What’s yOur Story?

Have you ever wondered why God chose certain people for His purposes? Even deeper, why does God choose to honor certain people, more specifically women? Have you ever thought or contemplated why those He chose were considered “great”, perfect, without blemish or without fault, despite their obvious shortcomings? Let’s take a deeper look into our spiritual mirrors and reflect upon our own calling and what He thought about our mistakes and flaws.

Digging deeper

Like those illustrated in the Bible, we too have been called to kingdom-building. After accepting His will for our lives, we have a mandate to speak volumes into the lives of those in the body of Christ and to pour out our lives as costly oil, richly paid for by the sacrifices made. Let’s see how we , who are also flawed, fit into His great and wonderful plans.

Mirror, mirror...

We’ll begin with our sister Rahab… she was a woman who had a sinful past. She didn’t know God, but she began to listen to the amazing stories about how powerful and how mighty God was. She decided to take a leap of faith and trust God’s plan for her life. Rahab was broken and regarded as damaged goods, so-to-speak. She didn’t have a reputation for being a ‘godly’ woman. Our sister girl was a woman of the night, yes a bad girl only for a season, because God had a design on her life from the very start. She may have been a bad girl but she allowed God to use her to His will. She hid two Israelite spies, that Joshua had sent out to spie the land. The King got word that they were in the city, but Rahab was bold enough and fierce to go against the King who could have had her killed. The spies came to Rahab’s house ( Divine plan of God), Rahab knew in her spirit( just like God to overlook our flawed spirits) she knew that God had sent them to her house. She hid them on her rooftop, and when the King came he demanded that she send the spies out, Rahab lied and told the King that the spies that came in were her customers that came in looking for pleasure, and after the King left Rahab let the spies down over her rooftop with a rope. In doing so and paying attention to God’s commands, Rahab saved her entire family, and gained entrance into the Kingdom of God,bad girl for a season, but god girl for a reason. God will use our flaws to bring us to Him.

Another example

Let’s take a look at our sister-girls, Ruth and Naomi. Ruth was a woman whose family worshiped idol gods. As a young girl, Ruth had not been raised to believe in God, but tragedy brought her to the decision that she must serve God. She may have lost her husband, but she gained God’s love and favor. She held fast and attached her heart to God. She followed the teachings of a wise and godly woman, Naomi. Let’s focus on her for a moment.

Naomi had lost everything to include stability in a loving home, her husband and both her sons. She was devastated and felt that she had ended up with the short end of the stick. Her spirit was crushed and torn. She was so bitter she changed her name to Mara, meaning bitterness. If you identify with her, read on. At that moment, she believed that God had dealt with her harshly, but she still had a tiny grain of faith. She decided to go home, a home that she thought she would never have to return to. What she did not understand was, at that moment, God had whispered in her ear, “Return home.” She had heard, "The Lord had visited His people by giving them bread," (Ruth 1:6) so she returned. In her returning, and in her small leap of faith, she found restoration from God.

God began to weave the threads of her life back together again. He renewed her hope, her clarity, on how powerful and faithful God is to his children. Naomi began to live once again in the true meaning of her name, "Pleasant, delightful, lovely”. Now, let’s get back to Ruth.

In the end, not only did she gain salvation, but she was found by Boaz. Do you see yourself in Ruth? Do you find yourself not knowing God, not believing in Him, once worshiping the things of the world? How many of us have allowed tragedy to bring us to the foot of the cross? Like Ruth, do we faithfully pursue God?

Applying the reflection

How does their story become our story? What sacrifices have we made? Were there battles you had to fight? Were there battles that you did not choose, but you were nonetheless selected for God’s warfare? Maybe in the beginning, you had your own doubts about His purpose for your life. The scars that we have endured because we were downplayed and spoken against, because we were seen as just women, and our place should be in the home, holding down him, them and us, as chief cook ,taxi driver, bottle washer, and if it’s missing, mom can find it. Well, here’s the thing sisters. Yes, we are all of that. We are flawed, we make mistakes and we have a past, and yes we sometimes come along with, and carry, heavy baggage that we eventually allow God to let us leave at the lost-and-found baggage claim department.

I know you may be asking yourself, “How do these stories relate to your story?” Because we have been called into the ministry, we must relate our journeys to the women I am referring to in my blog. Some were outcasts, some flawed, some left home and moved to parts of the world where they had no family. We have been broken, we walk in fear and worry, we are misunderstood just like our sisters in the Bible. Nevertheless, they stood steadfast and unmovable. They took the risk to lose everything they had because they trusted God more than they did themselves. Now do you see how her story……their Story…… becomes your story?

This is where our story begins. We must trust God enough to allow him to take us beyond the veil. We must not be afraid to turn over the money-changers’ tables. We must not be afraid to walk in the anointing that has been poured upon us.

How to Walk Boldly in Your Ministry

• Trust and believe the word of God and His mandate for your walk, for your purpose, for your visions. His words tells us, “Your sons and daughters will prophesy...Even on my servants, both men and Women; I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." (Acts 2:17–18) Whose word are you going to believe?

• Do not debate or let others question you in your calling. Stand on every letter of the word. "So God created man [humankind] in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Gen 1:27)

• Walk in the fullness of your ministry” having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.” (1 Timothy 5:10)

Thus, my dear sisters, strap on your army boots, grab your sword, put on the full armor of God, and be encouraged to stand up and walk into your calling. Your blessings await you. Your vision has been made clear and plain. God has put the words into your mouth. Take your lips off mute and speak! There are so many more of her stories, their stories, that will connect us to your stories!

Selah and Todah with Love,

~Pastor Sadie C~

#PastorSadie #WomeninLeadership #Heartwork