What’s The Boldest Move You Can Take?

Sometimes It’s As Simple As Asking For Help 

When we think about making bold moves, we should consider the source of our strength and the methods we use. As accomplished women of faith, we can start to rely on our God-given abilities and track records of achievement. After all, we have worked hard to earn the reputation for getting stuff done. I would venture to guess I am not the only one who gets an extra boost of endorphins when I can check something off my to-do list. If we are not careful, our accomplishments and talents can create a tendency towards self-reliance.

Self-reliance is like a pendulum. If we swing too far, we might move into hazardous territory. We can grow accustomed to acting like the “Lone Ranger” – attempting to do it all without help. This solo approach can even extend to our relationship with the Lord.  In an effort to “walk by faith,” we avoid community or engaging others along our journey. Through clenched teeth, we bear our struggles on our own, telling God, “It’s just You and me.”

As we look to lead, love, and live boldly in our faith, what is God’s design for us? How do we use our gifts and talents to serve the Kingdom and walk courageously in our calling?

As goal-oriented women, it is so important that we lean into the Presence of the Lord to guide us in all that do, even in the way we do what we do.

I believe this is a perfect time to examine the season we are in. Is God calling us into

deeper intimacy and collaboration with Him? Or is this the moment He wants us to partner with Him through others. We need discernment and wisdom to know how God is leading us, and the Word is a great place to start.

Scripture shows us many examples where people walk through life seasons in solitude where God is their only companion. It doesn’t get lonelier than Jonah in the belly of a large fish or the Apostle John exiled on an island.

Let’s consider the 3-year drought we find in 1 Kings 17. For a while, the Prophet Elijah lived in solitude near the Brook of Cherith until it dried up. Elijah had to rely on a raven to feed him twice a day. I guess it’s the biblical version of Door Dash! Notice in verse 5, that Elijah did what God told him to do. It was not Elijah’s idea to have his meals provided by a bird known to eat dead animals, but he endured the season in solitude.

I can relate to Elijah’s experience. Recently, I had a client engagement that I really wanted to partner with someone on to complete a series of projects. I value and enjoy collaboration. I love to brainstorm and ideate with a diverse team to explore solutions from a variety of angles. I believe it is a sure-fire way to develop a great outcome. After all, it’s worked so well for me in the past. After a few attempts to identify a partner, I kept misfiring. It became clear that I was not going to identify a partner within the timeframe I needed. 

As I spent time in prayer and reflection, I felt the tug of Holy Spirit inviting me to collaborate with God. It was not the way I preferred to work. I wanted the familiar method of collaborating with other people. It felt scary to trust God that my client engagement would be successful without an earthly colleague. Over the course of several weeks, God sent the ravens I needed. He supplied me with specific ideas, strategies and tactics. The program turned out brilliantly and God used this experience to grow my faith and deepen my reliance on Him.

Where are you today? Is God inviting you into deeper reliance on Him in a particular area?

Before you answer that question, let’s take another look at Elijah. As we continue in 1 Kings 17, we see that God tells Elijah to go to a small town called Zarephath after the brook dries up. There, God had arranged a new source of food and shelter for Elijah during the drought in the form of a widow who had very few resources left to survive. In verse 12, the widow tells Elijah that she’s about to cook her last meal for her and her son before they die. 

Elijah makes a bold request and asks her to first bake him a small loaf of bread before she feeds herself and her son. He then prophetically declares that the little bit of flour and oil that she has left will last until the drought ends. Wow! This deal is better than any girl math we could ever use to justify a shopping decision.

I find it interesting that God had Elijah begin a dry and difficult season alone, but later had him join the household of a widow for the remainder of the drought. 

There is a clue for one potential reason God may have arranged community and support during this difficult period. In verse 17, the widow’s son gets sick and dies. Elijah prays for him and God brings him back to life. Keep in mind, the woman was already a widow. From the passage, it sounds like she only had one child, a son. Culturally, the widow was already at a significant disadvantage by not having a husband. At least with a male child, according to Jewish tradition, her future could get better once her son became an adult and established his own household where he would be able to provide for her. Her son dying was especially devastating – emotionally as a mother – but also practically as a widowed woman trying to survive.

Imagine if Elijah had not followed God’s instruction to find the widow and ask for food. First, their pantry items would probably become depleted quickly. Secondly, if Elijah had not been there when her son died, he may not have been resurrected.

In this one chapter of the Bible, we see that God is not formulaic. He rarely works the exact same way even when the people or circumstances are the same. This is why it is so important that we continually seek the heart of the Father about how we do what He calls us to do. As women of faith, there is always a deeper implication whether we are in a period of solitude or partnering with others. We need wisdom and discernment about our next big move like never before.

As we approach the end of the year, knowing that God has some exciting plans for you, me and Polished, I am making a bold ask for help.

Would you consider giving to Polished? We urgently need your partnership and prayer like never before.

The Polished team worked countless hours for months to ensure we all benefited from an amazing Boldly conference. The fact is the conference is not a big a big moneymaker for this ministry. It is organized and hosted out of love and a desire to support Christian working women. 

Even though Boldly had its biggest number of attendees ever, there are still thousands more women we need to reach, and there are bills to pay in the meantime.

I know we all have personal financial responsibilities we must manage, but would you consider giving today? No contribution is too small - even giving the amount you would spend on a to-go meal would be helpful.

In this season, God is calling Polished into partnership and we are asking for your help. Thank you for prayerfully considering a financial gift to Polished and may God meet your every need in ways you could not imagine.


 

Kelley is the Tech Founder and the Chief Transformation Officer for KEIRUS BY KJE, a workplace culture and leadership development firm. She built a proprietary digital learning platform and methodology that supported 4,000 learners working in 10 different industries across 10 countries.

Kelley is a certified executive coach, a graduate of Texas Woman’s University, and author of two books - INFINITE: The Power of Love, a faith-based guide to DEI and EMERGE!, a guide for women who are overcoming trauma who want to live a life of purpose.

Follow Kelley on Instagram.

 
Robin Dufilho