“We’ve marked summer as a time to focus on confidence... We’re diving deep into a quiet kind of confidence that allows us to live our lives bravely, unfettered by popular opinion or nagging fears. There is something to being truly seen and known that requires a real bravery. ”
Bravery. We all want it. We all want to be described as it. But what does it mean to live brave? To live with confidence?
Kelsea Ballerini (yes, that peppy, blonde country singer) once said, "I think the word brave means looking forward to something that you know is going to be difficult, and still walking into it."
Whoa... Kelsea, I think you hit the nail on the head. Bravery isn't just about these glorious live-or-die, mountain-top moments (think King Arthur vanquishing Mordred on the battlefeild). It's about where you are today.
It's about doing that thing that you don't want to do but know that you should. And about loving your kids even when they are being little gremlins from hades. And about being vulnerable and real with your weaknesses and fears. And about loving without restraint even when you may get hurt. And about pursuing your spouse in the moments when it feels like there is an insurmountable wall between you. And about chasing your dreams when they seem impossible. And about saying you're sorry. Being brave is about stepping out in faith despite circumstance and the unknown.
My Dad had this catchphrase for our church (okay, he kind of stole the catchphrase). He would say, "We want to be a Nike Church. So that when God asks us to do something, we JUST DO IT!" What Nike championed for exercise, he believed we should champion for all areas of life.
Bravery is about just doing it. Whatever your "it" is.
So many times in life we feel the push to do something or help someone or reach out or stand up... but instead we just freeze. We perceive the urge and then we talk ourselves right out of it. We distract ourselves with menial tasks or negative-self talk or promise in our minds that we will do that thing some other day or that surely someone else will do it. But brave doesn't procrastinate. Brave doesn't give excuses. Brave does.
Joanna Gaines announced in her most recent Magnolia Journal issue that this summer her goal was to live with confidence and bravery. I challenge you to do the same. Slow down and each day pay specific attention to what you are being asked by God to do- and then, you got it, JUST DO IT.
What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail, knew you couldn't fall? That thing, JUST DO IT.