CHURCH GIRLSýnishorn

Rise Up, Church Girl

A Church Girl is more than a woman who attends church services—she is a member of the body of Christ who has been restored to relationship with God (Romans 12:4-5). A Church Girl is a disciple of Jesus who has received salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. A Church Girl has been saved from the penalty and power of sin—and will one day be saved from the presence of sin—because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

We aren’t just Church Girls in name, because God has called us to duty. We have been called to unashamedly repre­sent Christ in the world and proclaim the gospel (Romans 1:16).

Church Girls aren’t afraid of the culture, we talk back to the culture. We are relentless truth tellers. We love our neighbors. We fight for the marginalized. We are clothed with strength and dignity and laugh with no fear of the future; wisdom is in our mouths, and the law of kindness on our lips (Proverbs 31:25-26). We aren’t afraid of cancel culture, because who can cancel what God has called? We run our race with endurance, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). We bow in prayer and lift our voices in worship of the one true living God.

Church Girls “die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31) so that we may live for Christ. Church Girls know that we are like John the Baptist and our greatest calling is to be “a voice” crying out in the culture, preparing the way for the Lord (John 1:23). We evangelize the lost because we know we have good news to share. We aren’t perfect, but we serve a God who is perfect, and we strive in his strength as we are conformed to the image of Christ.

Rise up, Church Girl, and with dignity, bear the image of our God. To do this, we must get back to the fundamentals of our faith, and we must encourage other Christian women to do the same.

The gospel makes it possible for us to have a vision of ourselves as Black women the way Christ intended. We can now see ourselves as chosen. See ourselves as free. See ourselves being exactly who God wants us to be.

What can you do to encourage other Christian women to recognize God’s gospel vision for their lives?

We hope this plan encouraged you. Learn more about Church Girl by Dr. Sarita Lyons here.