Taking it Back

Leadership Development, Leadership Wednesday, President's Pen

Feb 172010

Dear Beloved of God,

I absolutely love gathering information about women. It gives me a better understanding of who we are and how we can minister to one another. However, I haven’t loved the dismal statistics, which tell me that many women don’t understand who God is. They don’t recognize His power to transform their lives. And they are even less aware of who they are in Him.

I have often asked the Lord, “Why don’t I see transformation in lives today like those I’ve read about in the Bible?” Sadly, as I’ve minister to women over many years, what I’ve seen for too often is:

Many seek after knowledge for knowledge’s sake, but don’t really know or seek Him.
Many do not have a solid foundation of the Word of God on which to base their lives.
Many have little to no trust that God wants to unlock them from self-protective boxes.
Many don’t understand how to pray effectively, or how to forgive offenses. They don’t know how to confess and repent, or how to function in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Many embrace the dysfunction of their past and believe the lies of the enemy—lies that become more magnified when military deployments loom.
Many incorrectly perceive God’s character through difficult, sometimes abusive or non-existent authority figures, such as fathers, mothers, teachers or church leaders.
Many lean on human understanding and wisdom instead of God.
Many either like their sin or simply don’t recognize it.

I fear that the Spirit of God has not been welcomed and allowed to minister in women’s lives like He wants to. I wonder if fear, pain, guilt, shame or rebellion has caused some to block His help and transformation. And I wonder if sometimes we have ignored the work of the Holy Spirit all together.

Could it be that a generation of women have seen so few instances of the power of God to transform another’s life, that they don’t believe it is possible for them?

The Word of God says…“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7 NIV)

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever –the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you… “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:16-18, 26 NIV)

The Good News…The Lord wants to release His power to transform lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. He wants to restore what the enemy has stolen from us. He wants to give us beauty for ashes. He wants to teach us how to have a pure heart before Him.

He wants to transform us through a deep, intimate relationship with Him as we welcome Him to do His refining, restorative work. And He greatly desires to empower us to stand firm and proclaim the Gospel message that will bring healing and restoration to others. The captives have been set free through Jesus Christ! I believe God for it. How about you? Let’s agree together for God to do big and wonderful things within PWOC and our chapels this year.

Forever Changed by His Love and Transforming Power,

Brenda Marlin, President, PWOC International