International Women’s Day March 8th, 2015

In light of International Women’s Day I wanted to take some space in the saturated pool of voices on the needs of women around the world. As I have been to a multitude of International Women’s Day events over the years, I have found one thing missing in the mantra of women’s rights in the secular events claiming to have the answers for not only women in the Majority World but for us in the First World. While it was always exciting to celebrate a day to lift up women and our needs and desires, it ultimately left me feeling like I wanted to stand up and shout that this is not all there is people….glass ceilings, education, access to medicine, and opportunity (whatever vagueness that suggested). While these are important things to discuss and have answers for, we, as Christians, have a far more powerful, exciting, fulfilling, uplifting and eternal answer to the needs of women around the world. The answer to the most fundamental human need, the need for a Savior, a Savior from our sin that marks us unworthy before a Holy God. The answer to our empty hearts and souls, the answer to our need for relationship, and the answer to why we desire to worship something. Jesus is the answer to our problems. The One who speaks life into the lifeless, healing in the hearts of the abused and wholeness to the broken. The One who gives joy despite our circumstances and fullness of life despite our bank accounts or education. 

This, this is why I am willing to go and be a drink offering poured out to the women of Zambia. My God has made a way, Jesus is the propitiation of my sins, the atoning sacrifice, the justification to a holy God and the sanctification of my life surrendered to Him as not only my Savior but my Lord. Jesus is the overcomer, the giver of life and the bondage breaker of strongholds and demonic power, if we bend our knee to Him. This is the message that the women of the world need to hear amongst the other voices. It is in the miraculous life of a believer, poor or rich, educated or uneducated, sick or healthy, that God’s power is seen and His love lived out. God is revealing His salvation to women who have humbled themselves around the globe, and increasingly to the world’s poorest. God’s name is being made famous, glory and honor are being given because poor, simple women bent their knee and surrendered. The harvest is ready….the altering of a woman’s eternal destination is at stake. Let us be the givers of food, freedom and FORGIVENESS! The world is desperately trying to answer the problems of extreme poverty, abuse, and violence against women. Let us be the problem fixers, the ones who will pray to overcome dark strongholds and intercede for women we have never met. To pray for angels to protect supernaturally and for battles to be won in the heavenly realms. For the Kingdom of Heaven to come to this earth through women who are willing to say, “I am the Lord’s servant…May it be to me as you have said.” 

My prayer is that the light of Heaven would flow out of me and that my hands would touch, write, hug, work, hold, dig, or whatever needs to be done to reach women who are lost. That my mouth would speak the Truth that brings freedom and that the Name that frightens every demon would be boldly proclaimed. That my mind would be renewed every day and my heart open to be searched by God that all sin, and worldliness would be eradicated from my life so I might be an empty vessel filled up and overflowing. I pray for any woman today that is reading this and is not sure of your eternal destination, that you would reach out to me or another believer who might share that God wants to transform you spiritually, physically and emotionally. All aspects of women are important and they all need to be addressed to be able to bring purpose to the poor, safety to the scared, and life to the lost. Pray today and intercede with me for women around the globe, imagine their lives and ask God to give you women to pray for, countries to claim for God’s kingdom and miraculous stories that would only point to our Lord and Savior. 

Blessings to all my woman friends and the women of history that have sacrificed to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a dying world.