I had a mom who stayed home.
I am married to a woman who stays home and works in our family.
I’m not saying that the women who stay home do not work.
Today I want to focus on the women who make a choice every single day to go and have a career.
It’s time that we celebrate them and joyful for what they do.
Half of my team is women.
My leadership team is intentionally half men and half women.
God created each one of us uniquely, and the difference between male and female perspectives is significant.
What would we lose if we built a business or a career without these insights?
In the South, we often honor women who choose to stay home.
It’s time to celebrate women who realize that God has wired them to contribute in the workplace.
I don’t know that we ever take the time to celebrate them the way we should.
When God was creating Adam, he realized was that Adam was incomplete until He created Eve.
In Acts, we see the example of a woman, Lydia, who is a model for women in the workplace.
Lydia is found in Acts 16:13-15.
“On the Sabbath, we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message when she and the member of her house when she and the members of her household were baptized; she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “Come and stay at my house,” and she persuaded us.”
Here’s what we can learn from her:
- She valued community: Lydia is around other women who are coming together to pray. She is an active member of this community.
I think about Thea, who works in my business. Thea helps bring our people together through events that unite us as a team.
- She owned or had a high position in the business: Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth. Today this would be the equivalent of being a supplier to Gucci or Prada. Her business dealt with a very high-end product.
Inside of my company Sandy and Thea both sit on my leadership team. They have a significant role in the day to day decisions of the business. Their contribution is invaluable.
- She was a spiritual leader: She accepted Christ, was baptized, and led her household into baptism. In the book of Revelation, there is a reference to a church in Thyatira. Many believe that Lydia played a crucial role in its creation and growth.
The women in my business are a model of spiritual leadership. Specifically, Dani leads a Sunday school group of young women; Ray Marie leads a team with FAITH RXD.
Today I recognize all the women who have careers, the women who are working, and making a difference in companies and families around the world.
They have a lot to manage, and I want to make sure we say, “Thank you,” for all that they do to make our businesses thrive!