Emboldening Women To Move Past BarriersSample

All-in for Jesus Jesus’ Great Commandment, found in Mark 12:30, should compel all his followers, regardless of gender, to love him with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength, right? Not everyone feels women should pursue knowing God, teaching about God, and using their spiritual gifts to serve God. Others offer gracious encouragement because they want to see everyone thrive, including women. Has anyone told you to ease up, slow down, or stop because you are a woman? If so, I hope I am not the first to tell you they were wrong. Our communities of faith are finally starting to hear our voices, and institutional change continues across the board. But some people still caution women to stay in their places. Some women still wrestle with the tension of Jesus’ aspirational words in the Great Commandment and the harsh filter of reality. We have made loving God with our heart and soul women’s work and loving God with our mind and strength men’s work, but the Bible tells a different story altogether: women matter to God as much as men do. The Great Commandment of Mark 12:30 teaches that God expects the faithful to be all-in for Jesus. Jesus explained that the highest goal of all Christ-followers is to give oneself completely to God and then to others (see verse 31)—this includes both genders. Are women shrinking back, diminishing their voices, and resisting the prompting of the Holy Spirit because we feel too uneasy to be all-in with our faith? Do we allow seeds of doubt  hold us back from serving God in the home, at work, and everywhere in between? Maybe doubt-filled questions about what we can and can’t do occupy our minds because we are not prepared to answer the real question: Why did God put me here? Does the Great Commandment pop into your brain when you give an account of your identity and calling? It takes on different shapes based on how God has wired you, but at your core, you are called to love God with reckless abandon. There may be barriers that are holding you back from living the Great Commandment. You may be tempted to put roles above the first and second greatest commandments. This is idolatry. Your life stage, age, relationship status, titles, or roles do not determine how you experience the fullness of God’s plan for your life. These are certainly valuable, but loving God and loving others are your highest calling. You may struggle with what it means to be submissive and strong at the same time. We need to take our cues from Jesus, who submitted to God’s will to die on a cross and did so without compromising his supernatural power. Embracing Jesus’ calling on your life means weeding out mixed messages and making course corrections. Scripture can guide you in removing any lies that get in the way of surrender to God’s calling on your life. Through ancient words inspired thousands of years ago, our Savior continues to invite women into his timeless priorities, and in doing so, he shows us his plan. Throwing caution to the wind, let’s be all-in for Jesus. That’s what he’s always intended for us. No more holding back. Respond What perceptions of women serving God have you held in the past? How do your perceptions line up with God’s call on your life? What role does Scripture play in discerning God’s call on your life? What would it look like for you to be all-in for Jesus?