It’s Good to Be Bold

A leader of uncommon boldness and vision, the queen of Sheba traveled from the ends of the earth to seek wisdom—from King Solomon, yes, but even more, from his God. Her search for truth is one of many reasons this ancient queen serves as a modern role model for us all.

Wisdom is something money can’t buy and skill can’t earn. It does cost us something, though. Time. Effort. Focus. Sheba must have had those qualities in abundance.

Her story begins in 1 Kings 10:1: ”When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.”

Clearly, anything Solomon had going for him was because of the Lord. The same is true for us. Whatever good we accomplish, the Lord is ultimately responsible, and He alone deserves the praise.

King Solomon claimed a single Source of wisdom: the God of Israel. Sheba, a pagan queen with many deities, seemed determined to stump Solomon and his God. A risky move but nonetheless bold and completely in character for this powerful monarch.

Is boldness a good thing? Definitely.

When the disciples prepared to share the gospel, Acts 4:29 tells us how they prayed: “Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” That can be our prayer too—to share biblical truths with courage and confidence, unafraid and unapologetic. God answered the disciples’ prayer at once, as we read in Acts 4:31: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

Rather than a personality trait, boldness is an attribute of the Holy Spirit. True boldness isn’t about us—it’s about God at work in us. Acts 28:31 describes how the apostle Paul went about his ministry: “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!” That’s the kind of chutzpa we’re talking about.

How would you define boldness?

If being bold comes naturally to you, how might you use it for advancing God’s kingdom?

If being bold is a stretch for you, why is it important to make the effort and seek God’s strength?