When you hear the word “faith,” sis, what comes to mind?
Is it the many sayings and adages about it?
Like:
Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1)
Faith is the currency of heaven
Faith is the bridge between your current circumstances and your future
Whilst I don’t dispute them, there is another side to the nature of faith…
Last week, I talked about the fact that Esther is a popular woman of the Bible
Especially amongst the ladies that I have interviewed as guest experts within my Facebook group
This is because she used her power, privilege and position in service of her people
Reminding us as modern women that:
1. God made us for a purpose
2. We are called to solve problems
3. The problems you are called to solve will require using your gifts
4. Maximum impact will require maximum visibility
When thinking about Esther and her legacy it can be easy to forget all that it took for her to become so well renowned
For example, Esther 2:12 says that before she became queen she (and the other prospects) had to:
• Stay in the palace for a full year away from their family and friends
• Undergo beauty treatments
• Learn protocol etc
Before they even so much as a met the king, let alone got chosen to be his bride!
I say all of that to say, it can be easy to become discouraged in our own journeys
It can be easy to see what other people have achieved/are achieving and develop a mean case of comparisonitis
It can be easy to become discouraged at your (seeming) lack of progress
It can also be easy to feel things are taking too long
But Esther's story teaches us not to
In fact…
In my previous blog post, we discussed the 3 lessons that Ruth gives us about networking horizontally
Or, in the words of Issa Rae, “networking across” with your peers. Click here if you missed that, sis!
But here’s why I stated that networking up also has it’s place:
Whereas networking across allows you to kick start and actualise your dreams without the affirmation or approval of the powers that be within your industry, there are some seats at the table that you have to be invited to rather than create yourself.
For example, Ruth could not have gone from working in Boaz’ fields to owning them with him as his wife without him accepting her proposal (yes, you read that right! See Ruth 3 and 4). Likewise-
There are life and business goals that don’t happen without other people’s say so
For example, my godsister recently applied to start university this September. Without them accepting her, though, she couldn’t just show up to class and demand a degree! A friend of mine wants to start a charity but she has to go through the proper channels and authorities to get it registered. Likewise, when it comes to PR, you can’t get featured unless someone accepts your proposal or pitch- just as Boaz did for Ruth all those years ago.
So, how do we go about getting in front of these gatekeepers?
Well, to summarise what has already been alluded to, you must:
In my previous devotional, I mentioned that Ruth’s decision to follow Naomi led to her marrying Boaz. birthing children and becoming one of Jesus' fore-mothers- as Jesus was a direct descendant of hers (Ruth 4:13-22; Matthew 1:1-16)
You can click here to read it if you missed that, sis!
Now that was a cute little overview but, to be honest, that’s not strictly true, sis!
So last week, we talked about Moses’ sister-in-law (Elisheba) and the lessons she teaches us on why it’s important to know that God is our oath as we pursue our God given visions.
Today, we’ll be digging a little deeper in talking about:
How to know when to walk away from an opportunity
Why knowing God is your oath will help you in your decision making-
all of which I shared on my Facebook page this week via the (live) video below.
Exodus 6:23 reveals that Moses’ sister-in-law’s name was Elisheba (or Elisheva) which translates as "God is my oath". As women of purpose, this is important to know for 2 main reasons- all of which I shared on my Facebook page this week via the (live) video below.
There are 5 ladies of great significance in Moses’ early life, as detailed in Exodus 1 and 2:
Jochebed (his biological mother)
Shiphrah (his midwife)
Puah (also his midwife)
Miriam (his sister)
Pharaoh’s daughter (his adopted mother)
What struck me most about them is how they buck the traditional stereotype that women can’t get along! I mean, sis, they literally all came together in order to preserve their joint vision- protecting Moses and keeping him alive- despite the fact that the Pharaoh reigning at the time had commanded that all Hebrew boys be killed at birth!
Not only that, they did it successfully!
So clearly these 5 bad-ass women have a lot to teach us about the power of collaboration in bringing our God-given visions to life and how to do it- all of which I shared on my Facebook page this week via the (live) video below.
In today's interview, I will be talking about how to pray and discern the voice of God with none other than the amazing Destiny Thomas, who is an author, motivational speaker and a prayer and discernment coach.
By the end of this video you will know:
Some common misconceptions about prayer and how to avoid them
How to pray and discern the voice of God
And much more!
Sound like your cup of tea, lovely?
Great! You can do whatever it is you need to do to get comfortable and press play to access this awesome conversation, below:
