By Chrissy Mayer

 

I have had the pleasure of leading a passionate group of women since January of this year. This group started with me and a casual mention that I was going to be doing a study on the topic of dreaming and running hard after God with everything you’ve got.  The group took on a life of its own and we ended up with 30 women who were saying yes to God.



 

Over the past year, these same words keep finding their way back to me through Word, or song, conversation, or caption, art, or prayer:

Awaken, Empower, Equip, and Unleash.

God began to unfold what this looks like.

 

 

 

No more allowing the enemy to tell us how we are unworthy or unfit.

We must do the work of surrendering our secrets, our pain, our disappointments to God. Our compost, the messiest waste of our lives, becomes the most fertile soil for God to birth something great. Out of our pain, we are able to see others pain, and because we have tasted freedom we become passionate about others freedom.

 

No more apologizing for using our gifts and talents, instead apologize for not using them.

We must do the work of discovering and acknowledging our gifts. We must accept our God-given responsibility to our generation and own it. We must do the work of growing our gifts. And most importantly we must get over ourselves and our fears and trust that what He calls you to that He will be faithful to see through.

God knew you before you were, and He put you right where He wanted you.”                                                                                                               Craig Groeschel

 

No more comparing ourselves with other women.

We must fight to be inspired by other women – not intimidated. If our only purpose on this earth is to love God and love others, then ladies, for the sake
of mankind we have got to get it together! We must stop wasting time looking at her and saying “but she”. It is a mere distraction. A ploy. A weapon of warfare. So you do you - and do you well!

We must fight to find our tribe. Time and time again it is made evident that there is a very certain Power found in community with other like-minded women. We must fight to link arms with three types of women: the one running ahead of us, the one running beside us, and the one running behind us. We stay in our lane while we spur one another on to greater things. We have each been called to run our own unique races.

 

No more living out moments without intention.

We must realize that even in the seasons of the wait, the mundane, or seemingly purposeless, it all matters. Regardless of our wiring and our stories, we are called to love first.  There’s no need for us to sit around waiting for a booming voice from the sky when it comes to discovering our calling. We are called to care for the things we see right in front of us and anything or anyone else we can touch.

God is accomplishing a thousand tiny purposes at any given moment around us. We won’t always know what He is doing, so let’s leave the stuff we don’t know to God and believe that He will guide us. It may feel quiet and we may even feel forgotten but God is constantly moving and working out His plans all around us. So our job is to simply trust.

 

“Stand united, singular in vision, contending for people’s trust in the Message, the good news, not flinching or dodging in the slightest before the opposition. Your courage and unity will show them what they’re up against: defeat for them, victory for you—and both because of God.”

Philippians 1:27-28 MSG