How many of you are familiar with a lady named Mary Ash? Mary started a business in 1963 with her life savings of $5,000 and the help of her 20-year-old son. Her goal then and to the day she died was to provide women with an unlimited opportunity for personal and financial success. You might say she felt that was her God-given destiny. She died on November 22, 2001, and most would probably agree she achieved her goal. With 3.5 million Independent Beauty Consultants and $4 billion in global annual sales in 2015, her company is a top beauty brand and direct seller in more than 35 markets around the world. 1 Would you recognize her by the name Mary Kay Ash?
No, I’m not a Mary Kay consultant, but let me ask you, “How many of you have ever been to a demonstration, purchased, used, or sold Mary Kay cosmetics? I would say that she was pretty successful wouldn’t you? Someone once asked how she succeeded so quickly, and Mary Kay replied, “I was a middle-aged lady, had varicose veins, and I didn’t have time to fool around.” 2
- She had a need that gave her passion. The seed of a miracle is a need. Your desire for a more intimate relationship with Christ accompanied by a tremendous sense of urgency will fuel a passion to move beyond the fringes.
- She had an idea, and that gave her potential. In a believer’s life, the ideas or the revelation that gives birth to potential comes from the Father through the Holy Spirit.
- She made a commitment, and that gave her personal success. She was willing to put her life’s savings on the line. What are we willing to put on the line to align ourselves with God’s plan?
- She knew how to lead. 3 The key to moving beyond the fringes in pursuit of God’s destiny for us will be our willingness to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.
If we are totally honest with ourselves and each other, when the alarm on the clock rings, and we push the snooze button once or twice, thoughts about our destiny (individually or together) are nowhere in sight. We may jump or stumble into the shower, fumble through the closet for something to wear, grab a quick cup of coffee while we have our morning devotion, and walk out into our day. God is challenging us to become more intentional about pursuing the destiny that He has for us, for our family, church, and women in ministry covenant groups—regardless of the adversities or distractions the enemy may place in our paths.
Paul challenged the Corinthians to remember, “We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Ask yourself the following questions:
- When I walk out into a new day, who will be following me?
- Would I follow my leadership?
- Am I aligning myself with destiny and pursuing God's vision for what may be seen or for what is more valuable, the unseen treasures?
Remember, the things we can see with our physical eyes may be temporary but they sure are convincing. It takes faith and positioning ourselves before God to see or even begin to imagine our true destination both individually and together with other women in ministry.
[1] Mary Kay on Forbes List, Online: http://www.forbes.com/companies/mary-kay/, [Accessed 1-26-2017]. [2] Mary Kay Ash on ATTITUDE—Lessons from our Founder, Mary Kay Ash, Online: www.unitnet.com/shellyg/pdf/Mary_Kay_Ash_on_ATTITUDE.doc [Accessed 1/26/2017]. [3] Ibid. The primary points but not the comments were taken from this resource.