One Woman Can Change the World Devotional (7 Days) Day One Creators at Heart Scripture: Psalm 139 Whether we work at a hotel or own our own chain of them, conduct meetings in high-powered boardrooms or gather kids around the kitchen table to talk about chores, you and I were born with eyes to see the potential for better days. It’s built into the way we perceive the things around us, built into the gut feelings we have and the way we gather strength in the midst of the darkest trials. And as women, you and I have big dreams. We have things that prick at us like cactus needles, things that get our attention and hold it and insist that we do something. Born in the image and likeness of God, we are creators at heart. I believe we as women are leaders at heart too. And I believe one woman can change the world, because I’ve seen it. Maybe you’re thinking, Wait a second—I may be able to lead a bit, but I’m no leader. And change the world? You’ve got the wrong woman. I don’t. I promise. Think of this devotional as a note of encouragement, a reminder that everything about you—the good days, the hard seasons, the feelings you feel and the way you think, the person who looks back at you when you look in the mirror, and the person who shows up to overwhelm your thoughts when you take the time to listen— yes, everything about you is purposeful and meaningful and has a place in your story.
This devotional is about reclaiming your God-given physical and spiritual DNA and allowing it to do its work in and through you. Most of all, it’s about how God shows Himself trustworthy to keep His promises. It’s about how faithful He is to keep working His powerful, hopeful, grace-full love in and through our lives. Because every day He holds out His strength to each of us and says, “This is yours.” Do you believe every part of you—your physicality, personality, history—has a place for good in your story? Why or why not? In what ways do you sometimes disparage how God created you? Day Two Bold and Free Before God Scripture: 1 John 3:18–22 Patriarchy, matriarchy, oppression, and prejudice are legitimate challenges facing women. But they are not the true enemy. They can threaten. They can taunt. But as I watch you and me, I see a greater enemy. The trouble with women is us. Yes, it’s us. It’s the way we respond to the challenges. It’s the way we treat ourselves. It’s the way we treat womanhood and all that’s associated with it. We mock our bodies, we deride getting older, we complain about parenting. We pit ourselves against other women in a battle for perfection. Instead of rising above the critique and believing ourselves to be truly made in the image and likeness of God and celebrating what makes us divinely unique, we get trapped in anger and finger-pointing.
The voice that’s loudest in our heads is the voice of comparison, the voice of jealousy, the voice of self-deprecation and self-pity. It’s the voice that slices away at our very DNA. And when you and I don’t see ourselves rightly, self-condemnation can torment us. Everyone else . . . If only . . . You can’t because . . . become whispers that sound like screams. Yet Scripture reminds us of the dramatic connection between self-condemnation and our ability to love well: My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him. (1 John 3:18-22) The Message God longs for us to let go of our habits of self-condemnation and live bold and free before Him. His is the voice worth listening to! In what situations are you most likely to fall into unhealthy comparisons to others? When has self-condemnation kept you from following God’s call on your life?
Day Three “Strong Helper Standing Face-to-Face” Scripture: Genesis 1:27–31; Genesis 2:18–22 In Genesis 1, God designed man and woman in His image and likeness, then said, “I’ve got big plans for you. I’ve poured everything I am into you. And this is so very good” (my paraphrase). In Genesis 2, a bit more detail is offered about the “very good” moment, about a deep sleep and God’s skilled hands shaping flesh and bone into new flesh and bone. When explaining why God would choose to use a rib to design a woman, many wax poetic about a woman being by a man’s side and near his heart and under his arm. But before Genesis 2, there is Genesis 1. There is God forming and breathing, deliberate in His design of both man and woman to reflect His full image and likeness. They are designed with the same substance, the same breath, the same connection with creation. He looks at both of His masterpieces of design and calls them “very good.” He blesses them. God was purposeful in the word picture He chose to describe the creative moment. Ribs guard the heart and lungs. Ribs give strength to stand. Life can be sustained without many bones in the body, but life cannot be sustained without a ribcage. Ribs are flexible, able to expand and contract as needed to create space for breath. It’s only when those ribs are broken that they become a danger to the very life they are designed to protect. The phrase that refers to the woman in Genesis 2 is ezer kenegdo. Translated, it means “helper of the same nature” or “strong helper standing face-to-face.” Think about the weight of each of those words. Strong. Helper. Standing. Face-to-face.
We are created in strength to actively contribute to and provide what is necessary, ever upright and powerful, and always rich in relationship. I read those words and realize how often I’ve denied my divine heritage. I’ve not seen myself as having God-designed strength. I’ve judged myself by a list of tasks rather than seeing my self as the real contribution to the restoration of the world around me. Thinking back on the past few days, how have you judged yourself based on what you did or did not accomplish? How would your thoughts about yourself look different if you believed you who are is a contribution to the world? Day Four World-Changers from the Beginning Scripture: Matthew 15:21–28; Luke 24: 1–2 From the beginning, women have played a pivotal role in Scripture. Women asked the hard questions. Women took the risks. Women read the room and sounded the alarm. Shiphrah and Puah thwarted the plans of the Egyptians and saved a new generation of Israelites—all without raising their fists or their voices (Exodus 1:8–21). The daughters of Zelophehad stood up to lawmakers to negotiate for the rights to their father’s land (Numbers 27:1–11). Lydia became a role model because of her success in business and her commitment to serving others (Acts 16:11–15). Women were always active in Christ’s ministry too. He treated them with dignity, included them in the work of the gospel, loved them fully. He understood the rejection the woman at the well felt and stayed with her for two days as she boldly preached to
the men in her village (John 4:1–42). He celebrated the gumption of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21–28). He moved a woman twisted in pain to the center of the temple, where her female ancestors had once been free to worship. And in front of everyone, He said, “Woman you’re free!” (Luke 13:10–17). He adored Martha and Mary, two sisters who were front and center in His public ministry and personal life (Luke 10:38–42). And on the morning of His resurrection, it was the women who showed up first (Luke 24:1–2). Mary Magdalene. Mary. Joanna. Their presence and participation remains a powerful reminder that women were never also-rans or second thoughts. They remind us all that we are “strong helper standing face-to-face.” Throughout His ministry on earth, Jesus selected women who were willing to simply show up. They were bold and fierce and unafraid to risk for the sake of the gospel. They were unafraid to let go and embrace faith. They were willing to carry the load and walk unknown paths. It was these women who changed the world then. Married. Single. Old. Young. Wealthy. Impoverished. Aristocrat. Commoner. Since the beginning, women have been purposeful. They have been powerful. And we are too. Do you think of yourself as purposeful? Powerful? Why or why not? Day Five Celebrating God’s Design in All We Do Scripture: Proverbs 31 Proverbs 31 is often quoted as a twenty-two-verse homage to wives, moms, and grandmas. Rarely is the chapter read in its entirety. At her core, the Proverbs 31 woman
isn’t an enviable wish list for the perfect wife and mom. No, this story is about a woman who leads and serves well. The chapter is written by King Lemuel, but the true author of the words is his mom. First, she encourages rest and restoration, loving well by leading well, giving a voice to the voiceless, and serving with palms up and knees bent as God’s life is incarnated in ours. And then she starts describing a picture of true leadership—a best-in-class example for her son to pursue. A true leader is strong and industrious, always looking for ways to care for others—especially those who serve. She looks at everything around her as an opportunity to care more wholly, and she is unafraid to dig in deep. She’s wise in her financial decisions, responding with forethought in seasons of plenty to prepare for seasons of want, because she knows there will be both. Her leadership lifts those around her and gives them places of honor. She invests time in people and finds joy when they benefit from that investment. She is unafraid of an uncertain future because she knows wisdom and kindness will greet her there—and they have not failed her yet. She knows family, friends, employees, and the community count on her, so she starts her day by preparing for it, making sure it is placed on the right track by tending to the nourishment of her body, soul, and spirit. She ends her day by retreating to a quiet place—a sanctuary so valuable to her well-being that she has honored it by giving it the best she has. King Lemuel lauds her road-worthy wisdom. And the last two verses of the chapter are a celebration: “She will be praised throughout eternity.” (See Proverbs 31:30–31.) We are ezer kenegdo, made in the image and likeness of God to celebrate His design in all we do. Out of all the voices clamoring for our attention, Proverbs 31 reminds us that it is the voice of praise that should ring loudest.
