helpmate

Lessons from Esther on how to get on the radar of influencers in your industry/niche

Lessons from Esther on how to get on the radar of influencers in your industry/niche

There are some seats at the table that you have to be invited to rather than create yourself

This is known as vertical networking. For example, Esther would not have been able to get her audience with the king and save her people if she hadn’t first gotten on his radar as described in Esther 5:1-2:

“Now it happened on the third day [of her fast] that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne... So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favour in his sight, and… Esther went near [to speak to him]”

But how do we get close enough to the influencers within our industries to get on their radars in this new digital age?

How do we get to their inner courts, so to speak?

By being an asset to them and/or they’re community through:

Lessons from Esther on the difference between influence and manipulation

Lessons from Esther on the difference between influence and manipulation

Last week we talked about the importance of giving before you get when it comes to leveraging our relationships through networking

This was something that Esther did with the King by throwing him 2 wine banquets before she so much as broached the subject of saving her people. Click here if you missed that, sis

Which is known as harnessing the law of reciprocity

Here’s the thing, though…

There is a thin line between harnessing the law of reciprocity and being manipulative

Which is yet another reason that networking gets the reputation of being icky and gross

Here are some key differences between the 2:

Lessons from the ant on how to build a collaborative team

Lessons from the ant on how to build a collaborative team

One of my favourite books of the Bible is Proverbs. When I’m feeling particularly demotivated (typically first thing in the morning), my go to scripture is Proverbs 6:10-11:

A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

It literally snatches my edges and gathers me all the way together!

I’ve always really loved the lines before this scripture too. For example, Proverbs 6:6-8

Which reads:

Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.

Prior to my recent trip to Costa Rica, I always saw these lines a simple admonishment to:

  • Be a self-starter

  • Not procrastinate

  • Prepare

That all changed when I saw a group of ants in action and managed to capture it in the video below

Lessons from Eve on how to defy the curse & have a godly relationship

Lessons from Eve on how to defy the curse & have a godly relationship

So...if you've been rocking with me for a while then you will know that I have a real heart for women and all things female empowerment.

If you've been paying really close attention, you'll also know that a lot of the reason for this is because of things like:

  • Having a grandmother who was denied an education (whilst growing up in Nigeria) simply because she was female- restricting her options and quality of life

  • Witnessing multiple (other female) role models either forfeit their dreams, stay in abusive relationships or operate from a place of low self-worth

due to projected social norms, tradition and religion.

This is why I do what I do in terms of writing, mentoring, podcasting and speaking via the FarAboveRubiesCollection.com. (By changing the narrative for Christian women- one Bible story at a time- my mission is to help Christian women to know their worth, power and purpose so that they can speak up, step out and shine as women of God (rather than end up in the kinds of situations I grew up seeing)).

Well, recently I had the opportunity to take my message offline when I was invited to speak at the "Real Life" youth event at Edmonton Methodist Church, as shown via the video below.

Lessons from the Shulamite Woman on God's Timing

Lessons from the Shulamite Woman on God's Timing

Unlike most of the women that we have studied so far, The Shulamite Woman is a fictional character. She is featured in The Song of Solomon as one of the main protagonists alongside her “beloved”. This book of the Bible is an extended piece of lyrical poetry written by King Solomon which, on the surface, appears to be about romantic love (although, like most scriptures about love and marriage, it also contains some parallels between these and Christ’s relationship with the church). As such, The Shulamite Woman has much to teach us- not only about this topic- but adhering to God’s timing.

Lessons from Wisdom on How to be a Helper

Lessons from Wisdom on How to be a Helper

To excerpt from my guidebook, The Ultimate Guide to Eve-

The Holy Spirit (like God) has many different names, each reflecting an aspect of His nature. For example, He is called “the Spirit of truth,” (John 16:13; John 14:17; John 15:26), “the eternal Spirit” (Hebrews 9:14) and much more. However when Jesus first announced His coming, He addressed Him as “another Helper” (John 14:26; John 14:16) and outlined His role, which is basically to dwell within those that accept Jesus so that they might:

This is why on announcing the arrival of the Holy Spirit Jesus told His disciples that, although God’s presence had dwelt with them through Him up to that point, He would soon be in them (John 14:17). Through this indwelling of the Holy Spirit God is still able to manifest His powers through those who believe in Jesus, just like when He was present on the earth in human form. It is in this way that we are able to abide in Jesus as He abides in the Father and vice versa (John 15:5).

It is interesting to note Jesus’ use of the word “another” before the title Helper as it suggests that there had been a different type of helper prior to Jesus’ announcement, and there was- in the person of Eve- particularly in her role of wife (Genesis 2:18-25). The word “helper” is used to describe Eve specifically in Genesis 2:18, which suggests that Eve’s role as helper (and that of subsequent females) is actually symbolic of the Holy Spirit’s relationship to those who have accepted Christ (especially as marriage is a symbol of Christ's relationship with the church).

Lessons from the Church on (Mutual) Submission

Lessons from the Church on (Mutual) Submission

Did you know that the church is a woman? Well, she is! As detailed in my guidebook, The Ultimate Guide to Eve, Jesus is referred to as “the bridegroom” many times in scripture (John 3:29; Mark 2:19-20). Marriage symbolism is also used in relation to Him on several occasions (John 14:1-3; Ephesians 5:25-27), including the analogy of the church as Christ’s “bride” (2nd Corinthians 11:2; Revelations 19:7-9). 

Most people tend to think of church as simply being a building in which people worship God. Whilst this is true, the fact remains that the church is not just simply made up of bricks and mortar, but the people that comprise His network of believers (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1st Peter 2:4-5). As such, Ephesians 5 verse 22 says:

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything...."

Verse 32 of that same chapter then goes on to clarify:

"This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church."

One of the definitions of submission is to:

Accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person

Hence, in a nutshell, this is how I always heard submission taught growing up-

Men are "superior" to women/their wives because "woman came from man". As such, God made each man the "head of his household". Wives should therefore submit to their husbands (unquestioningly) because that is what men are entitled to and that's what a "good" or "godly" wife does.

That's all good and well in theory but what if the man is not subject to God and so is asking his wife to sin? What if the man is controlling, manipulative and/or abusive? What is the man is negligent of his responsibilities? What if the man stops the woman from walking in her God-given purpose? I saw many female relatives come under fierce attack for not submitting to their husbands, even under such circumstances. Yet the men were never held to the same standard or scrutiny. I know many others, women especially, that have had similar experiences and upbringings. It is because of these things that the mere mention of the word "submission" can be enough to:

  • Make some women's blood boil (!)
  • Make some women prefer to remain single
  • Cause some women to see God as unjust, since His words seems to promote inequality
  • Cause some women to believe that God doesn't love them or value women in general

Hence, the afore-mentioned scripture in Ephesians, shows us that the church has much to set the record straight on with regards to this controversial topic.

An Interview with V on the Proverbs 31 Woman

An Interview with V on the Proverbs 31 Woman

Today we have an interview from the amazing V, whose favourite woman of the Bible is the Proverbs 31 Woman. Read on for her great perspective on the how this Biblical woman is the "ideal" role-model for modern women, no matter what season of life they may be going through and despite the prevailing/popular beliefs of the day: