101. Can Women Entrepreneurs Challenge Tradition with God's Leadership Principles?

Embark with us on a journey of empowerment and spiritual discovery, as we uncover the essence of Proverbs 31 virtues in contemporary Christian female entrepreneurship. Through the awe-inspiring tales of biblical figures like Deborah, Esther, and Priscilla, we illuminate what it means to wield courage, influence, and profound theological understanding in a world often at odds with Godly principles. If you're seeking a blueprint for leadership that aligns with your faith, this exploration of ancient wisdom applied to modern challenges promises to equip you with the tools to lead with conviction and grace.

As you traverse the path of personal growth and divine calling with us, remember that the leadership journey is as individual as it is communal. With our latest episode, we celebrate the unique process of uncovering one's God-given purpose, inviting you to share your insights with a fellowship of listeners who are also on this quest. Let's reconvene with hearts wide open next Monday, ready to foster a deeper connection to our spiritual vocations and the grand design that awaits us all. Until then, may your pursuit of purpose be as fulfilling as it is enlightening.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hey friend, welcome to Milk and Honey with Lemon. The Bible says in Numbers 14-8, and if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. On this podcast, we talk about stepping into that overflow that God has for us by becoming those ultimate Proverbs 31 women. Hey, I'm Lemon. I am just like you, sister Friend. I knew God had something more in store for me, but I couldn't see a way out of the laundry piles and, frankly, I resented that. Proverbs 31 woman. How was I going to live up to the hype? That is until I found out how to really step into becoming this Proverbs 31 woman through leadership development. In this podcast you're going to find financial freedom, leadership, growth and motivation so you'll be able to do all the things God has called you to do with ease and really step into that land of milk and honey.

Speaker 1: 0:52

Welcome back to another episode of Milk and Honey with Lemon. I am so excited to dive into it because we're going to talk about God-defined leadership. And how does that impact you as a Christian female entrepreneur? Because I think the world's definition of leadership looks a lot different than God's version of leadership. We've talked about this a lot on the podcast. I wanted to give just some quick verses from the Bible and stories from the Bible, examples from the Bible that will help us have a more holistic understanding of how God views leadership and what it is that we can take from it. I want to encourage you to grab your Bible right now. Pause me if you need to, because we're flipping all over.

Speaker 1: 1:34

I want to start in Judges 4 and 5. Flip over to that old testament because I want to talk about our main girl, deborah. She is a prophetess, she is a judge in Israel. She played a very crucial role in leading her people to victory in battle. What I love about Deborah's story is use equalities like courage and wisdom and strategic thinking, which are essential for effective leadership. Also, I want to point out this is not normal. Deborah was not normal. This is a woman leading in this capacity, not norm. I feel like it's not even normal now and I want to change that. What I love about this verse from Judges 5-7,? It says Villagers in Israel would not fight. They held back until I, deborah, arose, until I arose a mother in Israel. I want to encourage you Go study Judges 4 and 5 and I want you to see what it is that you can pull from. Deborah, what wisdom do you need? Where can you step out with courage? Maybe there's some strategic thinking that has to happen here in order for you to really step into leadership. Now I'm going to flip over to Esther.

Speaker 1: 2:58

We have talked about Esther so many times. I love Esther's story because it's about the power of influence and bravery, and I love how she uses her influence because Esther is going to make a huge difference for her people. So we know that Mordecai and his name is Escaping Maid. They had some beef and Pagos. This other guy goes and has the king sign something to basically annihilate the Jews, which makes me so sad.

Speaker 1: 3:34

And Esther A approaches the king which could have gotten her beheaded, by the way, could have gotten her beheaded. You were not supposed to approach the king unless the king called for you. And what I love is A she uses her influence. So Esther 416 says Go gather together all the Jews, her and Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I, in my attendance, will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I perish. I love that verse because she knows what is right, she knows what she's supposed to do and she has influence.

Speaker 1: 4:16

And then Esther 929,. It says so Queen Esther, daughter of Abahail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with the full authority to confirm the second letter concerning her. I that is, she has full authority, she had influence and she had full authority. And so how are you stepping into your full influence and your full authority? What difference are you making in the world with your influence and your authority? That's leadership. Okay, we're skipping over to X Guys. I'm like speed reading today because there's so much to get through and I want to make sure I want to give you a space today to go and study these for yourself and ask God where you can make a difference.

Speaker 1: 5:02

So we're skipping over to Acts 18 with Priscilla. So Priscilla and her husband they were early Christian leaders. They worked together in ministry, they are mentioned together a lot in the New Testament and I think that their partnership highlights the importance of collaboration and mutual support in leadership. Right? So Priscilla is going to challenge gender norms and she has the shared leadership and teamwork. That I really love. But what I also love is she has good theology.

