“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” -Ephesians 4:2 There is one variable that continues to affect everything about my relationship with God. Humans. Yes, I said it, humans. The humans that cut me off on the road, the humans that wake up in my house, and let’s not forget my favorite human, myself. I am surrounded daily by my own humanity and of those around me. So why am I surprised when people miss it? In Ephesians 4:2 Paul writes as if he already knew about humanity and spoke into these moments, “Always be humble and gentle.” In these God-timed moments, Paul is challenging us to carve out an environment for the people around us as they work out their faith in the face of their humanity. Humility starts with the awareness of where you have been and what you have walked through. When we have a deep understanding of our own journey, we are empowered to see other people on their journey differently. If you have been hard on yourself or ignored the journey, then you will more than likely treat others on their journey in the same light. But, if you remember what it was like to be at the beginning of seeing your mistakes (or perhaps even before you realized you were making a mistake) you awaken to a divine moment, an opportunity. That moment, that pause, that choice to connect your journey to someone else is the shift in your perspective that allows you to see that person in humility. When we humbly engage with others in light of our own journey, we tend to enter in gently. Paul knew that in relationships, we start with what we can control, ourselves. If I have been humble and gentle with myself, I am empowered to be patient with others in the middle of their mess and make allowance for people’s faults. Whhhhhaaaat? Who does that? Love does that. God’s love for us did not begin when we accepted Him as Lord of our lives or when we attempted to change our choices. God has always loved us. It is from that posture that I can give room for people to be messy. -By Irini Fambro (@irinifambro)

We are called to bear God’s image in every way we can on this side of eternity. We can reflect his character by how we live, how we love, and how we work. Which means we should work hard, right? Yes! It is absolutely a good and worthy endeavor to put in hard work, just as God did when he created the world in Genesis 1, but we must remember that the story didn't end there. There is a second chapter, and in it, we learn that God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Genesis 2:3). God worked hard — then he rested. And so should we. Join us on October 27 for this month's Propel Leadership Webinar — Today I Choose Rest. We'll discuss: ✨ How to think differently about rest ✨ How to see rest as a true, authentic gift from God ✨ The importance of taking time to rest and refresh ✨ What rest is not ✨ Practical strategies for resting regularly Grab your spot today at propelwomen.org/octoberwebinar (Link in Bio)

Last year I talked to women all over the country about calling. How were they called? How did they know it was God? What were their hopes and fears? “I am afraid I won’t make any money.” “Who is going to hire me?” “My dream isn’t practical.” “My calling doesn’t make any sense.” Calling isn’t always clear. On the front end, there is often less confidence than doubt, and more questions than answers. If you know God is calling you to something that doesn’t make any sense, know two things: First, you are not alone. There are countless aspiring leaders who think their callings are impractical too. Second, you are following an impractical God. While Scripture does teach us to be wise, it does not teach us to be practical. Practical is a human-centered approach. It’s based on the limited knowledge we have, only that which we can see and know. Faith calls us to more than “practical.” It challenges us to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen” (2 Cor. 4:18). Faith says there is more to the story than logic, which means we don’t need clarity so much as courage. God parted the Red Sea. He made barren women fertile. He made blind men see. He bridged an infinite divide between humanity and Himself. God has a long history of leading his people into impractical, impossible situations—where His glory shines brightest. For many of us, calling doesn’t make any sense. God is asking you to pick up one foot and take a step forward. Follow the God who makes a way where there is no way. He will put ground beneath your feet, and make your path straight. It might not be practical, but neither is our God. -By @sharonhmiller

