I had the privilege of attending a virtual banking conference for women this past week and I wanted to share some insights I brought back from the speakers. The women who spoke were from all different backgrounds, but all shared the same theme, Rise Up!

The first item I wrote in my notebook, “What do you wake up for?” As women, that answer can be different for all of us, as different as our circumstances. Babies, school age children, jobs, husbands, chores…the list could be endless. But, at the very heart of the question, I would ask, “Who do you wake up for?”

I couldn’t help but think of this blog as I listened to the different women speak about their careers in banking and the advice they were offering to the women in attendance. We talked about cultivating qualities in our lives and our work environments—Joy, Love, Compassion, Gratitude. We talked about what roadblocks we would have to overcome as we pursued these qualities with a renewed attitude. We talked about taking care of each other, honoring all generations within our organizations, personal development and mentorship.

For me personally, I always balance what I am hearing from a speaker with what I believe my role in God’s kingdom is. Dorothy Dandridge is quoted as saying, “There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.” I would add to that quote, “There is no force more powerful than a loving God, standing alongside a woman, who is determined to rise!”  God makes all things possible. God is the author of life, the beginning and the end, the true reason we are even here, and the reason that I wake up each morning.

What could be more important than that? In business we talk about our sales quotas, grafts, charts, strategic plans, all of these things are necessary to build a business to success. How are you building the kingdom of God? Try applying these business practices to your life in God’s kingdom. Joy, Love, Compassion, Gratitude—personal development and mentorship—all of these business practices can be utilized to bring more people into the kingdom. We can encourage each other. We can love each other. We can support each other. We can mentor each other.

A common theme in this conference among the speakers was supporting other women. Stop tearing each other down. One quote that I particularly loved, “Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown without telling the world that it was crooked.” Wow! Can you imagine how beautiful the church could be if we all adopted that philosophy? Peter instructs the church in 1 Peter 4:8-9, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to each other without grumbling.” Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

So, this week, pick a quality you want to cultivate—Joy, Love, Compassion, Gratitude. How can you grow this quality and how can you grow the kingdom of God? Challenge yourself to face the roadblocks and with God’s power you can make a difference. Rise up and make each day about HIM and the rest will all fall into place. God Bless my friends…