Staff Picks for Women’s History Month

God is not confined to the limits of humanity; He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, and the story of Sarah provides evidence of this.

“God, I am yours. I’ve been awakened to the idea that I’m part of a Kingdom much bigger than me. My life is an eternal flame that can burn on forever.” Rarely do we talk about the obedience that accompanies faith. Jesus is trying to build a house in Godly wisdom, and he requires our obedience. Silently, ask God, “What do you require of me”? How will you respond to His request?

Throughout those times, I’ve adopted a few attitudes and patterns along the way that I believe have been foundational for anyone looking to sustain longevity in their career. These ways of living and leading have been learned through high seasons and challenging ones, and my prayer is that they blow fresh wind into your heart as you work day by day in the lane God has called you to. So, without further ado, here are ten lessons for longevity: Choose to trust In any relationship working or personal, there will at times be a gap in information or understanding about why something is being done or has happened. It is up to us to CHOOSE what we fill that gap with; trust or doubt. If you find yourself wondering why something has not been clearly communicated to you, decide to trust your supervisor or manager. It may just be that details are not final yet, or they are not at liberty to share information right away. It won’t always be easy, but filling the gap with suppositions and assumptions never helps the relationship between you and the other person or the situation at hand. Real lasting damage and denigration can happen when we try to work alongside someone we spend our time doubting. Conversely, choosing to trust your team will strengthen your relationships and organization as a whole. Choosing trust over suspicion is a vital principle to remind yourself of in working relationships and friendships alike. Keep short accounts These words have been gold and apply to our professional and personal relationships. Don’t let hurt feelings, bitterness or misunderstandings grow and remain unaddressed. When you know you have hurt someone or acted poorly, take ownership of the moment and apologize. You will gain so much respect for recognizing this moment. Similarly – when you have been hurt, in love, go to the person who hurt you. Starting this difficult conversation with a chance for reconciliation can change the whole direction of the interaction. Try opening with, “when you did/said ____, it made me feel _____, and there may be a chance you may not have realized that.” Creating an inviting opportunity for conversation and reconciliation is hard, but it’s the hallmark of a healthy Christian. Negatives up, Positives down Never go sideways with gossip or complaints. To keep a healthy team, this is a must. We never solve anything when we start to turn to our left and right to complain. This passing on of “information” is gossip. When you are frustrated, take it to your supervisor. This is being solution-minded and keeps your team/organization moving in a healthy direction. Allowing the negatives to go down or sideways is like fertilizing a garden with something toxic. It never solves a problem and only builds frustration. The other side of this coin is the passing on positive information or even the praise of an accomplished goal. Choosing to share the good and not keep it all for yourself ensures you contribute to and help grow a team’s healthy culture. Don’t miss out on moments In ministry, it is REALLY easy to fall into the execution mindset and step away from experiencing Jesus. Missing out on those Holy moments is also the fastest road to burnout. If you work on Sundays, make it a non-negotiable to attend a gathering to worship and listen. We cannot stop growing and being fed by the Word of God just because we are part of bringing it to other people. Working for a church or ministry is a fantastic privilege, but the exerted effort is meant to be a wringing out of what God is doing within us. When we are running on empty, we have nothing to give. Satan would like nothing more than burned out, dry believers to be the ones leading the Church! You are responsible for your own leadership and development This principle applies to all areas – professional, spiritual, emotional and physical. It is easy to understand this with our physical development – no one will get you into shape other than you. You have to work out; you have to eat the right things. This principle can be harder to see in the