When we wake up to our alarm clocks every day, get dressed and head out into the world, we need to put our best selves forward and make an impact in the world around us. Isn’t that the whole point of being the light in the darkness? Let me start out first by explaining where the title of this blog is coming from. Rise^Level^ is due to be the title for the published book that I came up with about a year ago. When I found out that the theme for our church this year is – The year of the Next Level, I felt convicted that it was time to put pen to the page and get going – seasonally fitting eh? Rise up Level up is about Christians in business and the challenges to maintaining our ethics, morality, and sanity as we navigate through the world. There was a season where I was home with my kids, but I felt the draw to go back to work. Talk about feeling out of place as a Christian, unsure of where my safe bubble was - like I felt at home or with my church family; I began to realize that working in the world is way more than going out to be the light in the darkness. It’s also about knowing our identity, walking in love, spiritual warfare, and coming home and fixing the chinks in our armor so that the next day we can go out and be even more victorious than the day before. I’ve had this message on my heart for at least a year now. Overwhelmed with the intentions of making this into a book, I’ve delayed writing. Excuses of being in school full time, working full time, parenting two teenagers full time, being a wife full time… all these things have consumed my attention, but today; a message came out of my pastors' mouth that resonated me and told me that it was time to release what’s been inside of me. My pastor said – “if you’re not sharing what you’ve gone through with the body – how are you making an impact and helping people to go to the next level”? I knew in that moment that I needed to skip worrying about the end goal of a book and just start getting this out to those of you around me who also need that boost. Rise up level up is a group of testimonies of the little victories that I’ve had in my business journey and how I’ve navigated through them. The battles I’ve won from spiritual warfare, the advancements I’ve made by furthering my education, essentially the good, the bad and the ugly of navigating through the journey that I’m on. I hope what you read challenges you and encourages you to rise up to the challenge that God has called you to in your life.
Even though I work in the world of manufacturing, where pressure, anger, tight deadlines and urgency flow like the Niagara Falls, I can’t be more thankful that there is a time to go home at the end of the day where I can decompress, remember that I’m loved, and rest. This world doesn’t relent; we can either swim or be swallowed up by the tide. Ok ok, so I’ve described the dark – but what good has come out of this season of my life? Strength! More strength and growth that I never knew could exist within me. For this very reason alone is why this message has been on my heart to share. I think the season has accelerated the need to release this and help build up those around me who may be struggling to grow in the same situation.
Growing up, I had no idea who I wanted to be when I was older. Now that I am, I’m more focused and on a path of my own that God has laid out for me. I went to college right out of high school to start working on my associates. I didn’t finish until years later when I determined within myself that I would pick it back up and get my degree. In 2013, while working full time, going through a divorce and raising my kids, I did it. I completed my associates degree online. Being in churches where higher education wasn’t as important as being the light in the darkness, kept me blind to the fact that the world likes degrees. Naively thinking that I could truly take over things that I had no skill for, forced me to take a second look at what I needed to succeed. Listening to Lance Wallnau teach on the seven mountains made me realize that If I truly wanted to impact the world around me, I needed to decide what it is that I needed to be doing, and go after it with everything I got. I’m very business minded and knew that the light I wanted to be was in the business world. Determined to run a company of my own, I set forth on the path of Business management. Getting a degree and working in the world is one skill that is a benefit to have.
The Bible explains to us many times that knowledge and wisdom are the keys to success. We can’t simply be like Solomon and pray for wisdom and expect to be given boatloads of money, a title, and a solid life to enjoy. Solomon was raised to be a king from the time he was born. Solomon was groomed for greatness, and that’s why getting a higher education is so key to becoming a leader in our society. There are many great leaders in our Christian world, that have a great level of education. Heidi Baker, who runs Iris Global Ministries and is a total powerhouse for the Kingdom, has her Masters degree. Keith Moore and Kenneth Copeland are also two powerhouses who I admire that went on to higher education and look at the lives they’re leading and the droves of people they’re changing in their ministries. Another great in my book is Doctor Cindy Trimm, a woman who went from absolute poverty as a child to a multi-millionaire and ridiculously successful businesswoman as an adult. Of course we see examples of people who didn’t finish college and say to ourselves – "if they can do it without a degree, so can I". Unless you’re as innovative as Steve Jobs who created Apple, or Henry Ford with Ford motor company, you really might want to consider going to college to give yourself the solid skill level that employers are looking for. It’s not just the degree that they want, it’s the skills within the work you’ve dedicated yourself to throughout your schooling that sets you apart. Recently at a security summit in Las Vegas, the director of homeland security Steve Albritton was there talking about the key things that are needed to set you apart and make you successful in his field in particular. One of the things that Albritton said that stuck with me is that you not only need to show your degree but demonstrate how you’re going to use it to make a difference in your field. You need to be able to take your ideas and promote them and justify the reasoning behind them to help earn your credibility. CEO’s get this tactic. Praying for God to give you the words to speak is nothing like having been trained by those who know to speak to kings already. Just as Solomon, Moses, David, etc. knew how to speak to kings, we will need to learn that skill if we want to be influential in our fields. Let’s take Esther for instance.
