Hey Lady,

I’ll get to the rah-rah, hype-you-up part of this letter in a moment, but I wanted to start off reminding you simply that the effort you put into leading a small group or bringing together a group of women to dive into Scripture is worth it. 

If one girl shows up, it is worth it.

If you text twenty friends and no one responds, your effort is still worth it.

If you are leading a weekly Bible study with three girls or thirty, your effort and time is worth it.

You see, the Lord doesn’t look at the result or metric of our effort as deeming it something to be praised, He looks at our heart and our obedience.

God cares about our faithfulness, not our fruitfulness.

For those of you currently leading and feeling discouraged, have you talked to the Lord about it yet? Have you poured out all of your emotions and frustrations to Him, trusting that He can take it and that He will speak truth over it?

For those of you wanting to lead or craving a community to grow with, have you laid those desires at the feet of Jesus and asked Him to reveal His heart for them?

For those of you feeling led to lead and who are experiencing a lot of doubt, insecurity or unworthiness, you are not alone! I can almost guarantee that every leader out there has experienced those feelings as well – there is an enemy and he is, unfortunately, good at his job of lying to us. 

And also… GOOD! You are right where the Lord wants you – outside of your comfort zone, needing to rely on Him to shoulder the weight of what He is asking you to do! 

And finally… have you invited the Lord into those emotions and asked Him to speak your true identity over them? You see, we are all called to lead and, at first, it may be scary, intimidating and laced with a lot of doubt, but the Lord wants to speak truth over those lies and tell you who He knows you to be!

Sister, what you do matters!

God has called you the LIGHT of the world so you can shine bright for His Kingdom.

He has called you the SALT of the world so you can stand out and bring flavor and zest to the people around you.

He has called you His AMBASSADOR so that He can reach others through you – the people you interact with and those who just observe you from the outside.

He has deposited His Spirit inside of you, calling you His HOLY TEMPLE. Can you believe that? Think about it for a second. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave is the same Spirit that is inside of you equipping and empowering and allowing you to do things Jesus did when He walked on earth (Romans 8:11)!

He has called you His SWEET AROMA. He has entrusted you with His name and His image and His characteristics to present to the world in a way that brings others closer to Him. Think about those candles that smell amazing and draw you in (especially those Christmas pine-scented ones), that is an identity that you carry as a daughter of the King, a sweet aroma to those open to learning more about Jesus that draws them in.

And He has called you His LIVING LETTER. Back in the day, people would write letters about Jesus and what He did to spread the word about Him to the nations, now YOU have been called His living letter making that appeal to others.

Curious to learn more about who God calls you? Check out our “I Am” blog series here!

What you do matters.

The texts that get no response. They matter.

The effort you make that goes unnoticed. It matters.

The time no one knows that you spend preparing for a small group. It matters.

The prayers you pray in the secret place over the people the Lord has asked you to shepherd that go unshared. They matter.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. – Colossians 3:23-24

But, to say it as it is, there is an enemy who is out to make you doubt, question and want to throw in the towel on all of those hidden things.

The enemy tells you that your time and effort isn’t worth it. 

He attacks your identity when only two gals show up, whispering that more aren’t coming because of who you are.

He tells you that you are not spiritually equipped to lead and that you aren’t a good Christian when you get asked a question that you don’t know the answer to.

I hate to say it, but the enemy is good at his job AND he steps his game up when YOU step up your game for the Lord.

The more risks you are taking to advance the Lord’s kingdom the more of a threat you are to the enemy’s plans.

Someone once told me this and it has stuck ever since, “The most audacious thing you will ever do is believe that you are who God says you are.”

So what will it take for you to believe those identity statements above?

Sister, you are incredible and the reason why you are incredible is because you have the Lord’s Spirit in you and Jesus going before you.

It isn’t your ability, personality or life experience that qualifies you. It is how you have walked with Jesus and how you’ve allowed Him to walk with you during your life that does. 

AND, the closer you walk with Him and the more often you pull away to be WITH Him, the more empowered and aware you will become as a leader.

Girl, you were made to impact and influence this world for good. That might be on a big scale with an organization that you run, or a group of people meeting weekly, or it may be on a more intimate scale with the children you are raising or the roommates or family members you are living with. Not one assignment or position is better or more glorious than the other, please don’t let the enemy tell you otherwise.

I am here to tell you that whatever effort you are making to carry His name, to love those around you and to steward the ones He has called you, it is worth it.

Your effort. Your time. Your prayers. The money you spend on snacks to create a welcoming environment, the exhausted thumbs from texting and inviting people or following-up with them, the time spent on a phone engaging deeply with the people around you or the, “Hello, I am…” conversations as you are pursuing people and inviting them into community, it is all worth it.

And you know why?

Because Jesus died on a cross.

Was what He went through for our sake worth it?

Was what He went through to pursue us so much more painful and gruesome and saddening?

Yes.

But, He went through that with YOU in mind. Not just all of humanity, but YOU. Your name, your passions, your desires. Your face and name flashed across His mind as He hung there taking His final breaths. He went through that so that YOU and I could receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in our bodies, so that we can carry His name to the world, inviting others into a relationship with Him for the first time or helping them dive even deeper in their walk.

What you are doing is not only worth it. What you are doing is eternal.

What you are doing can, and probably will, impact eternity. 

What you are doing is worth it. Don’t let the enemy or anyone else tell you otherwise.

Darling, you are so loved. Go get ’em.

Love,

Krista