different areas of our development, but it’s just as important. It is not solely your supervisor’s or your organization’s responsibility to develop you. If you are not taking ownership of yourself, then their efforts may end up wasted. Find a mentor, read books on different subjects, listen to podcasts, take someone to coffee or lunch who you want to learn from, and ask specific and better questions. When it comes to emotional development, stay in tune with your heart. Pay attention when anger, bitterness, jealousy and other emotions are creeping in. Much like a physical trainer helps you learn to learn healthy patterns, a counselor can help you learn healthy habits for your emotions – this is often the best investment you can make in yourself and will be a gift you give to your future or current spouse or children. Breaks / Margin / Sabbath Just as we are responsible for our growth, we are also responsible for our rest. You are the one who determines when you take breaks, how you create margin and how and when you Sabbath. All are critical for longevity and emotional, mental and spiritual rest (and they each look different). A break is a short time where we step away for a deep breath and fresh perspective. Margins are determining what we allow in our lives. Sabbath is where we find our refreshment in Jesus. Failing to prioritize each of these will expedite our burnout and exhaustion. Keeping a healthy heart and perspective in ministry is the only way forward if you desire longevity. Be the thermostat, not the thermometer Take ownership for setting the tone on your team. Whether you are an intern or you lead the team, you can do this. Where a thermometer does a fantastic job of reporting the current temperature, what your team needs is someone who, like a thermostat, is willing to set the atmosphere of any given room. Rise above what already is. When you come with energy, encouragement, positivity and expectation, you will begin to shift the atmosphere around you and change your team’s tone. Position is never equal to power No matter how far you advance in your career, title or position, we never win if we equate that with power. Leading with a servant’s posture will always lead to an increase in influence. Humility as a leader models for those following you that a leadership position is not to be used as leverage for the leader’s benefit. This kind of humility isn’t about thinking less of yourself; it’s about thinking about yourself less. It is possible to be humble AND demonstrate excellence simultaneously. Build your tool belt Often we may be tempted to turn down a job or opportunity that doesn’t fit our plan. Small opportunities may be God’s way of equipping you for a larger one to come. Prayerfully consider the open doors. Don’t discredit the small and humble opportunities. Most likely, God is giving you the chance to develop a skill you will need for a future, more significant opportunity. For me, this looked like serving as a cook at a summer camp and cooking for 100 campers and staff. Little did I realize that in learning how to do this, I learned how to project-manage, a skill that would prepare me for my future of planning, leading, and executing events. After all, if all the parts of dinner are not ready to eat simultaneously, you can’t have dinner. Successfully pulling off events as large as Passion in an arena or a LIFT Conference with 30 breakouts requires a similar project-management mindset. Responsibility over authority Your responsibility should always exceed your authority. Thinking that something is “not my responsibility” leads to a competitive culture. Having an ownership mentality gives you the desire to make your organization better. Seeing an organizational issue but not feeling responsible leads to unhealthy competition and aggressive competition between teams. Be FOR each other in all areas! You can change so much by changing something small. Often in an organization, people gravitate towards the large or showy tasks because they come with the most recognition, but in truth, it’s the people who take ownership of the details who end up having an impact that exceeds themselves. These are just a few of the lessons I’ve learned over my almost two decades in ministry, and while I experienced them in that setting, I pray that they help you wherever you work. These principles are ones I carry in my profession and personal life and help me to always keep Jesus on display no matter what situation I find myself in. I hope they are helpful to you as you move through your career, and I’m cheering you on as you run your race!

