15 minute read
Writings from the Global Office Pt. 2
Empowering Lives with Purpose
This is a significant season in your life, dear friend. The purpose of me sharing these words of hope with you, which fall under my “chosen title” of Empowering Lives with Purpose, is that I realize the battle of life is intense. We each need assistance to fight the day-to-day struggles, which we receive in the form of love, prayer and encouragement, allowing us to move forward in unity as believers.
There is a new chapter the Lord is opening in your life today. It is not something to fear, it is something to rejoice in. I am here to empower you and encourage you to look toward our Savior. The Lord is decreeing there is a shift going on within your life. He is going to sift you. He is shifting you and moving you and you will not remain in the same place. God is changing circumstances, moving mountains, and removing roadblocks - making a way for you, dear sister. You must believe this and know that God has a divine plan for your life.
As a leader in women’s ministry, my heart’s desire is that God will show you what He is calling you to do for Him and the abundant living you can possess by following His will. There are daily challenges that I want to encourage you to process and apply where needed. My column is to help you find God’s purpose and plan for your life. May you draw closer to both His purpose and His plan over your entire life, and walk with Him while living in the abundant life that He has intended for you. Remember, He can do exceedingly, abundantly more than you can ever ask or imagine according to the power that is at work within you (Ephesians 3:20), if you allow Him to.
FIGHT TO FOCUS:
If you are anything like me, it is extremely easy to become distracted these days. Our thoughts wander from what we are going to do with our day, to what are we going to eat tonight; and then there are the constant interruptions of our ringing phones and email alerts, family duties, and endless jobs - which all add to the monotony of our life. The bottom line is that we all experience distractions; our minds are being taken off what really matters most.
What matters most to you? Take a moment to ponder that question. Try to be completely honest with yourself about this. I am encouraging you into abundant living with our King. After all, that is why this ministry was formed. I would love to guide you into what matters most to God, which is our relationship with Him. We need to fight to focus on that.
God has called you to a purpose and plan in your life, but the forces of hell are trying to distract you from that course. They want to divide your heart, separate you, and pull you in different directions. If those forces distract you from what matters most, they can succeed in causing division - discouraging your soul and disengaging your faith. The devil does not need to destroy you if he can distract you.
Diminish the distractions and fight, really fight hard, to focus. If it is people who distract you from your focus, remember to walk with the wise and you will become wise. Walk with fools and become a fool. We need to do whatever it takes. Treat distractions like temptations – and recognize that they are keeping you from growing closer to God.
(1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV)
Fight with everything to focus on what is important. In Proverbs 4:25, Solomon says, “set your gaze on the path before you with fixed PURPOSE.” Look straight ahead. Ignore life’s distractions.
Imagine the forces of hell pushing you to sell out to what does not matter, distracting you from what does. As a leader, I encourage you to call out to God to redirect you to the things that matter. Make a conscientious effort to try this today. Examine and filter your distractions. Focus your spare time on your “important list.”
Remember, Peter began sinking in the water when he took his eyes off Jesus. Fix your focus. (Matthew 14:22-23) Feel the joy of the Lord empowering you as you fight to focus on Him, sweet sister. Feel the happiness as you are propelled forward. Your King is your prize, and your destination is with Him. Listen to the voice of God. He is too good to waste on things that do not matter. Do not take your eyes off the prize. Your prize is your PURPOSE God has called you to. As you focus, God will speak to you through His Word, His Spirit, other people, songs, and more.
God gave you gifts, a purpose, and a beautiful way to make a difference in this world. You can leave a lasting imprint - a legacy of something POWERFUL. Put everything down and fight to focus your gaze on God as you listen for His voice, which you will hear when you really become still and focus.
(Matthew 25:21 NIV)
I am cheering you on to an abundant life, but God is calling you to it. Do not ignore the call. Fight to FOCUS!
Kimberly Hobbs
Founder and Executive Director, Women World Leaders kimberly@womenworldleaders.com
What to do when...
