Boldness not timidity
Advent
They say that “fortune favours the bold”. No, you don’t have to be beautiful; just bold. Get the gimmicky nod to that day-time soap that had South Africans tuning in so long? But why bold though?
Someone who exhibits boldness seems to possess certain traits. Oxford dictionary describes it as having a, “willingness to take risks and act innovatively; confidence or courage”.
A lion of a man
In the spirit of Advent, in anticipation of the Second Coming as we are, I can find no one bolder than Jesus. He was unafraid of powerful men, did not mince words with the religious leaders of the day and was willing to be seen with sinners, in effect, sullying his reputation. And the devil, well he made a spectacle of him.
In addition, He was always to be found on the side of truth no matter the cost, after all, He is the embodiment of truth and stuck to his guns in no uncertain terms. God in every way, but subjected to temptation as a man, yet He stood strong.
Yes, He is the true Lion of Judah that we will see in all his glory coming on a cloud someday as he returns to the Mount of Olives. But not until a few more prophesies come to pass.
In the interim we are still called to follow him and Father God wants us to mould our hearts so that we become a little bit more like his Son every day. Jesus is the hardest act to follow, wouldn’t you agree?
But we can take heart, some of the greatest men and women have been called timid sometimes, even Paul the Apostle – 2 Corinthians 10:1. Yet, history has revealed that Paul was quite possibly one of the bravest of the lot. And this same great man of God sent a letter to Timothy exhorting him to live as one gifted in the Spirit. Read the excerpt from his letter:
A spirit of power
I always marvel at a young Timothy, knowing that even with the Spirit’s anointing, it can sometimes be incredibly difficult to be bold. It is no different for those of us who have been around for longer and are a bit mature.
Choosing to do something that seems counter-intuitive or countercultural, or simply against the grain will require an individual to believe not only in themselves, product or idea but also be grounded in the Lord and his Word.
It applies to anyone contemplating a reset, deciding to do things differently to get out of a rut, or embarking on a different path to the norm. Harder still for those who risk derision from peers or expect lack of support and understanding from those who are nearest and dearest.
Not everyone believes in your dream
Others who have successfully done this have almost without fail mentioned that there had been someone in their inner circle who was not quite convinced. I remember a couple whose content I love on YouTube who have since excelled on the platform mentioning this when they set out. It is par for the course.
However, one has to have the faith, courage and boldness to make a mark and follow one’s dreams nonetheless. The explorers of old can attest that they, too, faced ridicule and scorn. But why did they do it?
Was it just that something inside of them beckoning them to follow that whisper? Was it the understanding that life would be lived in grayscale if they did not follow, and then they went along and did it anyway, even at great personal cost?
I am frightfully aware that I have been timid a good many days of my life. On those days, I have had to learn to stand on God’s Word despite feeling particularly insignificant, small and timid.
A Renaissance
I stand in absolute awe of and revere the artists of the Renaissance and the age of Enlightenment, when there was an unrivalled flurry of activity by a rare breed of polymaths.
I am always led to question what it was that had driven them to remarkable excellence in a number of fields? Yes, they had been commissioned, but to be commissioned, their work needed to have been outstanding, did it not? How come they were so proficient and prolific at such young ages?
Men like Michelangelo, who is widely regarded as one of the most talented artists ever, and Leonardo Da Vinci, who excelled in a number of fields. Perhaps, Elon Musk could be counted as a modern-day polymath.
Yet, not all of us are called to function at such a level, but we are called to multi-task today like never before. As an online writer, one needs to know not just how to write and the mechanics of what that entails but to able write content that sells or persuades more than before.
Additionally, in book publishing, it has been found that authors need a substantial following on social media to be in the running for a book deal; therefore, the twin skills of learning about social media platforms and understanding how to engage with one’s target market are vital.
Skills of a polymath required
Furthermore, one needs to know how to self-promote, understand aspects of copywriting, sales, marketing, some website building and so much more. Only to see gains made in one’s personal development upended by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In addition, “unhelpful” Google updates decimate the work put into developing and implementing search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies and driving traffic to one’s website; another non-negotiable.
It could be that I give us modern artists/content creators/writers, etc. too little credit today. We have to hustle hard. Despite hearing that the creator economy is booming, economies are sluggish, and many creators who had been lured by the opportunity, having entered the fray now compete for eyeballs. Yet people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter.
One of the unicorns out there
Well, if you are like some of the influencers I love, who are multi-skilled and following their dreams, I suppose it is to believe in what you do and do it no matter what is going on.
Years ago, I discovered Justine Leconte, a French fashion designer specialising in ethical and sustainable fashion, who had trained in New York and worked out of Berlin for a while. That appealed to me, and the fact she had originally trained in the marketing field.
Her knowledge as a marketing professional coupled with her unique take on fashion helped her to carve – and own – her particular niche on YouTube. Recently, to the delight of fans, she released a sustainable bag collection called Project ELIXIR. Once again, it proved to be a testament to her unwavering dedication to quality and, innovatively, the process of tanning the leather was done with plant dyes in Portugal.
She exemplifies what it means to be a merry paradox: by niche, she is not one to jump on the latest fashion trends, but in many ways, she is a trendsetter.
In addition, as a beloved, successful YouTuber who doesn’t fail to impress, Justine often takes her fans along on her travels. It has piqued my interest, no doubt, due to her impressive storytelling, camera and editing skills, among others. To me, she truly is the embodiment, a true unicorn, of what it takes to make waves in the online creator space.
Master the trades
As I mentioned earlier, today’s professional is called upon not just to be a jack of all trades, but to master them too.
A short while back, I picked up a job application in my field. Not only did I have to know how to write, edit and proofread, I had to have extensive experience and capably know my way around graphic design, video production and editing, social media platforms, have a reasonable understanding of user experience, capable of designing a website and, be available on rotation for social media and so much more.
To boot, one was also required to liaise with a variety of stakeholders and manage others; not to mention the requisite degree or some related qualification and a slew of other must-have skills. It would appear that wearing lots of hats on the job is now how it gets done. Gone are the days of specialisation for some of us, no, we need to cover a plethora of disciplines.
This can cause our anxieties and stress levels to hit the roof. We need God to calm us down and bask in that spirit of love and acceptance he gave us. Then in his strength, take on the world confidently and with courage.
A meeting during Advent decades ago
I always thank God that I had the immense privilege of learning about my Saviour, wonderfully, during Advent decades ago. I am so grateful to have this spirit in me that bolsters on the dark days when doubt and fear threaten to assail. He helps me to overcome my timidity through the spirit of love, power and self-discipline He had endowed me with all those years ago.
I am a work in progress, but I am so happy to report that there has been so much progress since. To God be all glory and praise.
It is thus clear that being bold is no easy feat in this maelstrom of a world that seems to exert so much pressure and impose such high demands. However, living in, and depending on, the Spirit certainly brings forth boldness. In future, I plan to lean on God more often to help me to do just that.
As Advent is at the top of our minds and at the centre of our hearts at this time, I hope that when the Lion of Judah comes in all his glory; I will be ready, moulded in his image and as bold as a lion too.
Let me know how you have overcome timidity. Any suggestions of how I can embrace boldness will be welcome. If you have enjoyed this, please click on the heart right at the bottom of the post to like it, and be sure to spread the love via social media.
Please note Scripture quoted throughout is taken from the New International Version.
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