Jackie Hill Perry offers a powerful reminder that lasting hope is found in the resurrection, not life’s circumstances.

Sadie Robertson Huff urges us to stop hiding from God and embrace obedience, unlocking His fullness for our lives.

Christine Caine challenges us to silence distractions, embrace our identity in Christ, and prioritize God's voice over all others.

Katherine Wolf shares her inspiring story of suffering, perseverance, and hope, encouraging us to shift our mindset from the “what ifs” to “what is.” She teaches that if we’re looking for an escape hatch from the “what if” loop, we must have hope in God.

Aynsley Younker teaches that Jesus is the only way because He did the work—by dying on the cross for everyone in the world for eternity. While we address this pivotal question in faith, we stand on the truths of who God is, believing that the Bible is true and that He is real.

THE WORLD’S MESSAGE IS SIMPLE: YOU ARE ENOUGH. ALL ON YOUR OWN, you are enough. But that mantra fails us—either because, deep down, we know we aren’t enough or because our self-esteem inflates us to the point that we charge through life independent of God and people. Either outcome leaves us lonely and disappointed. Self-esteem is not the answer. So why are we working so hard to do life, to make a difference, and to be great all on our own? Scripture describes Jesus as the light shining into the darkness and becoming the light of men.1 When I think about light, I realize that every single light humans have ever built requires energy or some force to light it. Flashlights, car lights, lamps—they all pull energy from some other source that can become drained or depleted. Then I think of the light God creates. Fire, the sun, the stars all burning with great force—all the light He creates needs nothing to exist. It needs no other energy source. It just is. When we find ourselves striving so hard to make a difference, to be enough, and to be important, it’s as though we’re trying to produce light on our own. And guess what happens when people try to produce anything in their own strength? We get tired. We experience a drain of energy, just like every man-made light that has ever been created. So what if instead of trying to create light, we simply received light? That sounds so much more fun to me—and so much easier. We make lousy lights because we were built to enjoy and reflect light, not to produce it. The vision of God for our lives is that we would receive His light and then give light to the world. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” Most of the time the New Testament refers to Jesus as being the Light, but when His Spirit lives in us, we are the light of the world. We receive who Jesus is and then give that away. The degree to which you believe and embrace your identity as a Spirit-filled child of God will be the degree to which His light shines through you. You are God’s and He is yours. He is in you and through you and with you. That is your identity. And when you choose to embrace it, it changes everything. If you embraced your true identity, you wouldn’t just be able to rest from striving to do impossible things; you would be able to sit in awe of this fierce, crazy, awesome, and uncontainable Light that is fully accessible to you. With Jesus as your light source, you can stop spinning, and simply reflect the light He gives. MEDITATE The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5) REWIRE THE SPIRAL I can rest from striving, and God can still move through me. PRAYER God, I want to know what it is to enjoy and reflect Your light, rather than trying so hard to create my own. Please shine on and through me today. Amen.”   To grab your copy of Jennie Allen’s devotional, Stop the Spiral, click here. Excerpted from Stop the Spiral Devotional by Jennie Allen. Copyright © 2024 by Jennie Allen. Published by WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Used by permission.

