Tag: Christianity

No Shortcuts

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ 2 Comments
“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”
Proverbs 21:5, NLT

Everyone enjoys a good shortcut, especially when running late. While shortcuts take us where we need to be faster, they can sometimes do more harm than good. Is a route worth taking if the road is rugged or has too many twists and turns? You risk having a car accident that can delay your arrival or prevent it altogether. Sometimes you are better off taking the established route.

Similarly, there are shortcuts that you can take in life to help you achieve your goals more quickly. Some are efficient, but others compromise your integrity. Christian women must accept God’s established route for our lives even if it takes longer than we desire. Our work should be pleasing to God because He will judge it. Read 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 with me:

Continue reading “No Shortcuts” →

Prayer Journals

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ 1 Comment

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”- Psalm 77:11-12, NIV

In Joshua 4, God gave the Israelites a special set of instructions. He told them to take 12 stones, one for each tribe, and set them in a specific place. Read Joshua 4:21-24 with me:

Then Joshua explained again the purpose of the stones: “In the future,” he said, “when your children ask you why these stones are here and what they mean, you are to tell them that these stones are a reminder of this amazing miracle—that the nation of Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground! Tell them how the Lord our God dried up the river right before our eyes and then kept it dry until we were all across! It is the same thing the Lord did forty years ago at the Red Sea! He did this so that all the nations of the earth will realize that Jehovah is the mighty God, and so that all of you will worship Him forever.” (The Living Bible)

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should keep “stones” for the same reason the Israelites did: to remember what God has done. It would be difficult for us to collect a stone each time we encountered God. My solution: Prayer Journals.

Continue reading “Prayer Journals” →

Quality Time

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ Leave a comment
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” – Mark 1:35 (KJV)

Would you consider someone your friend if they refused to spend quality time with you? What if they only spoke to you when they needed a favor? Hardly anyone would call this relationship a friendship. By today’s standards it would be labeled toxic!

As Christians, we often treat Jesus this way. Jesus calls us His friends (John 15:13-15) and desires to speak with us daily. Instead of communing with Him, we rush into the busyness of our day. Then, when facing hardship, we run to Jesus, begging Him to save us. If we only knew that spending quality time with Jesus would prepare us for life’s trials or prevent them altogether. 

Continue reading “Quality Time” →

13 Scriptures for Weak Women

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ Leave a comment
“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)

Weak women find their strength in God! We learned in the previous blog post that it is okay to be weak. God’s strength is perfected through human weakness. We must surrender ourselves to God and allow Him to work through us.

While you may acknowledge that God is all-powerful, it can still be hard to resist the temptation to work in your own strength. How can you build your reliance on the Lord? The answer is found in His word. It is alive and able to transform your mindset. The Word of God will deliver you from the desire to do life without Him.

Today I am sharing 13 scriptures for weak women. Read these scriptures and write them down. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand and believe the Word of God. Journal any revelations you receive while meditating on these scriptures. Most importantly, recite these scriptures out loud daily as if you are taking a vitamin supplement. Each time you declare the Word of God, your spirit will become more receptive to relying on His strength.

13 Scriptures for Weak Women

Continue reading “13 Scriptures for Weak Women” →

Weak Women

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ 2 Comments
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

How would you describe yourself? Grab a pen and take a moment to write down a few adjectives. Your list may include words such as:

Loving
Adventurous
Giving
Resilient

While these are beautiful qualities, have you ever described yourself as weak? WEAK?!

I can see you cringing. Most women do not want to be called weak. It is an insult. We want to be seen as strong individuals, who are confident and capable of handling whatever comes our way. Our culture affirms the strong woman stereotype and we are led to believe that we should always exude strength.

Thankfully, the standards of this world are not God’s. As His daughters, it is okay for us to be weak. No one is purely strong. There are areas of our lives where God has blessed us with the ability to thrive. Similarly, there are also areas where God has purposely allowed us to struggle. God does this to build our dependence on Him and prevent us from making idols of ourselves.

Continue reading “Weak Women” →

Seasons of Hardship

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ 3 Comments
“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” – James 1:12 (NASB)

“I just want this to be over!”

I am sure we have all expressed this sentiment during tough times. Unemployment, grief, illness, heartbreak, and other seasons of hardship are uncomfortable and painful. We would love for them to be over with the snap of a finger. The reality is that the only way out of hardship is to go through it.

God’s timing is not our own, so we cannot place a time limit on a season of hardship. The end of one week, month, or even year does not guarantee the start of a new and better season of life. We may very well remain in the same season or enter a more difficult one. 

Being a Christian does not exempt us from life’s hardships. In fact, God intentionally uses hardship to discipline us. This form of discipline is not meant for harm. Rather, God uses it to reveal His character and build ours. 

You will no longer anticipate the end of a season of hardship when you embrace God’s purpose for it in your life. How can you accomplish this? Ask yourself these four questions: 

Continue reading “Seasons of Hardship” →

Within The Heart

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ 3 Comments
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” – Luke 6:45, NIV

Pressures of the past year have triggered society’s best and worst behaviors. During the evening news, reporters share ways communities have united to make a positive impact. Yet, in a moment’s notice they switch stories to describe heinous crimes committed by mankind. How can one person exude beautiful qualities and another wickedness? The answer comes when we realize that people do not develop their behaviors overnight. Our behaviors are birthed from desires that are stored within the heart.

A number of desires lie within our hearts – righteous and unrighteous, some active, others dormant. To better understand our desires, let’s read Galatians 5:19-23 (NLT) together:

Continue reading “Within The Heart” →

Anything Can Happen

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ Leave a comment

umit-bulut-qbTC7ZwJB64-unsplash

“Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.” – Habakkuk 1:5, NIV

2020 has proven to be the year where anything can happen. What we see physically is a manifestation of what has occurred in the spiritual realm. satan has taken advantage of this season by unleashing wickedness of all sorts into the world. Do not be deceived. Although hell is running loose, goodness will prevail. God has the victory. As believers of Jesus Christ, we should assume a position of prayer that brings heaven to earth.  Continue reading “Anything Can Happen” →

Faith Over Fear

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ 1 Comment

julian-santa-ana-TPsaDZSs56Y-unsplash

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1, NIV

Faith is the belief that God will fulfill His promises even when they seem impossible. We place our faith in God for many things including healing, provision, protection, and deliverance. God is faithful. He provides us with the breakthrough we need which often results in a boost to our faith.

But what does our faith look like from the moment we first believe until God answers our prayers? I can attest that there are seasons where I stand confidently in God’s ability. I believe wholeheartedly that God will make a way for me. There are also seasons where my faith wavers or is nonexistent. Fear creeps into my heart when God doesn’t answer my prayers in my timing or when I face unexpected hardships along the way. Continue reading “Faith Over Fear” →

The Freedom To Create

~ Free Woman, Create! ~ Leave a comment

kelly-sikkema-hE5kJhgBndo-unsplash

“But what does Scripture say? ‘Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.'” – Galatians 4:30, NIV

God has blessed women with the gift of creativity. We create everything from breathtaking art and life changing engineering technologies to beautiful children and nurturing environments. Society may favor certain gifts over others, but God has a plan for them all. It is our responsibility to use what we create to glorify God.

We are also blessed with the freedom to create. Jesus’ sacrifice on cavalry allows us to live in God’s purpose for our lives. When we walk in freedom, there is literally nothing that can stop us from fulfilling our calling – no trial of life or attack from the enemy. It is only when we seek to satisfy our own desires or please others that we create in bondage.

In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul writes about the story of Sarah. Although Sarah was barren Continue reading “The Freedom To Create” →