Do you want to start actively working towards becoming a more bold and empowered Christian woman?

I’m not talking about a New Year’s resolution that only lasts a few weeks. I’m talking about serious, long-term transformation. If you answered “Yes!” then join me as I unpack the one thing that you absolutely must have in place…the very foundational focus that must be a top priority…in order to grow in empowerment.

I’m also going to explain why this focus is so vital - and set you up for lasting success by arming you with practical, daily tips to help you keep it front and center. Let’s do it!

Links mentioned in the episode:

Shop hardback journals: ​​https://rdbl.co/3pwFxG2 

Shop spiral notebooks: https://rdbl.co/3Fw8lUQ

Show Notes:

• Intro

  • Why, hello there, friend! Welcome to 2022! It’s been about two weeks since my last podcast, and I hope your holiday season was as good as mine. One of the reasons I actually took that time off was so I could focus on planning out things for my business, Relate Escape, for this year - and I was able to do that and more! It’s always nice to be able to focus and rest and head into a new year feeling prepared and ahead of things.

  • And speaking of being prepared and successful…that’s what I want for you as we head into this year, too. Or, if you’re listening to this episode in the future…maybe you found it from Apple Podcasts, or my Pinterest, or my website…I want you to be set-up for success, too.

  • I have a lot of amazing topics planned for the podcast in the upcoming months. But as I said, I want a strong start for you. I want to start at Step #1 because if that’s not in place in the way it needs to be, the rest of what I’ll be sharing in future episodes isn’t going to be as potent for you. Why? Because this particular item is the foundation that your empowerment needs to be built on as a Christian woman. And warrior for Jesus.

  • So what is this one thing, you’re probably asking? To some of you, it may sound rudimentary or “Duh!” in one sense. But in numerous ways, it’s not. So I want you to hang on with me for a bit here. ‘Cause, again, this is crucial to your success.

• The most important trait of an empowered Christian woman is that her identity is rooted in Jesus. 

  • On one hand, this probably seems like a no-brainer. Or maybe it doesn’t. I’ve belonged to several churches where the name of Jesus is rarely even mentioned - let alone connected to our identity. 

  • So if this is the first time you’re hearing this, let me offer a brief description and explanation so you know what I’m referring to. (And for those who may have dug into this before, this is a great reminder and refresher.) To have your identity rooted in Jesus means that who you are, where you find your value and worth, and how you approach life…basically all the foundational aspects of life…are rooted in Jesus. And His teachings. And your relationship with Him.

  • This doesn’t mean that you stop seeing yourself as a child of God. But as a Christian woman, you are a follower of Christ. (That’s what a Christian is.) And Jesus points to the Father.

  • Your identity is the sum of your beliefs, character, what makes you you and sets you apart from everyone else. It’s central to everything - what choices you make; how you see yourself; how you see and interact (or react) to others; all the things. Everything.

  • And where that identity is rooted is going to have a very large effect, good or bad, on your life. Including, but not limited to, how empowered you are. And where you’re trying to build that empowerment on top of.

  • Think of your identity as a plant. Pick your favorite flower and just picture it in your head. Don’t have it planted yet; just picture it kinda floating above two pots - as if you’re about to replant it.

  • This flower is your identity. And when it comes to where it’s rooted, there are two main possibilities. One, we can root our identity in Jesus. So picture one of those pots as having rich soil. There aren’t any weeds. It has just the right amount of water. There’s no rocks or other debris. It provides the perfect conditions for solid growth into a strong plant.

  • The other possibility is rooting our identity in anything that isn’t Jesus - so things of the world (like work performance, how much we weigh, what others try to define us as). Or idols (things we place higher than God or Jesus). Or old wounds that we can’t seem to get past. Or toxic relationships that we can’t bear to leave despite knowing we probably should. Or lies from the Enemy (such as that we’re too different, we’re “too much,” no one wants to love us, we can’t do better, etc.).

  • That pot has the perfect conditions to stem growth. Hardly any water; it’s dry and dusty soil. It’s not fertilized so the soil has little or no nutrients. It has rocks or other debris in it. Weeds are the only thing that are surviving there - and they can’t wait to choke the life out of you. (Or, in our visual metaphor here, your flower.)

  • This is why it is so amazingly crucial to have your identity rooted in Jesus versus all these other things.

  • Now, does this mean you have to shed all the things you’re currently carrying, all by yourself, before you can root your identity in Jesus? No; that is absolutely not the case. We’re not called to be perfect. Plus, we need Jesus to heal our wounds; to help us weed out the things that need to go; and to help us make the hard choices or take the hard actions. We need Jesus in order to grow and move forward; which is another reason our identity has to be rooted in Him. This is all one big, very important circle of growth.

  • Does this mean that your identity can’t include other parts of yourself? Like your personality, your dreams, your God-given calling…again, the answer is absolutely not. There is certainly more to your identity - it’s a combination of many things. But the focus here is where is it rooted? Because the roots of your identity determine or affect all other aspects of your identity.

  • If the roots of your identity aren’t in Jesus…then it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to be aware of - or living out - your God-given calling or dreams. It’s also highly unlikely that you’ll make decisions based on His direction or where He’s trying to lead you - however scary or crazy it seems. Instead, your decisions might be based on your idols, what others say you should do, what lies the Enemy is whispering in your ear. 