Jesus didn’t just call us to do things in His name. He called us to Himself and to the people around us. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40) It’s that simple. And yet, we make it so much more complicated. Yes, there needs to be organization and order to it all. And yes, that calling to go to that remote village or that city street, or to lead that Bible study is good. But if we do it without a firm foundation beneath us, we’re already lost. Chasing the things we are called to—even the most amazing ones—without being in continuous relationship with God is building our callings, our ministries, our lives on unsteady ground. So what do we do? We build on the Rock. START WITH GOD Spend time with Him. Learn about Him. Fall in love with the One who is so smitten with you that He gave up everything for you. Notice the way He courts you, the way He’s always there for you. You are part of the best love story the world has ever known, yet sometimes we forget to be in love. It doesn’t mean we can’t have a calling and a purpose to serve Him and others. Any calling you have is secondary to the most important call on your life: to love Jesus. Let yourself relax into the grace of Jesus. He’s right there with you. Your calling and vocation and responsibilities and mile-long to-do list are safe while you are spending time with Him. Enjoy His presence. Not one moment of that time is a waste. The moments you spend with Jesus are the solid rocks you can build your calling on. ASK YOURSELF... Are you loving Jesus as you walk out your calling? Are you allowing Him to love you? Are you investing time with Him, not to further the way you want to serve, but for the sake of spending time with the One who loves you? REMEMBER... God is the One who called you. But before He called you to do things for Him, He called you His daughter. Remember who you are. -By Rebecca Hastings

Singleness is so much more than "just a time of waiting" — it is a time for living. In today’s new Propel Sophia article, Devi Abraham dives into what it looks like to enjoy a full life in every season because God tells us, “go and live.” Read her full article here — https://bit.ly/2H4TXtp (Link in Bio)

“What took 200 years to build needed one day to burn. Creation is hard. Destruction is easy.” - Melanie Penn Creation is hard. It takes discipline and vision; can be risky and misunderstood. It often means we’re entering the realm of the unknown in an effort to bring some real good to the world. We cannot *not* create. We are creative beings, all of us. Dorothy L. Sayers wrote, “The characteristic common to God and man is the desire and the ability to make things up.” The world is full of musicians, engineers, chefs, and gardeners who are agnostic. Yet, they can’t help creating lovely works. They bear the image of their Creator, and the world is better for their contributions. The difference for those who follow the Word Made Flesh is that we realize our gift is not our own. We’re created to reflect God’s workmanship. A walk on the beach or stroll under a night sky stirs an intuitive sense of the hand that shaped the world. All creation points to God’s artistry. (Psalm 19:1-3) Creation reveals to us God’s bigness. He provided a world that aids our bodies. Feeds our souls with beauty. Why? Love! “The whole difference between construction and creation is that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists,” G.K. Chesterton. The Lord of Love didn’t have to create such good works. Instead, he made beauty in a grand and incredible symphony. Christ the Son, “the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of his being, who sustains all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3), poured Himself into a body of bones and skin and fingernails for our sake, drawing us to Himself by choosing to die a brutal death on the cross. What did Jesus do when He met his friends after he conquered the grave? Loved them with words & deeds. He served them, touched them, walked with them, cooked breakfast for them, sang with them- creative expressions from the Creator himself. When this truth captures our hearts, we respond in wonder, humbled by his generosity, inspired at his greatness and committed to giving every creative expression back to him. -By Jo Kadlecek

How can we pursue our God-given passion and a meaningful career path in a fast-paced, high-pressure world? In this week’s new Propel article, Ellery Frost shares five lessons she has learned as a woman building her own path. Read her full article here — https://bit.ly/376QgOv (Link in Bio)

Ephesians 4:1 - “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” Imagine that after six months in the leggings and sweaters that hide all of the things that jiggle – you’ve been invited to have dinner with a queen. It’s time for you to put some razzle on that dazzle and clean up, because right now you look like what you’ve been through. To be fair…How could you not look a bit on the raggedy side? The world is going crazy. As if that’s not enough there is so much happening outside of the headlines in our homes, hearts, jobs, health, and emotions. To walk worthy of the calling on our life is not always the easiest choice. Who feels like getting dressed up when so much is daring to strip us down? I can’t blame you. This has been a very tough year with moments of pain that we haven’t always been able to share. Yet, we are challenged to walk worthy of the invitation we’ve received, not according to the exhausting realities of shame, grief, headlines, insecurity, or defeat. I’m sorry that things haven’t been as easy as we hoped. I’m sorry that the highs are remote and rare, while the lows are close and constant. But God chose you to be in this world at this time. Your circumstance has been permitted because God trusts your feet can walk worthy. God trusts your feet will move, even in the face of adversity. God trusts that you won’t sit and be still when there is a kingdom to build. You are a woman who has been invited to meet with a queen. The queen is not far away in a castle, but rather near you, in your own soul. Don’t let your circumstances steal your royal calling and power to walk in the spirit of God. It’s time for you to start moving again. You may have to crawl before you can walk, but each day you inch closer to walking worthy of your call, you’re one step closer to receiving your crown. Walk on, queen. We need you. -By Sarah Jakes Roberts (@sarahjakesroberts)

