love scary movies. Not the ones with blood, guts, and a psycho, but the ones with suspense, mystery, and a twist at the end that hits you upside the head out of nowhere. You know, like the last ten minutes of The Village. Or the final minutes in The Sixth Sense. And, of course, the full hour and a half of one of the greatest mystery movies of all time, Scooby Doo—the one where the mystery gang reunites on an island to investigate strange occurrences. Don’t play dumb … you know you watched it.
Anyway, though you may not be a Scooby Doo fan, I bet you’ve seen a few movies that have left you freaked. But it’s not just movies that scare us. Real life can be pretty frightening too. Choosing to live as a stander rather than a sitter will mean there’ll be a lot of times when you’re afraid—moments when it seems like you’re the only one standing for what’s right.
Obviously, God knew this would happen. That’s why 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power” (ESV).
However, sometimes it’s hard to know that spirit is there. Look at what one teen wrote to me:
Jeffrey,
You spoke at my summer camp last year. I have never been challenged by anyone the way that you challenged all of us there. I am trying to apply the things to my life that you encouraged us to do. But the fact is it’s difficult to live a life that honors God, especially at school. It seems like there aren’t very many people in my school who say they are Christians. And even the few who say they are don’t really live like it. I know that taking a stand for God is what’s right, but sometimes it feels like I am the only one standing.
Sadly, this will be the case more times than you’d like. When I was younger, there were a lot of times when I felt like I was the only person in my school standing for what was right. Have you ever felt this way? I bet you have a time or two … or three hundred. And if you haven’t yet, get ready, because living out God’s purpose for your life will inevitably lead to some stand-alone moments.
It really stinks to feel like you’re out there all by yourself on the right side of the fight. But you won’t be the last to do it—and you definitely won’t be the first. The Bible is chockfull of stories about fearless women who chose to stand for what was right. The lessons you can learn from them will help you live out God’s purpose for you with courage and conviction.
In Exodus chapter 2, there is a Levite woman who gives birth to a son. Little did she know God would soon use this baby to help free the Israelites from 430 years of captivity. There have been countless books, sermons, and illustrations developed around the story of her son Moses. However, we hear very little about his sister, Miriam. Yet had it not been for her, Moses might have never seen his first birthday.
In Exodus 1:22, the stage is set for a story unlike any other in the Bible. The Egyptian Pharaoh gives “this order to all his people: ‘Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.’” Moses’s mother puts him in a reed basket and sets him adrift in the Nile River. Watch what happens next:
The baby’s older sister stood off at a distance to see what would happen to him.
About that time one of the king’s daughters came down to take a bath in the river, while her servant women walked along the river bank. She saw the basket in the tall grass and sent one of the young women to pull it out of the water. When the king’s daughter opened the basket, she saw the baby and felt sorry for him because he was crying. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.”
At once the baby’s older sister came up and asked, “Do you want me to get a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby for you?”
“Yes,” the king’s daughter answered.
So the girl brought the baby’s mother, and the king’s daughter told her, “Take care of this child, and I will pay you.”
The baby’s mother carried him home and took care of him. And when he was old enough, she took him to the king’s daughter, who adopted him. She named him Moses because she said, “I pulled him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:4–10, CEV)
Even though Miriam was young and probably really scared, not only for the safety of her brother but also for her own life (after all, she was spying on the royal family’s daughter), she chose to set aside her fears and be a person of great courage. Not to mention she was really good at thinking on her feet. She quickly took the initiative to suggest, unbeknownst to Pharaoh’s daughter, that the baby’s mother take care of her own son. Brilliant! Moses’s mother believed she would never see her son again, but Miriam wisely and bravely figured out a way to bring Moses back to her. Miriam waited for the right moment, and then seized the opportunity.
I wonder how many other girls would have responded as Miriam did. How much simpler and safer it would have been to only do what her mother asked, and no more. It would have been easy for Miriam to say, “I did my duty. I watched him and made sure he was okay,” and then be done with it. Instead, she fearlessly approached Pharaoh’s daughter. And the rest is history.
Moses grew up to be an incredible leader used by God to free his people from life under a brutal ruler. Through God, Moses performed many signs and wonders before Pharaoh that resulted in ten plagues. He eventually convinced Pharaoh to let God’s people go. He led the exodus of over a million people out of Egypt. (I hope they packed a lot of toilet paper!) He marched them across the Red Sea on dry land. He brought the Ten Commandments to them and helped establish laws that we follow to this day. Moses led the Israelites for years through the wilderness before they finally reached the Promised Land. Yes, Moses was to Israel what Aretha Franklin is to soul, what Big Mac is to McDonald’s, what … okay, you get it. He was an Israelite icon. But none of this would’ve happened had it not been for one very important behind-the-scenes person—Miriam.
Miriam played a critical role in preparing the way for God to use Moses to fulfill his plan. Miriam’s choice to seize the moment and be fearless is a great story of a woman God used in an amazing way. And the coolest part of all is she didn’t care if she was ever featured on the cover of Israelite Illustrated.
Our society values the winners, the stars, the ones who get all the attention, whether they really deserve it or not. But Miriam’s story is proof that God isn’t looking for the next supermodel, power broker, or rock star. He’s just looking for a woman of character who is willing to be used, even if it means wading knee deep in the water and tall grass.
question
If God asked you to do something totally unglamorous and you knew you’d never get much credit for it, would you do it? If God called you to the darkest corner of the Amazon, would you go? If he summoned you to the desert of Najd, could you say yes? If God took you to the slums, the third world countries, and the poorest regions of the world, would you seize the moment?
