The Empowerment Trap: Part 2

Biblical Women Who Understood Divine Partnership (And Why Empowerment Workshops Miss the Point)

This is for the Christian woman entrepreneur who's tired of being sold empowerment when she already has the Holy Spirit dwelling within her. The one who's starting to suspect that $500 workshops can't give her what God already has. If that's not you, stop here. But forward this to a friend who's still searching for power in all the wrong places.

What Scripture Reveals About Divine Partnership

Acts 1:8 gives us Jesus' own words: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses."

Notice the source of power: the Holy Spirit. Notice what's missing: any suggestion that this power originates from within us.

Let's see this principle lived out through biblical women who understood divine partnership:

The Samaritan Woman (John 4:28-30, 39-42): After her encounter with Jesus, she didn't need an empowerment workshop to become an evangelist. She left her water jar and went into the city with such joy that "many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the woman's testimony."

Mary Magdalene (John 20:17-18): When Jesus appeared to her after the resurrection, He didn't send her to a confidence-building seminar. He simply said, "Go to my brothers and tell them." She became the first evangelist of the resurrection.

These women didn't find strength by looking within themselves—they found it by partnering with God in ways that brought them joy and supernatural results.

The Empowerment Workshop Contradiction

Let's address something that many Christian women entrepreneurs are too polite to mention: the proliferation of "empowerment" workshops and conferences.

If you're a born-again believer, you have the Holy Spirit of the living God residing within you. You have been given "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 1:3). You have access to "his incomparably great power for us who believe" (Ephesians 1:19).

So here's the question that should make us all pause: What exactly do you need to be empowered with that you don't already possess?

What can they give you that God hasn't already provided?

I don't know how many empowerment workshops/conferences I've personally attended, what I spent, or even what I expected, but it didn't move the needle for me. Okay, I felt good and was inspired, but after a long while of attending, feeling good, attending, and feeling good...the return wasn't there. Honestly, because I didn't have a clear understanding of what I wanted, I didn't get much. Now for everyone who's offended at this point, it's okay. Because the reality is that I realized I already had the power in Christ. The workshops didn't fail me—they revealed what was already in me.

But What About...

But Sis, I hear you saying, "These workshops help me!"

Of course they do - community, strategy, and encouragement are valuable. But let's call them what they are: equipping sessions, not empowerment ceremonies. There's nothing wrong with learning new skills, gaining knowledge, or finding your tribe. Just don't label it as "empowerment" - suggesting we're powerless without it.

You need tools? Get tools. You need strategy? Learn strategy. You need community? Find your people. But stop calling it empowerment when what you really need is education, connection, or clarity. Words matter, especially when they shape how we see ourselves in relation to God's provision.

The Billion-Dollar Deception

According to market research, the personal development and empowerment industry is valued at $48.4 billion in 2024, projected to reach $86.54 billion by 2034. The business empowerment sector adds another $610 million, while healthcare education and empowerment contributes $12.5 billion more.

Think about that. We're spending over $50 billion annually seeking what we already possess.

It's like someone offering to sell oxygen to a person who's already breathing. It's like offering to teach a fish to swim. The absurdity becomes clear when we step back and look. Imagine if we invested those billions in kingdom business instead - funding missions, supporting single mothers starting businesses, or backing enterprises that create jobs in underserved communities.

The Authority You Already Have

Let's be clear about what Scripture shows us:

Miriam the Prophetess (Exodus 15:20): She led the entire nation of Israel in worship and praise after crossing the Red Sea. She took up her tambourine and led the women in dancing and singing. God didn't empower her in that moment—He revealed the authority He had already placed within her.

Deborah the Judge (Judges 4:4): "Now Deborah, a prophetess, was leading Israel at that time." Notice—she was already leading. She didn't need to be empowered to lead; she was operating in the authority God had already given her.

Huldah the Prophetess (2 Kings 22:14): When King Josiah needed to hear from God, he sent to Huldah. She spoke with such divine authority that her word determined the spiritual direction of an entire nation. What you say!

So when someone offers to "empower" you in a workshop, what are they actually offering? Okay Sis, sit with this thought for an hour or two.

What You Actually Need (And It Ain’t Empowerment)

Instead of seeking empowerment, here's what you actually need:

1. Revelation of Who You Already Are: Like discovering you've been sitting on a goldmine while begging for coins. You need to understand your identity in Christ and what that means for your business calling. Look at how Esther discovered her identity as one positioned "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). You are created and positioned for such a time as this.

2. Creative Activation of What You Already Have: Learning to wield the sword you've been carrying like a walking stick. Oops. You need to learn how to practically apply the spiritual authority you already possess. Deborah stepped into the role God had prepared her for and operated in divine wisdom. Why can’t you?

3. Joyful Alignment with God's Purposes: Finding the sweet spot where your calling meets market needs. You need to ensure your business is aligned with God's will. Mary said "May your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1:38), aligning herself with God's plan.

The Real Issues Behind Empowerment Seeking

When some Christian women seek empowerment, they're usually not lacking power. They're lacking/you're lacking:

• Understanding: They don't understand who they are in Christ or what authority they already possess. God has promises meant for you.

• Activation: They don't know how to practically apply their spiritual authority in their business context.

• Confidence: They doubt whether God really wants to use them. For real?

• Community: They are lonely and need encouragement from other peer believers.

• Strategy: They need real talk wisdom about how to build their business in alignment with God's principles.

• Breakthrough: They're facing all kinds of business stuff that require divine intervention, not human empowerment.

None of these issues require external empowerment. They require equipping, teaching, encouragement, community, wisdom, and prayer—but not empowerment.

Truth Bomb

Every empowerment workshop that doesn't point you back to the power you already have in Christ is actually DIS-empowering you by reinforcing the lie that you need something external. You don’t.

Let that sink in.

You're paying someone to convince you that you lack something God has already provided. You're investing in the illusion of insufficiency when 2 Peter 1:3 declares: "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Notice it says 'HAS GIVEN' - past tense. Already done. Everything we need for life and godliness (including business success) has already been provided. So when we seek empowerment from workshops instead of accessing what's already ours, we're like someone searching for water while standing in the rain.

The Question That Changes Everything

If you already have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, if you already have access to God's unlimited power, if you already possess divine authority as a daughter of the King—then what are you really seeking when you look for empowerment?

Would it be that what you're actually seeking is not more power, but more understanding of the power you already have?

Would it be that what you need is not empowerment but activation of what God has already placed within you?

👀 The Bottom Line

Part 3 is where the rubber meets the road. I'm going to show you exactly how to tap into the nuclear power plant you're already sitting on. No workshops required. No conferences needed. Just you, God, and the business He's called you to build.

But warning: Once you see this, you can't unsee it. You'll never look at another empowerment invitation the same way again.

We'll look at practical steps for activating the authority you already possess and discover how to build your business through collaboration with God. This is where everything comes together—don't miss it! Shh!……You will also get a cool tool you can use.

Note: Market statistics compiled from Grand View Research, Fortune Business Insights, and Allied Market Research reports on the personal development and business empowerment sectors (2024-2025).

Your Sacred Action Step

Here's what I want you to do RIGHT NOW: Calculate how much you've spent on empowerment in the last year. Now ask yourself: What kingdom impact could that investment have made if you'd recognized you were already empowered? Reply and share your experience.

 P.S. Take This Further

Tap one of the responses below or hit reply and tell me. I read every message. You’re not meant to struggle to prove your faith—you’re meant to thrive because of it.

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