Emboldening Women To Move Past BarriersSample

Where Do You Go from Here?

The first step in serving God, for women especially, is to stop misreading the Bible through the lens of gender discrimination. There are examples in Scripture, like Lydia, that help us remove the barriers set up by our enemy that keep women from going all-in with God and serving him everywhere. These examples can embolden our faith. Lydia’s story only takes up a few verses in Dr. Luke’s book, Acts, but she’s a biblical example of a wholehearted, soulful, mindful, and strong woman of God who we can all aspire to emulate. She founded, funded, hosted, and led the first Christian church in Europe. (Read Acts 16:11–40 for more about Lydia’s story.)

In the Greco-Roman world, women were valued only as much as they were virgins at marriage and able to bear sons after the union. Lydia seems to be an exception. For some of us, the sheer fact that Lydia is in the Bible is a milestone in our lives. She is proof that God includes his daughter to build the kingdom as we see her play an instrumental role alongside the apostles. Lydia was committed to seeing her family saved, to the founding of a church community that would meet in her home, and to using her influence to further the gospel. Someday in heaven, we can compare notes with her about the stumblings blocks we as women have faced to fulfill God’s mission in our lives.

As you respond to God’s call in your life, first by placing your faith in Christ, the Lord will open your heart to understand the gospel. As you seek to fill that place in your soul that only Jesus can fill, you will experience the unconditional love of the Father. And your mind will be opened to know and follow Christ. The gift of faith is not limited by your gender and, as a woman, you have been entrusted with the gospel. Like Lydia, you can employ your God-given strength as you share Jesus with others, and stand ready to slay the forces of evil. You can partner with other servants of the gospel, men and women, to carry the good work he started in you to completion (see Philippians 1:3–6, written to the church meeting in Lydia’s home). Lydia’s strong example should give us courage; we are not alone in our pursuit to honor God with our lives. God wants to use women like you who are all-in for Jesus to change the world for his glory.

You have a choice to make. You can sit another one out on the sidelines because you feel inadequate, or you can welcome the opportunities afforded to you by Christ’s blood. Choose to enlist in God’s army and ready yourself for battle. Squash the insecurities scrutinizing your capabilities and the barriers to serving God that he did not place in your way. And do it all for the glory of God the Father, in the name of Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Where do you go from here, you may ask? The answer is simple: anywhere God leads.

Respond

Who are the women of faith in your life? How do their examples inspire you to pursue God’s call on your life?

What transformation has God brought to your life? Who would you like to share your story of transformation with?

What is the next step you can take this week to build on the good work God has started in your life?