Emboldening Women To Move Past BarriersSample

The Call to Share God’s Love

Our faith history is rich with radical concepts elevating women as reflections of God himself, and the Scriptures are full of revolutionary female figures who worked alongside their brothers in the birth of the church. Women making a difference for Christ is not a new concept and not one we will ever lose. Yet we have a generation that is leaving the pews at record speed—especially women. We must consider anything we can do to reach more with the gospel as we contextualize the saving message of Jesus.

We already speak the language of the people around us who are leaving the church. As Jesus-women, we are the best equipped to reach the women exiting the faith. What if the angst we sense in disillusioned Christians has less to do with what the church is doing or not doing on their behalf, and more about us actually being the church? What if we are the answer to their prayers? Because of the resurrectional power of God and filling of the Holy Spirit, we have been made competent to tell our sisters the truth, win souls, and influence people for the gospel. You are precisely what our world needs. And your time is now.

You don’t have to stay up all night writing your own theological thesis or Bible study curriculum to share your life. Reach out to that woman in front of you at work or next door. Leave the comfort of your peers to find the youngest woman in the room, then point her to the cross and empty tomb. Just try it. It’s that simple. Being the church means showing the tangible presence of God’s love to others. That means going out and meeting people where they are, wherever they may be, as the messengers God has appointed. 

You and I can’t love others or love ourselves the way Christ envisioned without a tie to a local church community. You may have found good trusted friends outside the church, but you need grace well beyond friendship. The church is rooted in our identity as Christ-followers. Jesus loves her enough to die for her, was raised to life to commission her people and empower them with his presence. Jesus is with her now, so we stick by her following his example. Bring your whole self, raise your hand, speak up, and let’s watch the Holy Spirit change the body of Christ from the inside out. We belong together. 

As you intentionally meet the needs of others, you also need to internally absorb God’s enduring love and love and care for yourself (1 Corinthians 13:4–7 shows how to do this). The ability to love and care for yourself comes from the deep well of our Savior’s abundance, not your own capacity. Self-love is God’s business, and he takes it seriously (see Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31; Romans 13:9). Self-compassion connects you to the love of God and determines how you let God’s unconditional love in. It is out of that capacity to remove the grudges you hold against the person in the mirror that you can love your neighbor. Love others without holding back love for yourself.

Respond

How are you uniquely equipped to share Jesus with other women?

Who has God put in your life that needs to experience the love of God? 

How does accepting God’s unconditional love through Jesus’ death on the cross help you love yourself? How does loving yourself empower you to love others?