My husband, Phil, and I own a media production company, Cooke Pictures, in Los Angeles,CA. We’re asked to work on many challenging media projects in countries around the world (I am actually writing this while I’m in Germany). We also speak and teach on faith, media, and culture globally and it’s always a delight to spend time with women who face many of the same issues. One challenge I’ve had to deal with and I find universal is never feeling like I’m prepared enough – ready. Whether it’s decisions in our personal lives or our work, we women often never feel fully qualified. But we need to give ourselves a break – men don’t either. We all have self-doubt that creeps in, especially if you’re the only woman on the team. Men have doubts all the time as to whether they can actually pull off the job but they just don’t admit it as women often do. New challenges can be intimidating and cause us to act and lead out of fear. This often results in making bad decisions and poor leadership.
God teaches us in Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil”. to acknowledge Him and He’d direct us”.
When we’ve done our homework and worked hard toward doing our work with excellence then standing on this truth takes the pressure off. God promises that He’ll be there to solve problems with us. He’ll allow us to flourish and not faint under the pressure of stress and fear. When you’re in tough situations remembering to “lean on” the arms of Jesus and not “lean in” to your co-workers unleashing your own personal insecurity allows them the freedom to also flourish. It’s how God wants us to live and lead.
What challenge could you lean on God for today?