Scrolling isn’t the same as sympathy. Followers don’t compare to fellowship. And the art of aesthetics pales in comparison to the art of authenticity. You have influence right now, right where you are. With algorithms forcing influencers and too-relevant reels to interrupt our screens constantly—the temptation to believe that your following is equivalent to the capacity of your calling is ever-present.  But the invitation to step into your influence right where you are for the sake of the Kingdom is trajectory-shifting. If we were face-to-face right now enjoying your go-to drink order in your favorite hometown coffee shop (can never go wrong with an almond milk cappuccino), I would look you in the eyes and tell you this in love:  You don’t need a huge following to make a difference; you just need to tap into the influence God has given you today.  This is something so counter-cultural to what we see happening online, but here are a few practical ways you can tap into your influence right where you are. 1. Share the gospel. I once heard Jonathan Pokluda, Lead Pastor of Harris Creek Church, share a leadership nugget in a podcast I loved. He was in a team meeting and asked the people around him if they had shared the gospel lately. They all hadn’t, so he encouraged them to share the gospel and come back to work once they had done so. Those people weren’t the lead pastor preaching each Sunday, but he wanted them to share the gospel regularly. Not because they had growing platforms or countless followers—but because they had influence and it was essential to their mission. As believers, we have the invitation to share the gospel right where we are.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20 We’re told to share the gospel.  We’re not told to share the gospel only if… We have __ amount of followers. We have an audience. It’s convenient. We have the right blog. We have a book publishing deal to share it in. It fits into our schedule. Somebody puts us on a platform. We feel like it. We’re told to share the gospel…no asterisk attached. 2. Ask yourself the question, “How am I stewarding what I’ve been given?”  It doesn’t matter how big your following is as much as it matters what you’re doing with the following you have. Whether you have 3 followers or 3 million, how are you bringing hope, light, and the power of Jesus to the people in your sphere of influence? At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for stewarding what God has given us well, regardless of our social networks. Luke 16:10 says, Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Are you being faithful with what God has given you?  If you don’t aim to make an eternal significance with the influence you have now, what will make you decide to make an eternal significance with a bigger audience? 3. Recognize your influence instead of focusing on the influence you wish you had.  When I think of somebody who shared their influence regardless of the cultural barriers around her or the lack of followers she had, I think about the Samaritan woman. She didn’t go to Jerusalem to get a huge following—she went to her hometown and told as many people as possible about Jesus and what He had done. Why? Because she was so overwhelmed with awe and wonder she had to share it with as many people as she could.  She told the whole city about the One who knew everything she had ever done but saved her anyway. The best part? It led to much of that town being saved. Who has God put in front of you to connect with? Let’s be intentional with the friends surrounding us. Let’s share endless hope with the people at our gyms. Let’s be a light to the other parents at our child’s school. Let’s cultivate the art of authenticity in our lives to propel others into the mission and vision of the gospel. Let’s ask God to clarify who our people are to pour into, and let’s watch Him show up above and beyond what we’d imagine.  The Enemy would love for the influence you don’t have to distract you from the influence you do have.  It’s his low-hanging fruit plan we saw play out in the garden. God abundantly gave to Adam and Eve—but the Enemy distracted them with what they didn’t have. You’re not missing out on anything. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” The season, people, and influence God has intentionally placed right in front of you is too good to miss.