Esther is a woman who truly learned to Rise up and Level up. This woman came from the invisibility of society and became the most influential woman in the kingdom. Esther didn’t do this overnight; she had to learn to rise up. In Esther 2, we see the contest for the queen. Esther enters in, and after spending a year in preparation, it’s go time. Now mind you, this contest wasn’t like a standard beauty pageant. The king sent out a decree commanding young virgins to be brought to him, he wasn’t afraid to put people to death, and this was no exception. Whether or not Esther and the king had sex that night is up for debate, and not part of what I’m discussing here. What I am talking about is the fact that Esther, who was orphaned by her parents and raised by her uncle, was a woman who was probably used to talking to and being talked to strongly by men. Mordecai was a man who grew used to battle. Mordecai’s own father was carried off in battle and became a prisoner of war. Honoring his family meant that when Esther’s parents died, Mordecai stepped up to the plate and took her in as his own child. Being orphaned as a child, probably forced Esther into maturity. Honoring the king, forced her into worldly kingdom life, after spending life privately as a persecuted Jew. When Mordecai learns of Haman's plot to sell the Jews into destruction, He petitions Esther for her help. Knowing that the king isn’t afraid to put to death, anyone who approaches his kingdom without his petition, Esther naturally becomes scared. Even as her husband, The King isn’t the warm and loving husband that many of us are accustomed to. A womanizer at best, He and Esther didn’t spend a whole lot of time together. Sure, she was queen, but He was the one who ruled. Afraid to approach the King, Esther calls for a fast and uses that time to find her courage. “Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes (her identity) and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house… So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.” Esther 5:1,2. For Esther, it took a communal period of fasting for her to find her identity as a true queen and go into the inner courts boldy to approach the king. Her boldness attracted his favor. Esther was then able to request a banquet with the king and Haman. When the king decides to put Haman to death, only a portion of the situation was over. Time is running short and, Esther starts to panic. This time, Esther doesn’t wait for the king to hand the scepter to her. She falls at his feet in a puddle of tears crying and pleading for the king to withdraw his decree to kill the Jews. Would you go to your VP like this? In an out of character move, the king holds the scepter out to Esther as if to tell her – Get it together woman – look who you’re talking to. And this is perhaps the most beautiful part of the entire story. Esther comes to herself and remembers who she is. She’s not a crying little helpless girl, Esther is a Queen! Esther 8:4 says “So Esther arose and stood before the king.” Esther arose and spoke to the king as a king desires to be spoken to. Esther tells the king the problem, and she proposes a solution. The king not only grants her request, he also gives her and Mordecai the full authority to write the decree themselves, hands off his signet ring as if to sign the letter himself. Seriously! This is power at its finest! Ladies, we read in the story of Joseph how he was sold into slavery and then appointed to be the executive assistant to the king – this is no less amazing! Esther went from obscurity to tactical military strategist, running a kingdom. So how do we have our own stories of impact? How do we go from today to changing the world through business? One of the most prominent foundations that we need to have as believers is the same thread that keeps recurring in the story of Esther, and truly throughout the bible as a whole… Identity. We are never going to impact the world without being rooted in the identity that only comes from remaining in Christ.
Over and over again in my career, the problems I’ve had and the willingness to press forward when I’ve wanted to quit, all come down to my identity and remaining solid in the foundation of who HE says that I am. I’ve had my days where I’ve been victorious and powerful like Esther, I’ve had days when I’ve fallen apart and ran to the bathroom crying, I’ve had days where I’ve had to reach out to a mentor to get help understanding the situation, and then there are those days where, after seeing the scepter held out to me, I wipe my tears, pull myself together and boldly go back into the ring to accomplish victoriously all that I need to do. Before I was blessed with a wonderful mentor who is also the CEO of a local company and one of the godliest and powerful women I know, I struggled to navigate this world of business on my own. If you find yourself struggling – not wanting to go to the next level because where you are is hard, let me encourage you-you're not alone. You were never meant to do this life alone or to be alone in the dark as you try to shed your light. We need to do life together. We need to do community. The military doesn’t conquer cities one man at a time, why do we think we can overcome the working world on our own? All in all, the heart of what I want to get across to everyone is to stop quitting what was started. How many times have you or someone you know quit their job because people were mean or the job was hard? The Bible tells us that we are victorious and conquerors, isn’t it time to live out who God says that we are by stepping into that identity? Keep with me on this journey as I tell you about some personal victories I’ve had. Perhaps that office ogre will finally leave If you press into your spiritual authority, or maybe that situation will get better if you start using the skills you learn on a Sunday for the rest of your work week. Together we can conquer any battle because two can put ten thousand to flight better than the one alone.
Further on, I will be discussing topics such as Identity, love, spiritual warfare and working with Honor. If you have any topics you’d like to see here or questions or comments to add, let me know. May this article find you blessed and encouraged, and looking forward to more messages. Shine bright as you go forth with your day and know – you CAN do all things through Christ who gives you strength, you CAN win at your workplace, and you ARE successful – because you care enough to want to be in His plan for your life. Don’t quit warrior – you’ve just hit the next level!
Erika Collins
Erika Collins
