Can I Be Bold and Gentle?

Finding Christlike Strength That Speaks Truth With Humility

By Amy Gannett

In our search to be Christian women who are both bold and gentle, we must avoid the pitfalls of either side.

I took a deep breath and put the book down. Sitting in bed with books and my Bible, the clock neared 5:30 a.m. Even in that earliest of hours, I could feel the fire in my belly being stoked by the words on the page.

I was born with fire in my belly. My parents often tell stories of my early childhood. Like the time when I was playing in our unfinished basement. I wanted to climb the metal post and swing like Tarzan, onto my dad’s tool bench. Thankfully, I didn’t make it far, but with the rope secured in my bite, I slipped—ripping out six of my teeth.

I was always on a mission. If I saw something that piqued my interest, I went after it. I was a go-getter with the best of them, always trying new things, always bold, and always brave.

As I’ve grown, this bold, “go-get ‘em” spirit hasn’t gone away. I still have a fire in my belly. I’m the woman who questions much of what she hears and researches to get to the bottom of those questions. If I see a path I want to pursue, I’m more likely to take three steps in any direction than to wait until I find out the best route to take.

It should come as no surprise to you that “gentle” is not a word often used to describe me. “Pit bull on Red Bull”? Yep. “Tiger meat wrapped in barbed wire?” Check. Rarely have I been called gentle. Though I have met women to whom gentleness comes as naturally as baking, I have not stumbled upon either naturally. Gentleness is something I have had to work for, train for, learn about, and seek out. Sometimes I feel as though I’m straddling a line: on the one hand, I like that I’m a bold woman. On the other, I know I need to seek gentleness. As I straddle this line, I’ve wondered: are the two mutually exclusive?