Moxie

Friday, February 06, 2015  ::   Comments Off

Moxie defined is fearlessness, courage, the ability to face difficult circumstances with spirit and backbone. For me the word conjures up images of Rosie the Riveter or Condoleezza Rice or roller derby women, but the more I work to live out a life full of moxie, the more I learn it works itself out in everyday living much more than on billboards or politics or skating tracks. 

Consider the courage it takes to apologize when you have wronged someone or said something hurtful, or to speak up for someone who cannot speak up for themselves. What about daily plugging away at caring for littles at home, changing diapers, or being trapped at home for weeks because green snot and fever is passed from one kid to the next? Does this not take deep resolve? I've witnessed how caring for an aging parent who doesn't have the mental capacity to be thankful or even nice requires more backbone than I currently possess. And working to excel in school, or go to work everyday with joy, or engage with people who want to steal your joy and hope demands serious fearlessness. 

If I'm honest, it is easy for me to raise my hands and yell, "CHARGE!" I'm a natural born fighter. Chad doesn't like me to watch the "what would you do in this situation" shows because he fears it only emboldens my battle cry to restore justice to the universe. My dad once said of me that I'm a woman with a cause whether there is a cause or not. 

But if I'm even more honest, I struggle with the intimate aspects of moxie. Hebrews 10:39 says, "We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." Living with false moxie relies on myself to be strong, to be bold, to live with zeal and passion. Living with true moxie requires faith and trust and hope and love. 

Without faith it is impossible to please God. 

Trust God with all your heart and He will make your paths straight.

Jesus is the hope that anchors my soul. 

If I speak pretty words, understand grand mysteries, or give everything away, without love, I am nothing. 

True moxie absolutely requires an intimacy with Jesus who will not fail because it also requires intimacy with people who will most definitely fail. To live with moxie we must spend time in the Bible and in prayer, growing in experiential knowledge of what we believe and why we believe it. To understand the benefit of living with moxie, a person must seek a good balance of doing and being. One without the other is a result of fear and/or pride which is the opposite of a moxie life. 

The kind of satisfaction and peace that a giant, deep inhale and exhale brings is what living with moxie means to me more and more. It has been shown that deep breathing benefits us and we can sigh anytime anywhere. Moxie in our hearts, through the power of Jesus in us, brings peace as we face the world with fearlessness, courage, and the ability to face difficult circumstances with spirit and backbone.  


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At Second Mile we call our women's group Moxie. As women of Moxie we desire to live out our faith with courage, dignity, strength, and grace, knowing what we believe and why we believe it. 
Our vision is to inspire women to love and live for Jesus, discover their God-given inner beauty, and cultivate freedom, healing, and life beyond expectation. 

Hebrews 10:39  
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

2 Timothy 1:7 
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Proverbs 31:25 
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

Isaiah 41:10   
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.
Would you like more information about Moxie?
Moxie Facebook Group

These are some of the ladies I am blessed to love, lead, and invest in. Together we spur one another on in our love for Jesus and for each other. They look so well-behaved in this first photo, but don't let them fool you. 
The lovely Laura K. Moore took these photos.