I grew up within the Church. I love the Church. The Church was Jesus' idea. And His idea included a selfless group of men and WOMEN who were sold-out followers and wanted to bring the good news, including healing and hope, to everyone around them.

However, as much as I love the Church, I've noticed that the Church has an easier time celebrating the workplace accomplishments of men than it does those of women. And that is a problem. Jesus made it clear that women and men were on equal footing in the Kingdom of God, just like He made it clear that Jews and Gentiles were on equal footing (Galatians 3:28). There should be no delineation of favor or support between these groups because we are all one in Christ, and yet there is.

Most churches I have been a part of celebrate women by asking them to join a daytime bible study or serve in the children's nursery. Of course, there is nothing wrong with these things; however, the reality is that many women are called to areas outside of these traditional "female roles." When a woman comes to be a follower of Jesus, she is filled with the Holy Spirit and is gifted accordingly. The supernatural call on her life may include many things, from being a stay-at-home mom to a talented leader to having a workplace calling. However, most churches don't have a place for career women to find encouragement in living out their faith at work.

My sister is the CFO of a company. Part of God's purpose for her life is clearly public and private accounting, and accordingly, she has flourished in her positions over the years. Yet, she doesn't fit the mold of where the typical Church wants to plug in a woman to ministry. Because of this, my sister had to think outside the box to engage her skills in a Church setting. Martha and I have run into so many women who feel second-place in the Kingdom because they love to work outside the home and be a part of the marketplace.

If this sounds familiar, you aren't alone.

Martha and I wrote sheWorks4Him: Embrace Your Calling as a Christian Woman at Work, in collaboration with 22 other faith-driven career women just like you, as a written piece of encouragement to every Christian working woman. sheWorks4Him is full of letters to celebrate, validate, equip, and connect women God has called to the workforce! We would love to share the first chapter of sheWorks4Him for FREE! You can  Download it here.

Remember, your unique gifts are a necessary part of God's greater Kingdom plan – embrace it!

Jim