There are moments in history that shape us and, therefore, the world around us. This season is one of those pivotal moments. With all the current chaos fracturing and dividing our society, we must be committed to keeping our feet firmly planted in God’s Word and in his truth. Every Tuesday over the next few weeks, six different friends of Propel Women will be sharing biblical hope, healing, and wholeness with us through Ephesians 4:1-6, right here on Instagram. Ultimately, we know Jesus is Lord. He is on the throne no matter what, and his calling upon each of our lives never changes. Together, let’s glean from, meditate on, and root ourselves in Scripture. We hope you’re truly encouraged by the wisdom of these women.

We know how easy it is to book our calendars completely full. When we do, we will tend to see God’s divine interruptions as inconvenient...or worse, we don't see them at all. In order to be truly fruitful and effective in our spheres of life, we must first learn to structure our days with margin and flexibility. Margin builds in intentional time and space that allows God to outwork the details of our lives that we couldn’t have predicted while flexibility postures us to keep stretching and reaching out, always ready to see a need and willing to lend a helping hand to those we are called to love and serve. Our God desires to walk beside you through each day—loving you, leading you, guiding you. And this desire is for your good. So build in some margin, practice flexibility, and listen for God. Then, be prepared—because divine interruptions will be coming your way!

Looking back at years of music disciplines in theatre, auditions, coaching, vocal lessons, triumph and disappointments - the artistic process has been a healthy guide to my current landscape of leadership. Being mom of four teenage daughters, wife, church planter, pastor and community leader, I still reap the wisdom of those musical disciplines to this day. 1. Don't be afraid of what you don't know. I wasn't an experienced or refined classical vocalist. I was a young talent with a big voice and ability. I didn't have an extensive repertoire of operatic roles under my belt, but I was hungry to learn. Those experienced vocal coaches enjoyed sharing and teaching vocal pedagogy, artistic nuances of a certain composition or the mindset of the composer. And, in life today, I can still apply those same disciplines; watching, observing, listening and soaking up those teaching moments of things that I don’t know. 2. Immaturity is a healthy starting point and maturity is not the end. As seasons pass us and you gain years of knowledge, don’t lose sight of the things that brought you to the door of your opportunity and experience. Maturity isn’t the end of our leadership journey because opportunities constantly challenge what we do know. But, I’ll say this, friend, we begin to lose when we forget how we started on our leadership and career paths. Remember, everyone starts somewhere. 3. Keep Jesus the center of all that you do. When we encounter a challenge or difficulty in our leadership journey, ensuring that Jesus remains the focus of that decision or response removes the shades of gray that we may encounter. It may not always be comfortable, but your convictions will quietly build a foundation of respect, dignity, and hidden opportunity. Even if your decision or response closes a door, Jesus is that powerful to open a door which no human hand can close when you keep Him in the center of what you do. Friend, your entire life is a canvas of creative opportunity. Keep risking, keep moving and keep learning. The wisdom you reap from beginning to end will be a rich life built by stories of hope, funny vulnerabilities, and a fearless woman. -By Dianna Nepstad

Today on #WorldMentalHealthDay, we acknowledge the value of mental health awareness and education. As our friend, @dranitaphillips, reminds us — mental health matters. Our mental health is deeply entwined with all areas of life. We want you to hear this today: it's okay to not feel okay. We do not know the details of the battle you may be fighting, but we do know that God has perfect plans designed specifically for you and your future. He created each of us to bring light, hope, and healing to the world around us in unique ways. We pray that no matter what is happening in your life, you will continue to draw near to God's presence and that you will experience his overwhelming love, peace, joy, and comfort. And remember — with him there is always hope. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13