A Thanksgiving dinner conversation about how our faith drives voting decisions turns into a fiery political debate. A class discussion on an author’s religious views spirals into accusatory ridicule between students. A social media post turns into comment after comment of half-informed, emotionally charged, rashly-typed responses. And my suspicion is that you and I have yet to see these be effective for the gospel.  So what if it looked different? What if we didn’t enter apologetics with the fear (or defensiveness) of expecting combative attacks? What if our conversations—even when they ended with both people still holding firmly to opposing beliefs—were marked by reasonable open-mindedness, sincere desires to grow in understanding, commitments to upholding truth, and respect for others’ experiences and intelligence as fellow image-bearers of God? (Genesis 1:27) Scripture tells us to be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in us, but to do so with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Our conversations are to be full of grace and seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6-7) as we seek to imitate Jesus, who was full of both grace and truth (John 1:14).  So, how do we approach apologetics in a godly manner? 1. See with love.  Scripture tells us that even our best words—in this case, our best apologetical arguments—are no better than clanging cymbals or resounding gongs if they aren’t rooted in and delivered with love (1 Corinthians 13:1). And if love is the first attribute Paul mentions in describing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), we need to begin by praying for the Spirit to cultivate the fruit of love in us as only He can—fruit that is a byproduct of abiding in Jesus (John 15:4).  Our love alone—a supernatural love that compels us to love not only those who love us but all people, including our enemies—is an apologetic in itself (Luke 6:32-35).  As we discuss meaningful (and complicated) topics of faith with those who don’t yet trust in Jesus, we can powerfully demonstrate His love in us by the way we listen. By this, I mean sincerely, actively, wholeheartedly listen—not just the “listening” we do when we aren’t speaking, but are distracted by our own thoughts and mentally forming our next response. Do we love the one we’re speaking to enough to seek their perspectives and hang-ups with Jesus, the Bible, or the Church? Are we willing to consider and be compassionate towards the personal reasons they may have for opposing Christianity, such as being treated poorly by Christians? Do we love them enough to let our hearts be softened by their story, broken over their pain, and passionate for them to know, trust, and follow Jesus, who loved us all first (1 John 4:19)?  The better we seek to understand and listen to others, the more likely they are to seek to understand and listen to us.  In our love, they may also see the first evidence of Jesus and His life-changing love by the reflection of Him in us.  2. Start on common ground.  Apologetics can be quick to escalate into combative (and unhelpful) arguments when we lead with all the ways we disagree, imitating a courtroom scenario in which all burden of proof is on our side to convince the other person that God exists, the Bible is credible, and Jesus can be trusted.  Instead, we should start on the common ground that we all have to build our lives, in faith, on beliefs about how the world started, what makes humans unique, who defines good and evil, what (if any) justice we are all held to, and what happens after we die.  No one, not even an atheist, can avoid faith. The question now becomes: what (or who) are we placing our faith in? None of us were here to witness firsthand the origin of the earth. Whether we believe it was caused by intelligent design or entirely naturalistic causes, we must believe this in faith. When we start on this common ground, we can then discuss which we believe to be more reasonable and why.  Another point of common ground is found in acknowledging we all hold to an absolute truth. Whether the person you’re talking to believes no one religion is right or that everyone should “live their truth” based on what they inwardly sense to be true, they are still claiming their belief is exclusively right. They are not being inclusive, for example, of our belief that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  We must choose a way of faith and the truths that will form our worldview. As Christians, we believe the way and truth of Jesus is the most reasonable, compelling, trustworthy answer to the questions of life we all must answer in faith.  3. Share your journey.  The people I’ve talked to in apologetics conversations tend to appreciate my own sharing of wrestling with faith. I put my faith in Jesus at a young age. Still, I’ve had to face all kinds of doubts and questions as I’ve grown older—in my public school education, reading (or scrolling), history books, news headlines, and conversations with co-workers, neighbors, family members, and friends.  What doubts have you faced in your relationship with Jesus? Despite those difficult challenges, why do you still trust and follow Him? What truths do you cling to when people ask hard questions like, “How could a kind God allow suffering?” or “If God is loving, how can He send people to Hell?” There are good answers to these questions that many have articulated in beautiful ways—answers that have been lifelines and guiding lights in my own wrestling, keeping me tethered to the faith I still believe with all my heart.  Sharing our own grappling with these complex ideas demonstrates that we, too, want to be rationalists—eager to acknowledge and answer challenging questions with a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)—and realists—engaging the realities of life while anchoring hope in the reality of God in heaven. In all this, we can pray the Holy Spirit leads them to consider our way of life and imitate our faith (Hebrews 13:7)—ultimately looking not to us but to the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).  4. Play the long game.  Our goal in apologetics is not just to win an argument (while alienating the one we’re arguing with). We have to be willing to play the long game. Are we building towards the possibility of a lifelong relationship with this co-worker, neighbor, or friend in which they always feel they can come to us for a safe, kind, compassionate space to process questions and doubts?  Before we speak, do we ask ourselves whether our words will set us up better or worse for future conversations (that this individual may have with us or with other Christians)? Are our actions and speech making this time more or less likely to end in a spirit of humility, thoughtfulness, respectfulness, and thankfulness for one another’s honesty? Apologetics should be a long game—all in service to the everlasting God who plays the longest game of eternity.  We cannot argue, reason, or persuade anyone into salvation by our own strength. When the pride of our heart deceives us into thinking otherwise (Obadiah 1:3), we are often tempted to be impatiently forceful in our human understanding rather than acknowledging and trusting in the Lord to direct our apologetic steps (Proverbs 3:5-6).  Some of us will plant seeds of faith; others will water them. Still, God alone can give the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6).  As we pray and hope in Him to do the work that only He can do in those around us, He will keep our yoke easy and burden light (Matthew 11:28-30) as we love others, seek common ground, share our journey, and play the long game—a game that only He can win over others souls as He draws them to Himself.

