Motivation Monday - Living With Purpose

“For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Ephesians 2:10
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From time immemorial, the female voice has faced resistance, sometimes overt but often subtle, rooted deep within centuries-old beliefs about our intrinsic worth. As a woman in a leadership role, how do you navigate these challenges to lead with conviction and ensure the entire community thrives?

In Genesis 1:26, Eve, is told by God to be extremely fruitful; she (like Adam) is to multiply herself and fill the earth, conquer and overcome the earth. And that purpose was never taken away from her.

 But, if any woman has been misaligned, misunderstood and whose purpose was misinterpreted – it was Eve. On her very worst day she made her worst choice and it was bad enough that it could have removed God’s original purpose for her from her life. You see, Eve was created for purpose with purpose, from purpose. And so are you.

Ephesian 2:10 reminds us: “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Gender does not define purpose.

GOD’S WORDS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO US 

IN THE FIRST BOOK IN SCRIPTURE 

DEFINE OUR PURPOSE. 

I can envision how the expulsion from Eden and the loss of trust in what should have been a blissful union might have caused Eve to lose her voice and sense of purpose for a while.

The insecurity stemming from no longer being at the center of her destiny, safe with unrestricted access to God's close presence, must have profoundly impacted her. This insecurity could have started to limit her ability to dream or believe in reclaiming what she had lost. The fear of failing again may have started dictating her choices, as she thought that if she succumbed to fear once, it could easily happen again.

In Genesis 4 after Eve has gone through the devastation of a broken relationship with God, and a broken family, we read that she reclaims her purpose when Seth is born.

She says “God has granted me another son”, a new opportunity to live with purpose. Seth literally means anointed, appointed, positioned with purpose, placed intentionally. The last verse in chapter 4 of Genesis says, ‘at that time, people began to call on the name of the Lord.’

I believe that Eve, even in the midst of the worst opposition any woman can face, influenced the next generation and generations to follow – to rise up and serve the Lord.

SHE RECLAIMED HER PURPOSE.

AND SO CAN YOU.

The same promise given to Eve has passed down through the ages and been given to you as a female image bearer. So many times when we don’t understand the nuances of the world we live in and why we feel time after time we are not enough – it is easy to look for someone to blame. The problem is, my church, my pastor, my male leadership team, my spouse, my family. But I can say after working with hundreds of women over the last decades that the primary source of opposition comes from within.

What makes up your core, the heart of you, is a combination of character, clarity, courage and confidence.

You must believe that you have inherent value, created as an image-bearer of God, reflecting His character – that’s the character piece.

You must believe that obedience to God’s will be the source of your brave yes in stepping up and speaking out in your particular circumstance  = that’s the courage piece.

 

You must be clear on your why, your who and your what – that’s the clarity piece

 

And you must be able to step into rooms and sit at tables with full knowledge that if God has opened a door – you can walk with authority into it – that’s the confidence piece.

Don’t doubt for one moment that you were created for kingdom purpose for such a time as now.

Gather Women is poised to come alongside you in whatever area you struggle with most - your character, your courage, your clarity, your confidence, because we know the struggle is real. We want to connect you with women across Canada who share similar stories. We want to equip you for leadership impact. We want to mobilize you as the female church across Canada so that  through your belief that God has called you for purpose, you will impact a new generation of worshippers.