  • Can you see how the roots of your identity are very, very important? Or should I say, can you see how having your identity rooted in Jesus is very pivotal?

  • If you want to become more empowered…your identity has to be in Jesus. It has to be; there’s no way around it.

  • I’ve mentioned this before, but when I was called to start this podcast, I was specifically directed to include the words “Jesus” and “empowered” in the title. That was very, very clear.

  • And this is a main reason why - what we’re discussing here today. That directive wasn’t because Jesus just randomly wanted His name included. And it wasn’t a SEO choice, because “empowered” isn’t a highly searched word. (Though it might be by the time He’s done what He’s aiming to do with my business and this podcast - because that word is everywhere.)

  • No, it’s because you have to be rooted in Jesus in order to transform into the empowered Christian woman that God created you to be. That you’re intended to be.

  • You don’t have to have a killer body or warrior skills like Wonder Woman. You don’t have to give up your love for domestic pursuits or stop being the person you are. You don’t have to “fix” everything about yourself all by yourself (your wounds, challenges, etc.) - to go back to what I just mentioned a bit ago.

  • You just need to put Jesus first. You need to make following Him, wherever He leads, the top priority - and trust Him in the process. To have faith. You need to dig into Scripture, and podcasts, and resources so that you’re basing your self-worth, and value, and sense of being loved through God, Jesus, and the Word. And not the world. 

  • Not Instagram. Not constant comparison to other women online - or in real life. Or what your toxic partner says - or anyone else who puts you down. Not even the lies in your head that you’ve come to believe. It’s time to stop giving those negative thoughts power.

  • Give all of it to Jesus. And keep Him the main focus. The top priority. And allow Him to do the work that needs done in you in order to heal you, strengthen you, and empower you.

  • So how can you do that? Don’t worry - I’m going to arm you with some practical tips that you can start implementing today - even right now:

    • 1) Make sure you have daily time with Jesus (and/or God)

      • Whether that’s prayer time; reading the Bible; listening to a faith-based podcast; journaling…whatever that looks like for you. And it can be different every day. It doesn’t have to be longer than a few minutes, either. Focus on establishing consistency through smaller bites of time that are easier to adhere to. The big idea is to have this daily time established and, eventually, naturally turned into a habit. But by keeping Jesus, the Word, and your Heavenly Father front and center, it keeps your roots in the right place.

    • 2) Subscribe to this podcast

      • This is not a shameless plug. I want you to pause this episode right now and subscribe on whatever platform you’re listening to this on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, etc. Why? Because I want to make sure that you’re consuming at least one Jesus-based, faith-packed, Biblically legit resource that is specifically aimed at helping you build your empowerment as a Christian woman. If Jesus put this episode or podcast on your radar, it was probably for a reason. 

    • 3) As you go through daily life, and you’re facing decisions - especially big ones - I want you to stop and ask yourself, “Which choice/solution/response aligns with being rooted in Jesus?”

      • This can include major life decisions or smaller decisions. Or what seems like smaller decisions because the Enemy is really good at getting us off-track by putting things in front of us that are seemingly small and harmless. And then, before we know it, we’re way down an icky road that is far from God.

      • This will also cast a light upon what things need to be dealt with. Again, not by yourself. You give them to God. But it starts with being aware. For example, if when you pause and think about the choice before you, you realize that your initial response was coming from fear, or idolatry, or a lie you’ve come to believe about yourself, that gives clarity. You might not have realized this thing was an issue; that it even existed; or that it was affecting your decisions and your life in this way.

      • But that pause, before making a decision, and asking yourself if it’s aligned with being rooted in Jesus, provides space for recognition and clarity. We need to remember that (a) we are a complex creature with a lot of layers that we’re not always aware of, and (b) our modern world has taught us to be reactive. Not to stop and think; to just react and do. An empowered Christian woman acts from a place of wisdom. We stop and give things proper thought so that we’re aware and can make better choices. 

      • If it helps, keep a written record of thoughts and the things that are being revealed to you so that you can also start to see patterns. Can be a Google Doc, a hardback journal, etc. (If you like notebooks or journals, I have several inspirational and empowering designs in my store. I’ll include direct links in the show notes.)

  • I know it can seem scary to dig into things. But empowerment does not come from ignoring things. Empowerment comes from facing things - and as Christian women, we don’t have to do that alone. Jesus is right there with us. God is with us. The Holy Spirit is with us. And they know what we can handle. (Just because you become aware of several things doesn’t mean Jesus will tackle more than you can deal with at any given moment.) They know how to comfort us. How to best love us, guide us, lovingly build us up.

  • And, sister, I have personally walked this road. I used to hate the idea of journaling or digging into what was really going in. I used to be where you are…feeling this desire in me to be empowered even though I was the farthest thing from it at the time. I didn’t feel strong…but we don’t have to be or feel something in order for Jesus to get us there. He will; I can attest to that. That’s one of the many, many amazing things about being a Christian and following Jesus. Who you are today is not who you will always be. There’s hope. There’s live. There’s freedom. There’s authority. There’s empowerment. Because there’s Jesus.