Inspiration, Part 2

Powerful Inspirations
by Kathy Ireland

(Page 2 of 2)

As I continued to read the Bible, I discovered how Jesus loved people — especially women. As a young woman out in the world, in a business that felt dominated by men, I was very frustrated. I knew that women had challenges in my own country, but as I traveled to other countries and experienced firsthand how women were often treated, it was very hard for me to comprehend. What I learned about Jesus was how much He loves, respects, and honors all women, and He did this during biblical times, when we were not even considered second-class citizens.

It's important to remember that God chose a woman to give birth to His son. The first person that Jesus told that He was the Son of God was a woman. She was a Samaritan, and at that time, Jews did not speak to Samaritans. Men did not speak to women, let alone a woman who was leading what was considered an immoral life. Jesus loved her and though He didn't condone her sins, He didn't stand in judgment of them. He acknowledged them in a loving way, and He chose her because He had respect for her in spite of her sins.

The first people that Jesus appeared to when He arose from the dead were women. To me, that was so encouraging. He became my best friend, and I suddenly was no longer lonely. No matter where I was, I knew that He would be with me. I often wondered why God put me in the modeling business. Today, I believe that it was because He knew me. I had such a rebellious nature. If I had been in a healthier profession, I might have turned against the good things and destroyed genuine opportunities. As it was, I was rejecting a lot of things that would have been less than good for me. I refused to become a victim of all the negativity that was so easily and readily accessible.

For the first time in my life, I wanted to be different. Those junior high-school rejections were now serving me well. I didn't want to fit in with the crowd. I didn't want that lifestyle. In retrospect, it was a healthy rebellion. I refused to go to certain parties.

I tried to avoid situations with people I couldn't trust. Watching people do things that were making them unhappy and unhealthy reminded me of how I felt back in school — wanting to fit in and watching everyone else wanting to fit in and be like everyone else. When exactly do we get over that need?

My walk with the Lord continued at a very slow pace after I began reading the Bible in Paris. I am a slow and deliberate learner, and I remained a baby Christian for a very long time. I still feel like a baby Christian, but I was an infant due to my own hesitations in following His word.

As I read the Bible, I would kind of pick and choose passages that I liked and try to live by those words. On the other hand, I'd get to certain parts of the Bible and I was positive that what I was reading had to be a typo or incorrect in some way because it made no sense to me at all. So I cherry-picked the passages that meant something to me and abandoned the parts of the Bible that I didn't relate to. Eventually, I realized that what I was doing was trying to mold God into what I wanted Him to be, rather than letting Him mold me into the person He created me to be.

My lack of obedience made my life so much harder than it needed to be. I made too many mistakes along the way that could have been avoided if I had simply obeyed God's word. I've been humbled many, many times. I understand that God wants us to share a joy and a fellowship that we all need. It saddens me when I see other people making the same mistakes that I've made — mistakes like waiting to be happy when you have the choice to be happy today or blaming other people for circumstances in your life. A close friend of mine often says, "In relationships, there are no victims, only volunteers." I believe that. I also know that developing character is a path that is never completed. It's not a destination.

As I continued my Christian walk, I was inspired by something I read by C. S. Lewis. It said that it was impossible for Jesus to simply be a "good man.". He could be only one of three things.

First, He could be a very evil man, because He told everyone that He was the Son of God and He told people to follow Him and allowed His followers to die for Him. If He did that and it was not true, then He was indeed a very evil man. Second, He was simply crazy, because He thought that He was the Son of God, but He wasn't. That leaves the final thing that Jesus could be, and that is exactly who He says He was. That is what I know in my heart. I am so encouraged by that belief.

He knows me for who I am and hears all of my thoughts, and yet ... He still loves me. Now that I know Him, it is so hard to imagine that this man died for me — for all of us. His desire is that not one of us should perish, but that we should all be with Him forever.

He thought enough of us to give us free will, that we can choose to love Him or not, but He is always there for us with open arms, loving us. If I have a question or a concern or a challenge, I pray about it. I ask for guidance, help, and answers. Faith is courage that has said its prayers. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and I place my faith in Him. I am confident in the possibilities that are present in all of our lives.

If I don't feel at peace about something, then it's not God's will. Every day I ask God that His will be done in my life, which isn't always easy for someone like me, who likes to be in control. The Bible is the greatest book ever written for managing life. The basis for all the information we seek and need to know is right there — available to anyone who reads God's word.

Faith is a lifetime journey. Through years of study, prayer, and practical experience, I now understand that I truly want God to be in charge of all things, because He has a greater sense of the "big picture" than I ever could understand. I recognize that sometimes His path isn't the path I'd choose or the easiest road to travel, but it is always the path I need to be on in order to grow and fully enrich my life and the lives of those around me.

I am a bit of a control freak, so asking that God's will be done over my own is, in itself, a daily challenge for me. When I give up that control and accept that He is truly in charge of all things, I am at peace.

I trust Him even though I know it doesn't always mean that everything is going to be easy. Life is tough, and you have to be, too. Every day we live is filled with uncertainty. As people of God, we don't know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow.

God can make the impossible possible. My prayer for each one of you is simple. If you don't know Jesus Christ, that you take the time to get to know Him. Invest the time in a relationship with Him. He will bless you more than you can imagine.

Lesson One

• Faith is the key to stability and the cornerstone of life.
• Life is tough. Faith will get you through the tough times.
• When God is with us, who can be against us?
• Never compromise your character to achieve any goal.
• Faith takes courage and is rewarded.
• Character is a path, not a destination.
• Faith is everlasting.
• The Bible is the greatest book ever written for managing life.

Copyright © 2002 by Kathy Ireland. Excerpted by permission of Galilee Trade, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

About the Author

Kathy Ireland is one of America's most accomplished entrepreneurial CEOs. She is the recipient of the Businesswoman of the Year Award from the National Association of Women Business Owners and will receive an Outstanding Mother of the Year Award for 2002 from the National Mother's Day Committee. Her brand recently garnered the legendary Good Housekeeping Seal for consumer excellence. She lives in California with her husband, Greg, and their two children, Erik and Lily.