My friend Julie Loos joins us with her #BeBoldStory and challenges us to think differently about the women around us. Welcome, Julie!
I always thought bold girls were ones with capes and superpowers. Lightning speed or abnormal strength, they stood up to evil and made the world a better place by their public display of their superhero qualities.I always thought bold girls were ones with capes and superpowers. Lightning speed or abnormal strength, they stood up to evil and made the world a better place by their public display of their superhero qualities.
Being bold was a woman who had an agenda and would not let anyone or anything thwart her plan. Even if she encountered a roadblock or detour, Miss Bold would use tactics and maneuvers until she saw her scheme completed.
God has led me to see that in the midst of looking for superheroes and superwoman, I’ve missed bold women right around me. Do you know there’s a superhero living next door?
Boldness in the Everyday
My Christian friend, Kelly, raises her children in a culture that challenges her values and beliefs. She spends her days encouraging her children to cling to God and become more Christ-like.
At night as her children lay their heads on their pillows, she continues to fight on her knees in prayer. Although demands to follows the norms of society threaten to overwhelm this mother and spew lies that she isn’t doing enough, I see a bold woman who relies on the full strength of God being with her.
Then there is the single Christian woman, Holly, who is looking for Mr. Right. I see a bold girl who saves herself from one-night stands and ruffling the sheets of her marriage bed. Although attitudes around her give the impression it doesn’t matter to her marriage or her future children, she holds fast to the commands of Truth.
She believes pre-marital sex will only bring unneeded baggage and grief into her marriage covenant.
This single woman has decided to stand out in a culture where she could just fit in with the status quo.
Finally, my friend, Linda, who lost her significant one to the claws of cancer, continues to live with her eyes set on her heavenly destination. Even though a handful of her widow friends have become bitter and drifted away from God, she witnesses and loves even in her grieving.
Linda knows that God has a plan for her and she will be reunited with her husband again in Heaven. She believes the pain she currently feels is insignificant to the reward she will receive.
Living Bold
Maybe to the world these three women seem far from being superheros, but I’m sure in God’s eyes, they are bold and courageous. They certainly are in mine.
And so, I’ve discovered the secret to living boldly in our culture is to have a connection with God, and His Son Jesus, through all circumstances.
You can be genuinely bold and confident with Christ.
From these women I have discovered a number of secrets to becoming bold in my everyday life. It is to:
- Realize God is in control of my life.
- Accept pain as a growth mechanism.
- Remember God sees the whole picture of my life; I only see bits and pieces.
- Trust God no matter what.
- Believe God is with me in everything, He will help me.
- Know evil won’t last forever.
- Remember everything God does is out of love for me.
I’ve been looking for a superhero cape, but in reality what I need is the superhero God, who can provide and help me in any of my life’s circumstances.
I want to be courageous in my life. Instead of letting circumstances causing fear and defeat, I want to be like the women I know. Do you, too?
Julie Loos is a writer, Jesus follower, wife, and mother to five incredible kids. Sweet tea and chocolate are her favorites. She struggles with her faith, and is a work in progress when it comes to anxiety and trusting God is all circumstances.
Connect with Julie on her blog Unmasking the Mess, Facebook and Twitter.
Today I’m linking up with Holley Gerth at Coffee For Your Heart.