Speaker 1: 5:30

So Acts 1826, apollo says preaching, and it says he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. So A Apollo is very bold. We love that. However, when Priscilla and Akilah if I mispronounce that, you guys can tell me that heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. They hear this, hear this, hear this, hear those Apollo's ignorance on fire. He was out sharing the things. He was doing it boldly. However, they said hey, let me, let's like, of course, correct. Let's dive deeper into the word together. Let's dive deeper so that your influence is pointing people to Jesus. Let's make sure that your influence is giving people a full picture of God. Let's do some deep work together, and you can only do that when you've done the deep work yourself, and so, as leaders, it is on you to do the deep work. It is important that you, people around you who are going to support you in that deep work and are going to course correct when need be.

Speaker 1: 6:42

The Bible says that the word is good for rebuking correction. That's intimacy. You are supposed to use it and the only way you can use it. The only way you can adequately use the truth about God is to get to know him, and that is what Priscilla and her husband did.

Speaker 1: 7:01

All right, staying in the New Testament, I'm gonna flip over to Matthew, because I think Jesus gives us the best lesson on servant leadership, and I think that is ultimately how God sees leadership. It's humility, it is serving others, and so he washed his disciples feet. It's true selflessness. The atonement on the cross, it is sacrificial, and I want to tell you that you can do the same thing. Now, I'm not saying Jesus is telling you that you need to go jump onto. You don't have to go like a tone for the world sentence. That is not what the Bible is telling you to do. But I love this example from Jesus and what it is that he has to say about leadership. So I'm in Matthew. I'm gonna skip down to verse 25. Where is it? Here we go, okay, 25 to 28. And this is right.

Speaker 1: 7:57

After there was this request from, and all this kind of fun stuff right, the mother's ebony sons he and Jesus were sons, you know and asking them a favor. Okay, so that happens here. So then this happens. Jesus called them together and said so that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them and their high officials exercised authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave, just as the Son did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Speaker 1: 8:39

I love this verse so much because we are called to go out and serve others. We are called to and I don't want to say neglect ourselves, but you are supposed to put others' needs at the forefront. Jesus made it a big point to go and take care of himself first. We often see Jesus alone in prayer before he goes out. In this ministry work, jesus pours into himself before he pours out to other people, but his main focus is pouring out and serving others. And so how can you, as a woman in business, serve others, and not from a place of I want to get something from you, but how can I genuinely show up in service to you? So I love that, okay.

Speaker 1: 9:29

Lastly, I want to flip back to the Old Testament and we're going to go. Look at the book of Ruth I love. In Ruth we see the story of Ruth and Naomi, and it is about loyalty and resilience. Despite facing adversity, ruth remained faithful to Naomi and played a crucial role in her survival and their eventual prosperity. And so I want to encourage you to have real relationships and community. And I want to talk a little bit about what happens in the story of Ruth. So first, ruth, 1.16-17,. It says but Ruth replied Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and you are God, my God. When you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me, there's a loyalty and there's community there. And how is she rewarded? We don't have to look very far. Ruth, 2.11-18,.

Speaker 1: 10:37

Boaz replied I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with the people you did not know before. Her reputation preceded her. How can your loyalty and dedication and your reputation precede you? Boaz knew her character before she even said anything, and so how can you do that in your business?

Speaker 1: 11:12

I think God gives us, between the Old Testament and the New Testament, a really clear idea of what leadership is. It is loyalty, it is sacrificial, it is deep work. There's so much that goes into it. There's so much that goes into it, and so I'll list these verses for you, but I want to encourage you to go, study them for yourself and see what it is God is calling you to do. Maybe it's to work on your leadership development, and if so, then I would encourage you to come join me at Girl Power Alliance. Just go to girlpoweralliancecom. Slash lemon, see what we're doing. You can even check it out for free, which would be amazing. I would highly recommend you do that and just come and see if this is the right place for you. I have a feeling it could be the right place for you, and so I look forward to seeing you in the community, and I will see you next time. Friend Bye.

Speaker 1: 12:07

Hey friend, what a joy it has been to share today's journey with you. If you found a spark of inspiration or nugget of wisdom that resonated, would you bless someone else by sharing this episode with them? It could be the encouragement they need to step into their purpose and calling. Also, if you could spare a moment to leave a review, it would mean the world to me. I really appreciate your feedback and it really helps our community grow. Remember, the road to discovering God's call for you is the one you have to walk alone. So join me again next Monday for another episode where we'll continue to explore the depths of leadership and the heights of our heavenly calling. Until then, keep seeking, keep growing and keep trusting in His plan. God bless you and I'll catch you on the flip side. Bye, friend.