Biblical Principles for Everyday Living
(Hebrews 4:12 NIV)
The word of God is here for us today, at our fingertips, ready to be beckoned whenever questions arise in our life. Let’s face it – as Christians, life isn’t easy, and the right path isn’t always clear. Sometimes the answer to our question of how to handle a particular situation is black and white – but more often than not, because we don’t live life in a vacuum, we have a difficult time discerning whether the answer should be a yes or a no, this way or that way. The truth written about in Hebrews 4 teaches us that the word of God is “living and active,” and because of that we can go to the Word seeking our answers for everyday living and trusting that God will meet us where we are, even though the Bible was written many years ago to people who likely lived far from where we do and in very different circumstances. The Word of God, explained to us by the Spirit of God, will always guide us in the direction our Father wants to lead us. In the Acts of the Apostles, the Bereans are commended for not just listening to and following Paul’s teaching, but taking Paul’s teaching and examining it and cross-referencing it against Scripture. (Acts 17:11) This is a complicated world, and it isn’t enough just to listen to what others have to say, no matter how completely trustworthy they are. Many will try to lead you astray, and others may lead you astray unknowingly, not understanding the full scope of your situation. But when we seek God’s solution, He promises to give us His guidance and wisdom.
In this monthly article, we will together delve into some difficult life questions with much prayer and scripture searching! As you read and pray and just go through your daily life, I want to hear what God is telling you! What dilemmas are you facing? Do you have theological questions to which you are seeking answers? Has God revealed something to you through your study of Scripture that you want to share? We want to hear! We are all on this planet seeking God’s truth together, and we at Women World Leaders certainly don’t claim to have all the answers, but we know that God does, and we are praying for His wisdom and revelation as we seek His will together by examining Scripture and applying it to life. This article is a dialogue – we are iron sharpening iron! And I’d love to hear from you! You can reach me at julie@womenworldleaders.com. I don’t have all the answers- but God does! Let’s seek them together!
Julie Jenkins
Teaching and Curriculum Leader
julie@womenworldleaders.com
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Heart of a Missionary Serving a Global God
Serving a Global God
It was a divine connection.
I had just come home from my first trip to Kenya when a sorority sister connected me with a woman she knew who had a heart for Africa. We met at a local café in South Florida, each sharing our own memories from our time in Africa and our testimonies - both amazed and in awe that we had found someone who shared our love for Africa. We didn’t know at that first meeting that this was just the beginning, but God knew. He continued to cross our paths with others who had their own connections to Africa, the way only God could.
After learning about Africa first from her father who attended university in South Africa and then her own decade of experience of mission work in Uganda, Kathie was in the process of founding a non-profit to serve children in Africa through education. It was definitely God’s timing. I was the missing puzzle piece, as they needed a committed board member in order to incorporate. We hardly knew one another, but we saw Jesus in each other, and God’s hand in bringing us together. We obeyed, and He provided for every need and knitted everything together.
I traveled back to Kenya and our bond flourished over phone calls, even amidst the challenges of frequent power outages and 8-hour time differences. Seven months later, Kathie was traveling to Uganda, so I boarded a bus from Nairobi to Jinja, making the 12-hour ride overnight. We were reunited as we ate breakfast overlooking the Nile and shared our morning devotions followed by a full day of school visits where I watched the young man whose education she has supported tenderly call her “Mom” and witnessed the embrace between her and a mother suffering from HIV/AIDS who thanked her for supporting the educational costs of her three daughters. The trip ended on a Sunday as we watched baptisms in Lake Victoria and celebrated with Jesus, still praising God for the way He took care of all the details in Uganda/Kenya as everything came together flawlessly, despite what seemed like impossible odds.
I came home for the holidays and we worked diligently as we took advantage of the time we had to spend in the same room with each other! It was bittersweet as she dropped me off at the airport to leave for Kenya again, tears in her eyes, which even caught her by surprise. Little did we know that God would call me back home less than a week later. And that there would be a global pandemic that would follow. But God knew.
This season of the pandemic has been particularly challenging as we watch our children in Africa unable to attend school, their families suffer financially, and their needs growing. Our hearts also ache due to our physical separation from the continent we love so much, as two of our trips, scheduled in May and October, were both canceled. But we look forward with hope to the day God brings us back and restores the school year that our children lost.
I’m grateful that God brought Kathie and me into each other’s lives for His purpose. We bring balance to one another and complement each other in such a way that it is undeniable that this was His plan. Kathie has been beyond a blessing in my life and in the lives of so many others. A woman who embodies living out her faith through her actions— trusting that God will use this to bring those far away close to Him. She is a visionary who sees God’s enormous plans unraveling with each small step in eager anticipation—when others would run with fear. That can only come from a woman who knows how powerful and mighty her God is. A woman with a successful advertising career who was completely changed after one encounter with God, and now joyfully dedicates her life out of the abundance she has received. Her unwavering dedication and boldness for the sake of the children we serve is inspiring. Something that will far outlive our short time on this earth—and will continue to impact generations for the Glory of God.
