In 2 Corinthians 13:5, the apostle Paul asks the Corinthian believers a question: “Or do you not realize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?” Christ is not merely outside of us, a Helper in our time of need, but He dwells in us, living in and with us all the time. If you are a follower of Christ, a daughter of the One True King, you are empowered by the fact that the Holy Spirit lives within you. He is with you always.
Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.”
When you become a follower of Christ you become a new creation in the eyes of God. Your sins are washed away and covered by the blood of Jesus and your new life begins.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
By the power of Christ, your sins are covered and you are a new creation. As you let go of your old self and let Christ take hold of your life, realize that His power is all that you need. Trust in Him, believe in His love, and never let the world distract you from the purpose He has for your life.
Romans 8:11 states, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
Read Romans 8:11 again. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in YOU. If the Spirit of Christ lives in you, it’s time you start to act like it. God gave you the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead! Live by the Spirit and empower others with the strength and ability that God has blessed you with. Having power alone is great, but sharing it with others, spreading the news of Christ, and empowering those around you, that is the purpose of an empowered Jesus girl.
There are so many teenage girls that are struggling with depression. Out of the thousands of teenage girls I’ve worked with in my life, I can honestly say that the majority of them have struggled with depression at some point in their life. At one event, I asked the girls in the audience to raise their hand if they had ever been diagnosed with depression. It amazed me to see hands rise up all over the room. The audience was filled with girls 6th – 12th grade that were struggling with a pain that no one could see from the outside. On the outside, the girls looked young, beautiful, and carefree, but on the inside they were completely broken.
Depression and anxiety have become the silent killers that are spreading like wildfire across the world. Like a disease without a cure, depression is taking lives every day. The “cures” that most girls are reaching for end up leading them further down a path of destruction.
For some girls, they seclude themselves to hide their pain. It’s much easier for a person to ignore reality and seclude themselves from other people than it is for them to open up to someone and ask for help. If a person already has trust issues, do you really think they are willing to ask for help?
Teenage girls and young women across the world are turning to cutting just to feel alive. A psychiatrist once explained it to me by saying, “When a person feels lost and says that they are basically dead inside, they turn to cutting just to feel like they are alive. The pain on the inside hurts so bad that when they inflict physical pain on themselves it distracts them from the internal conflicts within their minds.”
Other girls are turning to drugs, sex, and alcohol to cope with past hurts in their lives. Addiction can start with one simple mistake and domino into a life out of control in less than a few days.
God has given you the power to handle more than you could ever handle alone. I challenge you to use the power God has given you for His glory.
You can save someone’s life by embracing the power that God has granted you.
How can you empower others? Are you ready for a challenge?
Challenge:
Ladies, it’s time we step up and do what God has called us to do. If we don’t start empowering each other now, more and more girls are going to start leaning on other methods of coping with struggles they cannot handle alone. It’s our job, as Empowered Jesus Girls, to show each other Who to turn to when things get tough. God is the only way to peace. We need to shout it from the rooftops and help other girls realize how powerful our God is!
When a person is struggling with depression, left out, or maybe just the quiet girl in class, I challenge you to reach out to them. I challenge you to step up your game and step out of your comfort zone. Share God’s love with someone today. You never know how powerful your words and actions can be until you let God work through you.
Empower the powerless.