“Stop thinking everything’s cringe. Be audacious”
I recall my good friend saying this as we admired how someone in our age group was achieving great things. One of the things we picked up on was how this person didn’t seem to care what others thought and whether promoting their various projects on social media came across as cringe. After all, they were achieving what they wanted.
What my friend said that day has always stuck with me. It led me to ask myself: in what ways am I limiting myself for the sake of not being perceived as cringe? In what ways am I censoring myself to fit in, to be like “everyone else”?
“And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
1 Chronicles 4:10 (KJV)
The necessity of audacity became apparent to me more recently as I read 1 Chronicles 4:10, which shows a man named Jabez (a name that means literally means “sorrow”) crying out to God to bless him and “enlarge [his] coast”, essentially asking God to change the narrative of his life. After this prayer, we are told “And God granted him that which he requested”. As I reflected on this, the words “the audacity!” came to my mind. The audacity of Jabez to ask God to bless him. The audacity of Jabez to think that this was something he could even have! I mean even his name meant sorrow. But that didn’t stop Jabez. He was straightforward with his request. He had audacity…
Yes, we should be humble but the Bible also tells us to come “boldly” before the throne of grace
As I’ve been pondering on the notion of audacity, I’ve been noticing it more in scripture. I was reading Nehemiah 5:19 the other day and he says: “Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it.” (NLT).
It takes audacity to ask for the good things that you want to see in your life. It takes audacity to come before the throne of God and ask for things that you have not earned or deserve. Yes, we should be humble but the Bible also tells us to come “boldly” before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).
Closed mouths do not get fed, both on a physical and spiritual level
So the next time you feel like hesitating to ask God for the things you really want, remember he asked you to come “boldly” and remember the testimonies of those who have gone before us. Closed mouths do not get fed, both on a physical and spiritual level.
So, send that cold email, schedule the coffee, write the business plan which you may not currently have funds for. Be bold to go after the things that you want. Be audacious…it’s not cringe.
Further reading
Redefining Success 
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