It was only a few days before Jesus would be arrested when he and the disciples came to eat with Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. Jesus had miraculously brought Lazarus back to life not long before. Mary had witnessed this incredible act, and she had great faith in him. This faith led her to do something surprising. Take a look:
Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living. Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them. Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house.
Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them.
Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.” (John 12:1–8, MSG)
These aromatic oils used by Mary to massage Jesus’s feet were expensive ointments imported from the mountains of India. To put it mildly, this wasn’t some off-brand lotion. This was expensive stuff, worth about a year’s wage.
Mary gave up something that was worth a lot to her so that she could show her reverence for Jesus by massaging his feet with it. And then she wiped his feet—feet most likely weathered and dirty from walking in the heat of the day in sandals down a dusty road—with her own hair. What an incredible act of humility—and bravery.
Did you notice how immediately someone jumped in to criticize Mary for what she did? Surely she knew that what she was about to do would probably cause a stir among those watching. But did she care? No. She only cared about pleasing Jesus by doing what she felt led to do.
In a moment of fear, the lies are near:
• “Don’t stand. You’ll be the only one.”
• “Go ahead, join in. It’s just this one time.”
• “If you don’t join them, you’ll be left out.”
• “You don’t really think you can stand up, do you? Don’t do it—you’ll lose.”
And did you notice what Jesus said in Mary’s defense? He said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial.”
Even though Jesus had tried to tell them many times, not even his disciples knew he was going to die in just a few days. Maybe Mary didn’t know either. But she did what she was led to do, and she didn’t ask for an explanation. She could have used those oils on Lazarus’s body when he died. But somehow she knew to save them for Jesus. In her act of humility, she was making the statement that honoring the Savior of the world was even more important to her than honoring her own flesh and blood. Now that is a fearless woman.
Living as a woman in pursuit of God’s will for your life can be a scary thing. Sometimes the circumstances of your life may seem unfair. And sometimes the things God asks you to do may not make sense at first. There’ll be a lot of times when you’re faced with questions that you just can’t find the answers to.
But remember: Being fearless doesn’t mean you’ll have all the answers. It just means that you’re willing to step out in the midst of questions because you trust that God has all the answers.
give it a shot
The next time you feel like you’re the only one willing to stand, remember that there could be many more sitting around, wanting to stand too, but they need someone else—you—to take the lead. Give it a shot and stand.
It could be there’s someone in your life, maybe even a close family member or friend, who doesn’t recognize you for the woman you’re becoming. Maybe, like Judas, they can’t understand what God is leading you to do. Don’t let their lack of belief in you keep you from believing in yourself. Mary didn’t let anyone shake her confidence. Living fearlessly is about having faith that God has your back.
This book has given you a list of qualities that define you as a woman. In moments of doubt and times of temptation, use that list to remind yourself of who you are. And then believe it.
believe it
You are …
God’s mirror
good
beautiful
a woman of commitment
a woman of purpose
You are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (1 Peter 2:9–10, MSG)
Mary’s act of humility and obedience was fearless. It’s also the perfect story to end this book with, because Mary showed you that you should want to honor Jesus with your finest possessions, your money, your humility, your life … and even your hair. By doing what she did, Mary showed Jesus that she wanted to give him everything. And you should want to do the same.
Well, what if I introduced you to another Mary—Mary Magdalene. You’ve probably heard of her. She’s the most famous of Jesus’s female followers. And she was the first to see the risen Jesus and spread the news to the disciples. But before Mary Magdalene knew Jesus, she was far from perfect. Look at this:
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. (Mark 16:9)
Wow. A woman once possessed by seven demons becomes the first to see the greatest miracle in all of history—Jesus risen from the dead. Mary Magdalene’s past didn’t matter to Jesus. He had driven the demons from her, and she became one of his most faithful followers. So he gave her the great privilege of heralding his resurrection.
There are countless stories of people in the Bible who didn’t live spotless lives. But God chose to use them because, despite their mistakes, they still wanted to honor him. Living a fearless life for God doesn’t mean you live a flawless one. God’s not looking for perfection. Because it’s impossible for you and me to be perfect. He just calls you to be the person he created you to be—a woman willing to live fearlessly for him. God’s looking for a woman who’ll simply say to him, “I want to give you more of me today than I did yesterday.”
Are you a woman who’s truly willing to let God use you just as you are?
If yes, write a prayer now and tell God exactly that.
If not, write a prayer to God and tell him how you feel. Share with him the things about yourself that are holding you back (maybe you don’t feel smart enough, maybe you’re too afraid of looking foolish, maybe you don’t feel good enough). Be honest with him and ask him to help you overcome these fears so he can use you.
A fearless woman:
• chooses God’s ways, even when they’re not popular
• looks for a way out in a moment of temptation
• strives to please God in all things
• realizes her mistake, confesses it to God, and gets back on the horse and starts riding again
There’ll be days when the world tries to convince you that you’re not beautiful enough, smart enough, skinny enough, popular enough—just simply not “enough.” Every day the doubters of the world will try to keep you from being the real you. Immorality will try to trip you up and make you feel unworthy. And there’ll be Judas-like obstacles staring you in the face, telling you you’re just being stupid and you’ll never win.
Don’t let any of it shake you. Just remember God created you exactly as he wanted you to be. And what he began in you, he will complete. All you have to do is stop doubting his plan and embrace the person he made you to be. Not the person the world thinks you should be. Not the person your insecurity makes you believe you are. But the person God saw before you were even born. That is who you are. And the more you work to be that person, the easier it will be to look in the mirror and say—proudly, not sarcastically—“This is me.”