The Christian Working Woman Mary Lowman

Presented by Lauren Stibgen

She is clothed with strength and dignity; and can laugh at the days to come (Proverbs 31:25).

As a leader, being clothed can take on aspects of both physical presence and personality presence.



Consider the two defining words: strength and dignity.



How do you show strength in both your physical presence and in your personality as a leader? First let’s think of our physical strength. You have heard the phrase you can’t pour from an empty cup! As a leader, taking care of your physical strength through minding your health is important. Are you getting enough sleep to endure through your day? Are you able to physically move your body and nourish yourself with healthy foods? All these daily habits of health will increase your physical strength.



Now, what about showing strength in personality? Balancing strength with humility as a Christian is critical to showing love to others. Having a strong personality can take on negative connotations, but what if you think about leading with strength? One way you might show strength with a humble approach is by highlighting the work your subordinates complete. Perhaps you speak up during a meeting with an opinion that is contrary to the remainder of your leadership team in a respectful manner, or maybe you propose a new way to implement faith employee resource groups in your workplace.



Now we shift to dignity in both your physical presence and in your personality as a leader.



Dignity is defined as the state or quality of being worthy of honor and respect.



I know this may sound silly but how you physically show up matters. Are you dressed professionally? This can take many forms depending on your environment, but dressing your best and being clothed in a dignified way matters. My mom always told me to dress for the job I want, not the one I have!



What about having a dignified personality? Part of being worthy of honor and respect is showing honor and respect. Reflecting dignity to others is another way to show Christ’s love to others at work.



Dignity is a basic human need; it's our sense of self-worth, respect, and esteem. Preserving dignity in another person means respecting their whole self and caregiving in a way that respects their preferences and individuality.



Jesus showed dignity to others throughout the scriptures. From tax collectors to prostitutes, he should serve as our best example of how to approach each person where she is at. You may be the only example of Christ at work, and showing others dignity is key.



Now for the final piece of this verse that indicates she can laugh at the days to come. The Proverbs 31 woman doesn’t fear the future because she leans on the Lord for wisdom.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen



How do you start your day? And how do you solve problems that arise? Part of being a good leader is how you prepare and resource yourself. Considering Proverbs 31, what do we learn about being prepared?



Two verses from Proverbs 31 stand out to me.

She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants (Proverbs 31:15).

Sometimes the days seem long, and I know not everyone will wake up early to start their day. However, being a prepared leader will not only help you but will show love and respect also. Planning and being prepared can impact the elusive work/life balance so many people are seeking. As a leader, taking a few minutes in the morning to plan for your day is essential.



Thinking more about providing food for her family and portions for her female servants, we can consider how those who work for us are in our care, just like our family. Whether it is a well-planned meeting or even planning to reach out to team members for a quick check in, a plan helps in their feeding.



The next verse in Proverbs 31 also helps us consider our preparedness.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet (Proverbs 31:21).

How is your team clothed? Let’s think of some examples of what this looks like at work. The pandemic gave us a look at how clothed teams were in their ability to work from anywhere. Some companies shined with their technology and others struggled to get this up and running.



As a leader, how are you clothing your team to be ready if you take time away on vacation? Are work plans communicated with clarity, and are plans in place for someone to cover?



What if one of your key team members suddenly leaves the organization? How is the team clothed to have access to important information like emails or files that will help with workflow?



Taking special care in clothing someone to be prepared for a promotion is another consideration as you lead. Leaders who can help promote or grow other leaders are truly helping prepare their organizations, their subordinates, and themselves for what is next!



Maybe you are listening to these examples and thinking you have a little fear for your work household! Wake up early and start making a list of how you can best prepare to clothe your team today and for future growth!

Presented by Lauren Stibgen



Many of us have read about the Proverbs 31 woman. Proverbs 31 verses 10-31 describe a woman who is to be praised for her godly character. In today’s reality, she embodies what many of us as Christian working women are: wives, mothers, and business leaders! Looking at this example in Proverbs 31, we consider some of the attributes that can impact our leadership.

A wife of noble character, who can find? (Proverbs 31:10)

Maybe when you hear the word noble your mind goes directly to a king or queen. However, another definition of noble is having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.



One can argue having high moral principles and ideals is one of the most important attributes of a leader. While most companies have a code of conduct, it is your behavior in the office or how you show up that matters.



As a Christian, our moral principles and ideals are shaped by God’s Word in the Bible. At the highest level in John 15:12 we are called to love one another as Jesus has loved us. Being noble means showing our shareholders, colleagues, subordinates, customers, and even suppliers an attitude that exudes Christ’s love. Often, we see this referred to as servant leadership.



Think of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. This seems less than noble. Feet today are smelly, but back in Jesus’ time, people walked around in hot weather, in dust and dirt. It was a servant’s job to wash feet.



We don’t need to wash feet at work, but there are simple ways to show love. Perhaps it is acknowledging a birthday or work anniversary. Maybe you celebrate your team’s success by acknowledging a job well done. Is a member of your team experiencing a trial with health or family? How can you support them?



Let’s think of another definition of noble for a moment: belonging to a hereditary class with high social or political status. I think we have all met this leader who feels anointed to their position. Someone who has an air about them who feels above people. They don’t make time or reach down to help their team. Maybe it is hard to approach them.



Focusing on high moral standards and ideals, I challenge you to read more about how Jesus served others and to look further into how the woman of noble character served others as well.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen



I am going to age myself. My first job was one I secured by applying to an ad in the newspaper. I mailed my resume and cover letter that were printed from my Smith and Corona word processor. So, here I am with almost 30 years of work under my proverbial belt. I say this because it can be so easy for me to forget what it was like to enter the workplace for the first time, aspiring to be in a higher role. And, it can be easy for me to not want to spend the time thinking about generational differences and needs in today’s workforce.



