What Does It Mean to Be BOLD?

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

Acts 4:29

Hello friends and welcome to our new series - BOLD! Today, we start like we always start the series here on my blog - with definitions. Let's jump straight in.

Wikipedia says:

'to be bold implies a willingness to get things done despite risks. Boldness may be a property that only certain individuals are able to display.'

This is true, in this world we have introverts (like me!) and extroverts who are naturally bold. But, God has been showing me that you don't have to be an extrovert to be bold for Him.

Merriam-Webster describes 'bold' in these ways:

• fearless before danger

• showing or requiring a fearless, daring spirit

• adventurous, free

• standing out prominently

This is exactly how the Bible tells us to be! Here are some verses for example:

fearless before danger/showing or requiring a fearless, daring spirit:

So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

adventurous, free:

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

standing out prominently:

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hate you.

John 15:19

We should not live in fear, but trust that God is working everything out for our good. Instead, we should bask in the fact that we are free through Christ's blood so even if things get bad, or even result in death, we are never going to be separated from His love. And yes, this means that we are going to stand out like a sore thumb before the mass of unbelievers. We are, after all, different. We are small in number and we are walking a narrower way.

Here are just a few opposites of bold that I got from Word Hippo:

• cowardice

• fear

• timidity

Say it with me, "The Bible says..."

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

Read that again. Isn't there power in that statement?! We are meant to be BOLD!

Here are a few other examples of boldness that I found, and their references, while searching 'What does it mean to be bold?':

• Bold people stand out from the group. They are confident, courageous, and directed. (inc.com)

• Be meek when meekness is called for; be bold when boldness is called for. (connectusfund.org)

• As Christians, we will face circumstances that require us to be bold in order to stand for Christ. (daily devotional from gcu.edu)

• It's much easier to be bold if you know what you stand for. (trackinghapiness.com)

• They take chances in spite of what other people think. Bold people are confident in what they stand for. (antimaxiumalist.com)

• A way to practice being bold is to acknowledge your strengths. (soulsalt.com)

• Bold people are brave in the sight of adversity. (minimalismmadesimple.com)

• Being bold in faith means being vulnerable in my beliefs, regardless if they have the same beliefs. (dailygraceblog.com)

I want to go through these in the next few parts of this series and add to them with the things God tells me.

You may be asking if you've read through one of my series, "Wait! Where is your concordance definition?" Well, I've mentioned before that my concordance, which is a small one at the back of my grandmother's Bible, doesn't always have the word I need, but I will, like I always do when that happens, pick a different word that is similar enough in definition that we can use. So here it is:

Obey: to do as asked; to yield to someone's command or wishes.

You may be saying to yourself, "Wait, that isn't close to our word's definition." But, I think by reading the verses we went over today, that it is clear that we aren't meant to be anything but BOLD. Therefore it makes since that, to obey the Lord's word, we must be bold.

I hope you guys enjoyed the first installment of this series and, like me, are looking forward to the next part. It's funny because I am currently doing a Bible study called 'Elijah'. I didn't realize before starting the foundations of this series that the Elijah study is also about being bold. It's funny how God works that out.

I will write to you all next week, but until then, remember to find some joy in today.