I don’t know about all of you, but I love a good strong woman character in movies or shows. Currently I’ve been really into the whole vikings thing with shield maidens. These women are the epitome of what I want to be. They are strong, they are equal to men, they are confident and fierce, yet they are still soft and feminine at the same time. 

The reality. Now, the reality is, I’m pretty weak. Like I can’t even massage my husband’s hurt neck for more than a few minutes because of my weak little arms. So, I definitely couldn’t hold up a shield and fight with the men. BUT, I’ve decided what I love in these women is their strength and confidence in who they are as women. These women aren’t sitting around worrying what other women think of them. They aren’t changing their identity to be who some guy wants them to be. They are strong, they are fierce and they are passionate. These women live with purpose. They love passionately and they fight with purpose. 

My biggest prayer for kennedy when I was pregnant was that she would be strong and fierce, that she would lead when others follow, that she would defend the weak and be so rooted in who God made her to be that she spends no time being insecure, judging or comparing. I think I prayed this so much for her because I wanted it so much for myself. I spent way too much time worrying about what others thought. I spent way too much time comparing my weaknesses to other people’s strengths. I spent way too much time changing my identity to woo the affections of a boy. It all came from a place of insecurity because I wasn’t seeking God and who He made me to be. 

The truth is that God created each of us with purpose, a unique, God-sized purpose. We can live out this life with that purpose if we would only abide in Him, ask Him to use us and live fiercely in view of eternity. Our Pastor says often that the enemy will whisper condemnation into our ears. We feel weak, we feel inadequate or “unfit for use.” We feel mundane and end up thinking, “this can’t be it. There has to be more.”

The power of the Holy Spirit. If we truly have surrendered our lives to Jesus, then we have the Holy Spirit within us. This means we have the power of the God of the freaking universe (is it okay to say freakin in relation to the King?)! We are more than conquerors and just like these shield maidens who are fierce and bold and confident, He made us all to be that too! No amount of success, girl time, promotions or wine can give us that same feeling. We can only be this fierce and bold IN HIM. 

We all have a voice and we all have a purpose. Being a woman in this culture can feel like a constant battle for respect. Being a mom can feel mundane and make us feel like we lost our identity in these tiny humans. We went from being kick-A, wild and free, to mundane and boring, with spit up or food on us. It can cripple any of us or at the very least leave us feeling exhausted. But, what I think God wants us to understand is that through Him, we are truly warrior princesses! We fight the battle against the enemy everyday for ourselves, for our children, and for our families. 

Put on the full armor of God, stand up and fight. Fight against the lies of the enemy. Fight against the whispers saying you aren’t enough. Fight against the world trying to distract you from real purpose or bring you down. Every single one of us have the ability to be fierce and bold and confident in who He made us to be. Now will we have different strengths? Yes and amen. Will I ever be good at crafting and making my family gourmet meals? No. Not ever. But together, as a body of women who love Jesus, we are a fierce army, able to set the world on fire for Him. We, together, can set women free to real purpose and real life all. over. the. world. 

Now here’s the thing about tapping into that fierceness that I have trouble with, we have to stay close to Him to receive it. Now I don’t mean we start down an exhausting performance road or making ourselves worthy. I mean we stay close. Just like we make time for our kids or closest friends, we make Him a priority. We live out of His flowing water instead of our own retention ponds. We tap into His strength and His power and be intentional, and then just wait and see how he sets our hearts on fire with purpose. 

Don’t know where to start? Start with making time for Him each day. What fills you? What’s your love language? Mine is Quality Time, so I make sure I spend time in His Word and talking to Him usually through journaling, or praying in the car. I get exhausted or anxious when I have an issue and I take it to every single person before I take it to Him in prayer. So stop and pray. Pray for purpose and that He would use you. Pray He would set your heart on fire with purpose even in the daily rhythms of life. Pray for boldness to be used, and just watch what He does in you. Don’t feel like He can use you? Me too. But that’s a lie. So pray now that His Truth will be louder than the enemy, louder than the lies and louder than this world. Stay close to Him. Make time for what makes you feel close to Him, and watch how He gives you a whole different lens to view this world and your life through. It’s truly life-saving and brings so much freedom. Next thing you know we’ll all be gathering together with war paint, grabbing our shields and ready for battle. Man, that picture pumps me up! 

I’ll leave you with a quote my pastor, Joby Martin, reminded me of when talking with him about my God-given purpose. It’s from the book, “Wild at Heart” that was written for men, but I think totally applies to women too. 

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, because what the world needs are men (and women) who have come alive.”