In fact, given the work I do, I often lament that I do not enjoy hiring new college graduates due to the amount of handholding it can take to work with them and the differences in how they view work. It wasn’t until I spent time with some young professionals that I saw how blind I can be. By not taking time to understand what they needed, I was not leading at all in a way that God had called. Jesus is our greatest example. He served people of all ages and vocations. Narrowing my focus was doing what served me and not what served the kingdom. The truth is, we are all experiencing firsts every single day. While someone new in their professional career may be learning what it means to step into the role of managing others, on the opposite end of the spectrum someone else is learning to let go after years of leading a team. Maybe it is letting go due to a career change or even letting go to retire. As a follower of Christ, I am called to see all of them. In the case of addressing the broken rung, I want to shift my focus to early-mid career professional women.



As Christian leaders should care about the younger professionals in our workplace. While some of us may occupy that C-Suite, the pool of upcoming women who can take our spot is dwindling. They are leaving the workplace. While the study itself doesn’t take time to address the why, I can tell you a little of what I have seen.



One of the noted issues women face, according to the McKinsey[1] study, is that of microaggressions. And women of color face microaggressions at an even greater rate than their peers. These experiences are another contributing factor to women leaving the workplace. Microaggression is defined as a statement, action, or incident regarded as an indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. As Christian working women, we need to care about the social issues other women face—especially women of different race and ethnic decent. While I consider my example of microaggression minor, it did occur, and it did impact my promotion. At the time, I was a director. I was asking for that next step up to a vice president spot. My boss at the time stated he didn’t see this being possible with my commitments as a mom—you know, having to be there to get them at school and such. I kid you not. My initial reply was that I was sorry he felt that way, and I then asked for examples of how my work had been interrupted or less than. I also inquired about the gentleman in my working group who coached football and left early three days a week. Well, you guessed it, I received the promotion. However, this is etched in my mind. It was so clear, man: ok. Woman: not ok.



The broken rung statistic from McKinsey suggests that for every 100 men promoted to manager only 87 women were promoted. Men hold up to 60% of managerial positions. Have you been passed over or felt the wind come out of your sails when you didn’t receive a position you wanted? Discouragement—this overwhelming feeling of not being chosen. As a Christian working woman, we even struggle with these feelings. Although, if we are abiding in God’s Word we know there is one who chose us before the foundations of this world—Jesus. Even in the abiding and knowing that our heavenly calling is higher, we can still sit in these feelings. As a Christian woman,

I’m examining working by Jesus rules, because Jesus had lots to say about our attitude toward our work, our work habits and our performance.



I’m reminded of the time when Jesus taught Peter something about fishing. You’ll find the story in Luke 5. Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and saw Peter fishing—or trying to.



He gave him some advice:

‘Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch’ (Luke 5:4).

Notice Peter’s answer:

‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets’ (Luke 5:5).

Can’t you hear Peter’s mind working: You’re a carpenter; what do you know about fishing? I’m a fisherman; I know how and where and when to catch fish, and your instructions don’t make sense. But just because Jesus said to do it, he did and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Peter had never seen anything like this, and it humbled him as he worshiped Jesus and acknowledged Jesus had control over fish and all he had to do was obey.



Whatever your job is, Jesus knows more about it than you do. He is all-knowing, so when you’re facing some dilemma on your job, when you need help and advice, why don’t you go to Jesus first and foremost and ask him what to do? The Word of God has all kinds of good advice that is very applicable to every issue you’re facing, on the job and elsewhere.



Make it a daily habit to present your needs and requests concerning your job to Jesus and expect him to give you wisdom and strength and guidance. A good friend of mine is in a very high-powered, stressful job, which she believes is exactly where God has put her to be a witness for him. Many times, she sends me a text to pray for a specific situation she’s facing on her job. Why don’t you form a buddy-system with someone you know and agree to pray specifically for each other’s job issues. Two other friends of mine agreed to pray by phone each morning before going to work, and they did that for years. They have wonderful testimonies of how God gave them wisdom and help on their jobs.



Learn to depend on Jesus and his Word for guidance as you face tough decisions. He’s a Wonderful Counselor, and you won’t be disappointed.

Do you often compare yourself to others? If you do, you usually end up in one of two places. Either you decide you’re a lot better than others, or you decide you fall way short and don’t measure up. Comparing yourself to others is a very bad habit, often a sinful habit, and can truly handicap you.



That is one lesson we learn from the parable of the talents, which is recorded in Matthew 25. As Jesus tells this story, there are three people who start out with very different amounts—or talents—which they are to manage for their boss. One begins with five, one with two, and one of them receives just one.



The first two work hard and double their talents, so the first one now has ten, the second one has four. But what about the guy who had only one? Does he now have two? No, he still has just one because he decided not to do anything with the one he had. After all, he might lose it, and the boss wouldn’t like that. He comes up with this lame excuse that he didn’t want to lose his one measly talent, so he hid it.



If he expected to get a sympathetic response from his boss, he was badly mistaken, because the boss harshly chastised him for not multiplying what he had. Yes, he started with only one talent, but then all he had to do was come up with one more, and he would have received the same reward the other two received.



I think part of his problem was he compared his one talent with the other guys and decided he couldn’t do much with just one talent anyway, so why bother. He did nothing because he made the mistake of comparing himself with others and then throwing a pity-party.



There’s no doubt that in your job there are people of differing abilities and talents—some more gifted than others. But the issue is not what you start with; it’s how you finish. If you work by the Jesus rule, he’s not asking you to measure up to other people, but simply to be faithful to multiply what he has given to you. Comparing yourself to others will often discourage you. Just be grateful for what you have and make the most of it. That’s the Jesus rule.