of success and of the responsibilities that will follow.

Fear can be crippling. It’s hard to take risks. It’s not easy to put yourself out on the line – especially when it involves being vulnerable – especially when it involves being vulnerable in front of others.

But it is in those spaces of vulnerability and in those areas in which something important is at stake that the greatest rewards are found.

We are called to be bold.

You have been graced with so many talents and abilities. Don’t let a world filled with negativity and criticism keep you from sharing them with others.

“Be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NABRE)

Easier said than done, believe me, I know. But nothing of value comes without work.

I cannot begin to describe the thoughts that flooded my mind when I was asked to write a post for Be Bold Girl.

Me? Bold? You must be mistaken.

I’m rather timid and average at best. You must have me confused with someone else. Surely there is someone more representative of being bold than I am.

And then, as I muddled through all of the negative, mean spirited criticism I was layering on myself, I remembered a good friend from my year spent volunteering in Western Alaska (talk about bold…). This friend was one of the first people to actively remind me that I am bold. I am intelligent. I am talented. I am a beautiful woman of God. And in order to share my passion with the world, I have to be brave and I have to be bold.

To share my passion with the world, I have to be brave & I have to be bold. #BeBoldGirl

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Through mirroring Christ’s patience, encouragement and love, this friend helped me to grow in self-confidence and begin to share my gifts and talents more readily and serve God more fully.

Did this happen overnight? Of course not. It took lots of words of kindness, multiple hard-to-hear conversations, and many references to Sara Bareilles’ song, Brave – I still get text message reminders whenever she hears the song on the radio.

It took the encouragement of a friend to help me learn to be bold and so I hope to be that friend to you.

Don’t be afraid to be bold.

Do not be afraid to share your life with others. Don’t shy away from challenge. Don’t be afraid to speak up and use your voice. I wanna see you be brave.

The world needs it.

The world needs you.

Hey there! I’m Sarah, a small town Ohio girl who is mildly obsessed with all things Jesuit and is very passionate about faith, social justice and the intersection of the two. I’m in the third (and final!) year of earning my Master of Divinity Degree from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA. When I’m not surrounded by piles of schoolbooks I enjoy travel, running, contagious laughter, clever puns and finding the good in all things.

Connect with Sarah on her blog (simplysarahs.blogspot.com), Instagram, and Pinterest.

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I’m linking up with Kelly Balarie at #RaRaLinkup and Jaime Weibel at #SittingAmongFriends