Much of my life had been covered in abuse and addiction, which led me to prefer anonymity over applause. Even as an unbeliever, I felt unclean and uncomfortable. In God’s pursuit of my heart, I wrestled with making myself “better” before surrendering to Him. Until I couldn’t. I remember telling my wise, Jesus-loving mentor, “I am exhausted trying to be good enough for God.”  Her response was, “You will never be good enough. Come, just as you are.” And I did. I conceded to the beckoning voice of a Savior trying to get my attention. My arrival at the foot of the cross was hesitant because I knew I was a mess. Not only was my life a wreck, but I was dirty—covered in sin-filled scum, which carried sin-filled shame. The Heavenly Father met me with more grace than I knew what to do with. He extended kindness, gentleness, patience, and love. Concepts foreign to me became gifts as my life was being transformed daily. Salvation by faith through grace happens instantly. Growth does not.  The moment I yielded my heart to Christ, I became a loved daughter of the King. Nevertheless, my eyes were opened to my past mistakes and present guilt. Every wrong done to me and the wrongdoing I was complicit in was marked with shame. Shame. This was new to me, but actually, even from the very beginning of humanity, shame was a tool the serpent used to push us away from God. Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden and were not ashamed. Two bites and ten verses later, they were hiding from their Creator. They not only sought satisfaction from the forbidden fruit, but they were now clothed literally and figuratively with disgrace. Humankind would now bear the weight of sin and the byproduct of shame. We—like Adam and Eve—make choices and suffer consequences that cause us to hide. Our mess makes us feel exposed; thus, we bury secrets, mask pain, and deny culpability. However, God bids us to come to Him. He knows our nature (Psalm 103:14), and He is aware that only His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9). This journey of grace is not a quick trip to the convenience store; it is a progressive pilgrimage. One which requires sorrow, surrender, and assurance. In this pilgrimage, there are three steps we can take toward embracing the grace God has freely given us. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  Ephesians 1:4-6 Acknowledge and confess your mess. Our Father chose us before the world was set in motion, and He knows how our stories will unfold. He is not surprised by brokenness nor startled by our rebellion. In fact, He ordained our days (Psalm 139:16), so the chapters of injustice and iniquity are already well known. There is no need to hide.  In coming to the place of acknowledging and confessing our sin to God, peace enters in. We can experience holy sorrow about our sin, repent, and move forward. Accept God’s unconditional love. Having knowledge of something is not the same as embracing it. We may know God loves us, but remain skeptical of the magnitude of His acceptance. In truth, it is more than acceptance; it is an unconditional, permanent belonging. God happily chose the messy us in extravagant love to be forever adopted. Woah.  He initiates, but we respond by trusting His love, forgiveness, and adoption. The mercy and grace of God are garments meant to clothe us in His righteousness for us to know we are His sons and daughters. Align your heart and mind to trust His truth. Awareness, acknowledgment, and adoption must move us to align our posture to marry His. The process is kindred to a metamorphosis, which is not instant nor linear.  Our thoughts, as well as our feelings, must traverse an ascent. The Israelites knew this all too well. Most scholars believe that pilgrims would climb to Jerusalem, the holy pinnacle in Israel, several times a year. They would worship on the journey by singing the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134). It signified a spiritual high point at the completion of a step-by-step journey. By reciting scripture in chorus, the Hebrew people informed their hearts and minds of truth amidst hard times.  How applicable in view of our own transformation? It is an upward movement, a climb, an ascent. We admit and lament our sin-wrecked life. We fully accept the love and mercy of Jesus to clothe our weaknesses. We allow His truth-filled promises to root deeply in our hearts and minds. Three practical ways I learned to crush shame at its core were to read scripture audibly, journal truth consistently, and worship abundantly. Psalm 23, Psalm 103, Psalm 139, Romans 5, and Ephesians 2 are a few powerful passages to speak aloud (yes, out loud!) so your soul can hear your voice declare truth. Set aside time to write. Committing pen to paper invites us to record and meditate on things that are true and right. In addition, create a worship playlist with songs that convey the radical grace of God. Like the garden narrative, our shame frequently prompts us to run and hide. The exposure feels vulnerable, and the urge to hide is natural. However, in the same way, God clothed Adam and Eve, He will provide you the perfect hiding place in the love of Jesus.  Rejecting shame was not a denial of my past, it was accepting the grace of Jesus to cover my messiness. On this side of heaven, the journey is traveled on a dirt road. I am reminded often that I’m still a dust-covered daughter in need of repentance and renewal. However deep our mess goes, His grace goes deeper.  And grace is enough.