As you read Proverbs 31, which traits of leadership stand out to you the most in this season of your life? Day Six You Are Exquisite Scripture: Romans 12:1–2 Fear loves to write the story lines of our lives. It loves to scribble over our plans, edit our futures, add to our pasts, discredit our present journeys. And fear doesn’t know how to write a good story, because fear can’t spell hope. But here’s the truth: God’s will is not the smallest dot on a mystical bull’s-eye that must be hit with laser accuracy in order for your life to matter. His will is not a deep-dive mystery that is passed out in puzzle pieces. Romans 12 lays out a beautiful guide to His will for each of us: So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. (vv. 1–2) The Message The more time I spend with women who not only see themselves as purposefully handcrafted in the image and likeness of God but also want to allow that design to be front and center in the way they view life and the way they lead and serve others, the more I see God’s will as being as expansive and creative as He is. Yes, I am fierce. So are you. We are “strong helper standing face-to-face.”
Say that out loud: “I am strong helper standing face-to-face—and my design is exquisite.” It’s not a degree or a pedigree that defines you. It’s an image and a likeness. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, even when told you are not enough. Right now you are fierce. Decades from now you will be fierce still. You are a masterpiece, despite challenges or brokenness or things called “weak.” And you are exquisite. How is God’s creativity evident in your gifts, skills, and personality? Day Seven You Are Never Not Worthy Enough to Begin Scripture: Ephesians 2:10 and 3:20 God is faithful even on the days we allow other things to get in the way of our fidelity. He is trustworthy even on the days we allow other things to catch our eye. He is present even on the days we are overwhelmed by the past or the future. God is there to remind us that His timeline always trumps ours. In His chronology, there’s no too young, too old, too lacking. In His design, our design is perfected—no matter our geography, address, heritage, big plans, or failed attempts. He is there to strengthen us so we may in turn strengthen others. He is there to take the fury that threatens and transform it into beauty and power. Ephesians 2:10 tells us ways God has etched heaven’s poetry on our lives to accomplish magnificent things. Ephesians 3:20 says His creativity within us is greater than anything we could imagine. His story within us is filled with plot twists and mystery and comedy and suspense—and it’s deeper and higher and wider than any page could hold.
That’s why even though I haven’t met you, I know this about you: No one can disqualify you from your purpose. You don’t have to have all the pieces in place to lead and serve well. Your purpose will continue to unfold throughout your leadership journey. You are never not worthy enough to begin. Your story can—and will—change. Allow it to do its work. You are uniquely gifted as a woman to lead creatively. Allow that creativity to rise within you. Leadership opportunities may be for a season or a lifetime. Both are equal in their power. Embrace the disruptions, and watch God add to your days. You are most beautiful when you bend. Your purpose will be strengthened by both joy and pain, both success and failure. Embrace it all. Don’t feel that you have to “find your purpose.” Often, your calling is hidden like a gemstone in your circumstances. Don’t be afraid to speak up and speak out. Don’t be afraid to pray for and pray over. Your purpose has a voice, and God adores it. Speak the language of love. You are never too old—or too young—to begin. One woman can change the world, and God says, “That woman is you.” What are three ways (or more!) God has uniquely gifted you to lead and influence others?