With this opportunity to access an education, children not only learn practical skills to equip them to be all that God created them to be, but they also receive exposure to the Gospel. Many face insurmountable challenges at home, but in partnering with well-established teams from their local community, I’ve had the blessing of witnessing God working in these children’s lives.
(James 1:27 NIV)
In whatever way God may be speaking to you now to be a part of this journey with us and God, whether it be through prayer, financial support, or your skills—we’ve seen firsthand what God can do with a simple yes.
As we look back and see what God has already done and look forward to see what He has planned for the future, we encourage you to be prayerful about whether you should play a part.
For more information please visit our website at africanorphaneducation.org.
Lauren Dean
Missionary, Author, & Speaker
Founding Board Member & Vice-President at African Orphan Educational Foundation
Global Business & Missions Director at Women World Leaders
lauren@womenworldleaders.com
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Mercy Hands
Great Grace
I am convinced that the greatness of the gospel soars salvation and freedom into our hearts; ushering in of God’s very real presence amongst us. The gospel - His very presence - can save any person, any marriage, any relationship, any disease, any hopeless situation. God’s greatness has been ushered in and through, basked onto us, through the power of the gospel. The pushing power of the gospel can free any man, woman, or child. The inevitable gospel interaction of His love can bring light to any dark circumstance. The power of the gospel can free and unshackle our contempts, judgements, and fears. The gospel causes us to put down our judgment stones and give unhindered, accessible gospel-grace and forgiveness to the multitudes. The gospel door of forgiveness and freedom, that which we receive and extend, lies open to each and to all who would boldly walk through it. The gospel comes to destroy our pride-based perfection motives, filling every empty space with pure delight in what Jesus did for us, not what we can do for Him. The gospel fruit of excellence surpasses all our understanding because the power isn’t in our flesh, it’s in HIM. Power to break every chain, to refute every lie, to lay the baby of love into each dying seed, to rend the enemy powerless. To give access to the poor, the broken, the orphan, the young, the old, the slave, the free. To emerge from dust and ashes to freedom-filled glories. To encompass, embody, and unshackle any area of harbored bitterness, regret, guilt, shame, condemnation and evil. To instead harbor what is lovely, pure, commendable.
The gospel fills us with a dance of His fame and His renowned victorious abode. Not putting impossible perfect principles on mere humans.
Jesus lay upon the cross, pierced by hammered nails embedded into His hands and feet for us, so we did not have to be bound up - an incredibly beautiful picture of His great glory.
He willingly laid down his life for the intruder, the rebellious, the snared sinner. The sinner was me, and it was you - avenging and opposed to Christ. But our God, rich in mercy and abundant in love, did the impossible for us. Coming to seek and save the lost.
Abounding from the cross, Christ interceded for the lost and awakened the aroma of life abundantly through His power-filled resurrection. An offering of peace between God and man. A release of forgiveness, a feast of redemption. And the bread of His body, broken for you, was transposed to mark a victory of His death on the cross and the death of your sin. By receiving this very bread, you are given access to eternal life.
It is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. And the blood of Jesus Christ wins the battle between sin and satan; victory lies in the arms of our Savior.
John 6:40 (NIV)
So you see, my friend, we waste too much time battling one another and running from the truth and weight of our sin, rather than entering the throne room of God and releasing what has clung to us. God didn’t die so you could stay stuck and hopeless. He died so you can fly free into a land of milk and honey on the wings of His presence and the gospel.
Because the gospel isn’t just a story; the gospel is found in a person. It’s found in Christ alone, the Emmanuel God with us. And God doesn’t want us to just acknowledge Him - He wants to be yours. Winning back your affections through the cross, in order to break the strongholds of sin and Satan, to enter back into a place of ultimate communion with you. Hand in hand, walking in you, through you, and with you into a garden of hope. These are His bold, ministering mercy hands reaching down to hold you. May we reach and melt into the Mercy Hands of our creator.
Carrie Christopher
Ministry Development Leader
carrie@womenworldleaders.com
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